Why More Money Isn’t The Answer: Finding Contentment and Happiness in Tough Economic Times13 min read

If you grew up in Maiduguri in the late ’90s or early 2000s, and your father ran an electronics store in Baban Line while your mother handled catering orders and sold clothes on the side, chances are your family wasn’t super rich, but you never went to bed hungry. There was always a bag of rice in the corner of the kitchen, school fees paid on time, new clothes every Christmas, and just enough left over for those superhero toys.

That was our home. Not naira rich, also not lacking. Yet, it didn’t take long for us to start wanting more.

Reasons We Always Want More

As I thought and wrote about those days, one thing became clearer to me: no matter the benefits we enjoyed, our satisfaction always seemed to recede.   

• Father grumbled that he didn’t have enough.  
• Mother said the business wasn’t bringing in as much as it should.  
• We, the kids, wanted more like the neighbours. Maybe a family car ride to church, a TV in our room, or a few extra Marvel characters to complete our toy Avengers collection.  

And though many of our wishes were granted, we still wanted more. Not out of ingratitude. Rather, adjustment. 

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Give the human mind a little comfort, and it wastes no time redrawing the line. Or as my mother likes to say: “You were allowed, and now you want allowance.” Not the best grammar there, but the wisdom hits the mark. 

Psychologists call it the hedonic treadmill; a race for satisfaction, where the finish line keeps moving just ahead of us and we keep running. So what once felt like abundance now feels like “not enough.”

Though, sometimes this restlessness drives us to progress. Other times, it just makes us anxious and stressed.

“Enjoy the journey, because the destination is a mirage.” – Steven Furtick

Why Attitude Is More Important Than Money During Hard Times

Sadly, my family isn’t doing as well as we once did. Not because my parents are bad with money. They are decent businesspeople. But, things fall apart, when terrorists come knocking with knives, guns and RPGs. They were forced to flee the place they’ve poured their whole energy and resources into. The shop is gone. The customers are gone. The economy is a goner. And you still have six children to raise in a country where the cost of living keeps climbing on a ladder with no end. 

Some days when I remember the loss and how bad things are getting, I just hate it here. Not because I don’t love the people or a little of the culture, but because the system is broken by those managing it. They don’t care that jobs are scarce, healthcare is dreadful, security is a joke, infrastructure is a mess.

The aristocrats and business owners, those who should be ethically and lawfully bound to play fair or pay fair, are treating their subordinates and workers inhumanely. They reward them with an insignificant fraction of their effort. Their businesses, instead of easing the weight of a broken system, add to it, causing more pain to workers and more harm to the environment.  

And the only time they seem to care about the people is when it’s a photo-opportunity to flaunt their insidious generosity on social media; a devilish means to show off their horns.

This is not to say that love of money is evil. For the love of it, nudges us to find ways to earn money that opens doors, buys us time, and gives us the chance to help others. 

In this  place where almost nothing works the way it should, well, money surely feels like the only way out. However, I like to think money isn’t the only thing that builds people or society – our attitude is far more critical. 

A real example will be the Danes. Denmark isn’t one of the happiest countries in the world, because they are the richest country—rather they built an environment around the idea of hygge: a culture of warmth, safety, trust, and shared wellbeing. 

I can’t help to wonder if that shouldn’t be the real priority, maybe even how we all eventually make money.

• With warmth, we build a community where success isn’t built on another’s loss.
• With safety, we innovate and attract investors. 
• With trust, we collaborate and successfully run businesses. 
• With shared well being, we look out for one another instead of stepping on each other to get ahead.

I’ve seen it work in my family even in these hard times. Things have changed, yes. But somehow, the group chat never stops. Fights don’t last long. Someone always sends airtime or asks for everyone’s account numbers. Encouragement comes in voice notes. Laughter stays alive in sarcasm or jest. We carry each other, quietly, without being asked, always trying to make life a little lighter for everyone.

Now imagine that on a larger scale.

But, sadly, the majority of our leaders and citizens are deep in their heads and pockets to think of the greater good. 

So if you are reading this, I guess it’s up to you and me to attempt this proposal of mine – to adjust your values and attitude.

Hard times are not always our fault, but it is still our responsibility to choose our attitude during them; and it all starts by we deciding exactly the way we choose to live, something I have come to call “Our Compass in life”

Why Picking and Sticking to Your Life Compass Is Critical—Especially In Difficult Times

It’s true that our challenges need more than just philosophical or religious beliefs; it would be nice to see that our food is like 10% of our earnings, clothes aren’t luxury meant for the few, or airplanes aren’t for the rich.  

But it’s possible that change will not happen anytime soon. Possible that  advocating for better governance would take more than 100 years to become a reality. Also, it is possible that the Naira will keep crumbling and tumbling against the Dollar. 

Where does that leave us? 

Should we go in circles lamenting?

Should we start eating each other like hungry dogs?

No.

I think it is exactly in the middle of such heartwrenching conditions that we are confronted with the task of finding what truly brings fulfillment or satisfaction besides money– the sacred duty to to pick up and recalibrate our compass for life – to get clear on what a meaningful and worthwhile life truly means to us, what it feels like in our bones outside the societal expectations, amidst the struggles.

Why?

• Without this personal compass, you are likely to always feel tired, lost, and overwhelmed.
• Without this personal compass, the world will give you a destination you don’t care about.
• Without this personal compass, you will forever be running on a treadmill of someone else’s design.

