Things I Value More Than Money

Mental health . Being able to express my feelings in a healthy way, finding someone who can relate to me and sympathize with my problems, and being capable of addressing issues when they bother me. Seeking professional help when all of these options fail to make me feel better. Being free of anxiety and depression; feeling a sense of contentment and a zest for living life.

Physical health . Getting up and moving around every day. Not huffing and puffing when I walk up a flight of stairs. Eating better, exercising more, and making choices that will make me fitter, healthier and happier.

My relationship . Bringing someone else into my life who accepts me in a non-judgmental way. Someone who helps me grow, who supports me no matter what I want to do. Someone who I can open up to, who I can let into my whole world. Someone who knows the best and the worst and still wants to wake up next to me every morning.

Friends & family . People I care about who share my interests, whose relationships with me involve shared experiences. People who make my life richer and fuller just by being present.

Experiences . Interacting with people, seeing new things, facing my fears. The rush I get from experiencing something new and exciting isn't something I can buy.

Personal passions & hobbies . Activities that make me feel truly fulfilled, things that excite me and get me out of bed in the morning. Hopefully finding that seeking my passions can lead to a career, and eventually even making money doing something I love.

Personal Growth . When I look at how much money (and time) I've "thrown away" towards therapy, I remind myself how much I've reshaped and defined my life in the last two years. I have found many opportunities to grow as a person, to change my behaviors and my beliefs, to challenge my life's narrative and re-write a new story for myself. In my case, working to grow as a person has cost me a lot of money, and a few personal relationships as well. But knowing that I can change my outlook on the world for the better is invaluable.