Note: I want to emphasize that it is not my intention to brag or show off in any way. All of this is for educational purposes to illustrate the point(s) I am trying to make.

Thinking back four years I remember walking into the office one day with a huge smile on my face. One of my managers nodded at me and remarked, “Oh I know that smile! That’s the smile of someone who just got their Tesla!” It was true. I had been on the waiting list for 19 months, and had finally picked up my new car.

He then followed that by saying, “I guess money can buy happiness!”

I know he wasn’t trying to make it an awkward jab or weird remark, he was a genuinely happy guy and was genuinely happy for me. It did stop me in my tracks though.

I thought about that comment A LOT over the following days and weeks (it happens to be the inspiration for this series as well). Finally, after my brain had thoroughly chewed it over, I came to the inevitable conclusion – he was right.

You see, I want to live more sustainably. Protecting the environment has always been a priority of mine. When my Prius got smashed into a few years prior I decided to do the unthinkable and put down a deposit for a car that hadn’t even come out yet, the Tesla Model 3. Once I had made that decision to stick with what was important to me (despite the hefty price tag), I began to feel a shift in my mindset.

This shift was a form of cognitive dissonance – basically a subconscious realization that I had values and beliefs saying one thing but my actions said something completely different. I had chosen to purchase an electric vehicle and invest in the promise of cleaner energy and transport, yet I was, for the time, driving around an old SUV I got off of Craigslist to hold me over until the EV was ready. There I was at the gas station, pumping liquified dinosaurs into an extremely inefficient engine, only to be coughed out into the atmosphere as I drove.

When I did receive my car that day, there was a certain sense of psychological relief. This harmony between my values and my actions began to blossom in my mind and I was, yes, happy. The happiness didn’t come directly from the money involved, but in this case it did require money in order to align my actions with what is most important to me.

Now I’m not suggesting that you go out and spend a bunch of money to make yourself feel better. Rather, be cognizant of what you spend your money on. Focus on this idea of reflecting your values through your actions, and in this case by ‘putting your money where your mouth is.’

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