I’m keeping this quick because I just told my daughters I would come out and be with them in 20 minutes.

We’re on our final day of summer traveling that started on June 28th. Six and a half weeks away from Miami, visiting Bermuda and Colombia (just me and Mike), Indiana (just the kids), Upstate NY, CT, and Maine.

It’s been glorious. Mike and I had the yummiest (taste-wise and energetically) dinner last night to savor it all before we pack it up and head back to routine.

Here’s the recap:

The data is clear: Once our basic needs are met, having more money doesn’t significantly increase our happiness.

But that’s not the full story.

The ingredients of a satisfying life are highly individual.

But what’s true for everyone is that the more we fill our limited time here on Earth (at least this go-round) with what matters to us, the more we feel we’re living our own version of the good life.

Money can’t buy the good life.

We all know people with tons of money who are dissatisfied, lonely, depressed, or struggling in some other way.

But having a healthy, conscious relationship with money does something far more powerful:

It gives us the power of choice.

Most importantly, choice over what we do with our most valuable asset, our time.

(And the data shows us that feeling like we have choice is absolutely correlated with more happiness.)

This summer I’ve written you an email from my heart every week except for one (a pre-planned break for our 10th wedding anniversary).

I’ve also taught the live modules of Relaxed Money and showed up for Group Coaching and Q&A’s.

But other than that, I’ve been in fairy gardens with my kids. I’ve been having heart-to-hearts over delicious coffee. I’ve been holding hands with girlfriends with tears in our eyes. I’ve been skinny dipping in the moonlight. I’ve been snuggling with Mike. I’ve been savoring delicious food. I’ve been sitting in saunas, dripping in sweat with my eyes closed. I’ve been reading books that expand my perspective. I’ve been laughing so hard I’ve peed just a little.

As I grabbed Mike’s hand across the table last night at the cutest French restaurant in Kennebunkport, ME which just so happens to be owned by a die-hard Plenty listener (check out Chez Rosa and say hi to Yazmin if you’re ever in town!) I felt so deliciously filled up by the following:

Our kids are 6 and 8 and we’ve just spent six and a half weeks savoring summer with each other and some of our most beloved friends and family.

When I was in my teens I said I was going to start my own business so that I could be really present with my husband and kids one day.

And while there’s always room for improvement, I’m celebrating that I’m doing it!

We’re not the wealthiest people I know. Our business revenue is smaller than some of my friends’. Our summer wasn’t the most expensive we’ve ever had.

Yet, when I look at my calendar and my expenses so far this year I can say unequivocally that our time and money are going towards what matters to us and I’m so freaking proud of that.

If our schedules don’t reflect what we say is important to us, what are we doing?

The older my kids and my parents get, the more aware I am that life is finite and the only way to expand time is to savor it.

So this is your reminder that money is simply a tool. It won’t guarantee you satisfaction or joy. It doesn’t have that kind of power.

But if you get yourself connected to your heart and soul, to that which makes you come alive, and then you use your money and your time to get more of it front and center in your life?

That’s the good stuff, my friend.

So, I’ll leave you with this before I go fold a million sheets and take a final trip to the beach…

What makes you come alive?
What really matters to you?
What’s one thing you can do right now to organize your money and your time around that?

Xo,
Kate

P.S. The reason I’ve been able to take so much time off this summer is because of the way I schedule my life in alignment with cyclical (instead of linear) time.

I have a new, totally free class where you can learn how to schedule your life and work to have more time for what matters in less than 45 min.

Sign up here!