Benjamin Franklin

‘Money has never made man happy. The more one has, the more one wants.’

I thought this went well with yesterday’s quote, they fit nicely Epictetus:  “Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not.”

No matter how much money you make or how hard you chase that next raise, bonus, or promotion, it becomes a never‑ending loop. A hamster wheel in business‑casual clothing. I lived on that wheel for a long time.

I accumulated a mountain of stuff—so much that half the time I couldn’t remember why I bought any of it. Most of it had no meaning. Every year I’d say, “Let’s pay this off, and next year will be different.” Spoiler: it never was. More buying, more stuff, more convincing myself I needed more.

About ten years ago, something in me finally snapped—in a good way. I’d had enough. I stopped chasing.

At year‑end reviews, my boss would say, “Let’s go over your evaluation.” My response became, “Am I still getting paid, and do I still have a job next year?”

He’d say “yes”.

I’d say, “Great. Review over.”

I never read a single review after that. I stopped caring about climbing ladders I didn’t even want to be on. And you know what? I was happier. We even started downsizing, and life got lighter—physically and mentally.

Wanting to improve your life isn’t bad. But constantly wanting more is exhausting. The trick is perspective: knowing what actually matters and letting go of the rest. Turns out, peace takes up a lot less space than stuff.

Benjamin Franklin is quite the character for an original old school guy. If you would like to see my book review on his autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

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