Can Money Buy Happiness?
31 Aug 2023 · 8 min
Dean Graziosi’s short behind-the-scenes podcast unpacks a contested statistic — that about 1 in 8.8 Americans are millionaires — and uses it as a springboard to argue that financial success without personal fulfillment is hollow. He cites historical/market drivers (housing inflation; an oft-cited figure of ~1,700 new millionaires created per day), reflects on a vulnerable interview with guest Cody Sperber (personal failures, divorce, bereavement), and urges listeners to pursue financial freedom while preserving relationships, health, and integrity. The episode emphasizes vulnerability as a tool for self-correction and offers practical prompts (look in the mirror, admit where you’re screwing up) and a light promotional CTA for Mastermind.
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So 1 in 10 people in America are millionaires. Well, that's a stat that Cody Sperber, my guest last week on the Own youn Future podcast, shared. It spurred a little bit of controversy, so our team did some research because he said it was definite and it's not true, but it is 1 out of 8.8. Almost 1 out of 9 people in America are millionaires. Let's unpackage that. Hey, everybody. Welcome to the owner own your Future podcast behind the scenes. This is the follow up. 7 to 10 minutes every single week to share what happened when no one was watching or to break down something like that statistic and how it impacts you and affects you. Thank you for making this one of the top podcasts in the world. I am beyond grateful. This is my time, my commitment to deliver the capabilities I wish that I had when I was younger that I didn't have to figure out on my own. So I will continue to work my tail off to bring great guests and to ask good questions. If you didn't watch the podcast last week, whoa, it was one of the most vulnerable, one of the most controversial ones we've ever had, and I think that's why people are going crazy over it. But let's unpackage that. 1 out of 8.8 people in America are millionaires. You know, I've been following that stat for years, but I kind of lost track of it. I remember there was a time when there were 1700 new millionaires a day being created. I think that has exponentially grown with inflation. Right? People's houses are worth significantly more. The house that I just sold a house 18 months ago, and I sold it for almost twice as much as I bought it for two years prior. And the person I sold it to 18 months ago just sold it again and doubled the price. Now, that's not in every area in the country. Phoenix is growing because so many people are moving in. But some of this is kind of wonky. It's crazy. And one thing it shares is being a millionaire might not be enough in today's crazy world. And I don't say that in a crazy way. We might as well fight for everything we deserve. But I want to unpackage something different. Because one of the number one things for a decade, when someone asked, what would you like? What would make you happy? What would bring you peace? Do you know what the number one answer was? You can Google it. Be a millionaire. And I want you, Tony Robbins, my partner and I, we fight for you to have more financial freedom. More financial success to be a part of an industry like the self education industry that's exponentially growing, where your knowledge is the greatest asset you own. How share it, make impact, great revenue. We love helping people fuel in that way, but we really work hard on this kind of success. 360 because. Would you take a million bucks today but not be able to ever fall in love? Would you take a million dollars today and be stressed every day with angst and not appreciate the family that you have? Would you take a million dollars today but not be able to tuck your kids in at night? Would you take a million dollars today and not feel connected to the ones you love? No, not in a million years. Because, you know, being rich without fulfillment, being financially successful without fulfillment, I should say without joy, without your heart feeling it is probably the biggest failure in the history of the world. So in this podcast last week, Cody admitted some stuff. He was so vulnerable and admitting. I don't want to. Cody's going to listen to this because he said it. But how he screwed up his marriage and how he made horrible mistakes by kind of going in the deep end one inch at a time. Wasn't looking for forgiveness, wasn't looking for compassion. He was just being vulnerable that he screwed up and messed up his life for a while. And with that, it was the thing that made him hit the bottom. Went through a divorce and lost his mom all, all in the same year. And how to hit rock bottom to look in the mirror and say, God darn it, I'm screwing things up. How did I get here? So what I want to share today is fight to be one of the 1700 a day becoming a millionaire. Do whatever it takes, but don't lose sight of what really is important in your life because you wouldn't take a million bucks to compromise your joy, happiness, love, abundance, being a parent. So how do you work on the pieces that allow success in all areas of your life? And if I'm just gonna take from last week's podcast or this week's podcast with Cody, I'd say being vulnerable is a great start. Look in the mirror and say, where are we screwing up? Where are we focusing on things that don't drive us to the man or the woman we want to be? Where are we doing stuff in the invisible that's not so cool. Who are we DMing? Who are we calling? What are we surfing? What are we watching online? Listen, I'm not trying to give you a moral compass. I am far from perfect, guilty for making mistakes in my Life. But I know one thing. When your energy is focused on one thing. When your energy is focused on love, when your energy is focused one in lanes, right? In your personal life, in love, connection, friendship, family and in business, on one business. And you don't have all this cloudy stuff in between. When you, when all of that energy can go into connection, into commitment, into being in better shape, being healthier, and all that energy goes into one thing in business or the career you have, that's when life exponentially grows. That's why a lot of times men in their 50s get their shit straight finally because they're not all over the place. They finally realized all the mistakes they made and they can focus on one thing. So this is a quick little seven, ten minute message to say a lot of millionaires being made, get after it, go for yours. I'm not going to make apologies for saying you should be wealthy because when you're wealthy you could do good for others, right? People say, is this money by happiness? I don't think it does. I said, well, you haven't given enough away yet. Feed 50,000 people or 5 million or 20 million. Build some houses in Africa. Save some kids from slavery. Do the thing. Help your church out, help your school out. Money can buy happiness. Just find people who are struggling to eat and help them eat. Pay off some electric bills when no one's knows who you are. Retire a parent. Put some money away from your ch for your children so you know they'll be safe. That buys happiness. So get after it. Do whatever it takes to be more financially free. That's why Tony and I love Mastermind. Check out mastermind.com if you're not right. But more importantly, where can you be vulnerable this week and admit where you're screwing up. Admit where you let yourself slip into an area of your life you're not proud of. An area of your life that's robbing your focus. An area of your life where you let fear stop you. Vulnerability is a superpower and I know you know that. Everyone be listening to somebody like me. But it's time to be vulnerable with you. If you're vulnerable thinking about starting your own business and you're afraid to fail, let's get over it. Be afraid to get to the end of your life and realize you played small. If you don't have the connection in your relationship that you want. But behind the scenes you're doing stuff you shouldn't be doing. Slippery slope. Be vulnerable. Admit it to yourself. Look in the mirror. Make some changes. If you want your health better and you want to live a long, abundant life. But you know, when no one's watching, you're doing the stuff that doesn't provide optimal health. Then be vulnerable with yourself and just say, hey, it's scary to walk in the gym. It's scary to eat different. But I got to do it because my family deserves more, I deserve more, and my future generations deserve more. All right, that's a quick hit here on a Thursday when I'm dropping this, the behind the Scenes of Own youn Future. If you like this, share it with someone that could use this quick message. Make sure you subscribe. Leave me a comment, let me know what you think. I do these all for you. We don't run ads at all. This is just to give back. Appreciate you so much. Make sure you tune in next week. Oh, the guest I got coming this Sunday, Pure fire. Appreciate so much. See you next time.
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