Think about it

• How often do you find yourself tired and stressed, stuck in a job you don’t even like?
• How long have you been waiting for a rich partner to show up and fly you off to some island for vacations?
• When do you think that GLE will finally appear and make you happy?
• How many times have you told yourself, “Just one more year,” while nothing really changes?
• How often do you scroll through social media, wishing your life looked like theirs?

“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

Tips to Navigate a Challenging Economy and Tough Time Without Losing Your Way

Building and following your own compass – i.e. picking and sticking to things you find personally meaningful based on your skills, values, and goals – isn’t optional for navigating a challenging economy like in Nigeria. And, here is what following it looks like:

Focus On What You Can Control

Everything starts to make more sense when you stop wrestling what you can’t change and start tending to what you can.

It’s as simple—and as difficult—as focusing on your thoughts, your actions, and your reactions. Instead of draining your energy on endless worry, fruitless arguments, or keeping up with the social exhibition of the haves and have-nots, what if you used that same energy to build something of your own? – Something that grounds you. Something that grows with you.

Money is great, but you’re far more likely to make a lot of it by focusing on your strength and creating something of real value for others.

For me, it’s developing a strong yet lovable character, while improving my writing and photography skills, so that I can tell the stories of others and add to the library of human history. Though, this may not be the answer to all my problems. But, it feels like a beginning. A direction. A way forward.

When we focus on what we can control, we uncover a sense of clarity, of purpose, something to wake up for.

Who knows? Maybe the thing we nurture today becomes the tool that lets us shape stories we’re proud to tell, stories that touch lives, and feed us too.  

When life feels overwhelming, focus on what matters. 

What matters is often what you can control. 

What you can control is what you can change.

“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” — Viktor Frankl

Build Meaningful Relationships 

Relationships, whether by blood or sweat, are more than luxuries. They’re currency. Not the kind you spend, but the kind you grow. And in any economy or struggle (whether emotional, mental, or even professional); its value only increases.

I am not a part of a big family tree, nor do I have an endless branch of friends, but the grain size I have, challenges my ideas and supports my growth. They’re not just there to laugh at my jokes or echo back what I already believe. They sharpen me. They sit with me in the mess, probe my thoughts and nudge me toward clarity. That’s what a good relationship does, it doesn’t just keep you company; it makes you better.

The beautiful thing about these kinds of relationships is that, like wine, it ages well – gets richer over time. One day, a friend might drop an idea that rewires your entire life. Or they would invest in a dream you barely dared to say out loud.  That moment might come two, three, or thirty years after you first met but when it comes, you realise that some connections are seeds. They grow you.

One good friend can be worth more than a thousand followers, more than a hundred retweets, more than all the digital applause combined.

Stay Optimistic

Pessimism is magnetic. It pulls attention. So, we treat it like proof of intelligence (critical thinking, depth, awareness.) You can see this on X everyday. Say “Things will be fine,” and people shrug. Say “We’re in danger,” and suddenly, everyone listens.

However, pessimism is rarely wisdom. More often, it’s just our negativity bias in action. We’re wired to notice threats more than beauty, problems more than progress. But when you pause, breathe, and really look, you’ll often find more light than dark.

And the light is obvious as the day. We live in a time of abundance: tools, choices, knowledge, that our parents couldn’t dream of as normal. Yes, problems still exist. But so do more ways to grow, build, recover, and move forward.

The quiet irony is that optimism is biological. Most of us, no matter how bad today gets, still go to bed and wake up trying again. That impulse—to hope—isn’t foolish. It’s human.

That said, optimism isn’t the easy road. It’s the slow one. It shows up in small decisions. Part of that means choosing not to listen to every voice. Not to watch everything that pops on your feed or argue with everyone about every opinion.  

Treat optimism like your first line of attack and last line of defense. Either by reading something that builds your mindset to envision possibilities. Or listening to rejuvenating podcasts. Alan Watts lectures can be your start. Sit still long enough to hear your own thoughts, not the loud, anxious ones, but the honest ones buried beneath. And reflect gently. Not just on what the world is doing to you, but what you might be doing to yourself. Sometimes, we are the very thing standing between us and the life we want.

Optimism is a survival skill. 

Use it. 

Look for the small moments of goodness, not because you’re blind to the madness, but to remind yourself that not everything is falling apart.

“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” — Desmond Tutu

Conclusion: Even In The Toughest Place, Life Can Be Meaningful 

Environment matters. If I get the chance to move to a country with better roads, healthcare, and opportunities, I wouldn’t hesitate.  

Yet, the truth we all must face: not everyone will get that chance to live in such an environment. Nigeria may never become the dream nation we hope for, at least not in our lifetime. Most of us will not succeed in the sense of being financially free, or achieving our wildest imagination. That’s life. Not all seeds grow on rich soil. Some find themselves in the desert.

But desert plants don’t wait for rain.  They grow deep roots to find hidden water.  They adapt to store what little they have, stretching toward the sun.  

In the same way, we can build our own adaptations: focus,  build relationships, and be optimistic to see possibilities where others see only scarcity.

And perhaps the most powerful outcome?

If more of us in this younger generation embrace this mindset, then from our small corners of the world, we might just stand a real chance of changing the very system we’re still learning how to survive.

“Bloom where you are planted.” — Saint Francis de Sales

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Thank you for reading to the end. If you found this helpful, please share it with family, friends, or a colleague who might need or appreciate these ideas. 

Here are some blog posts you might find interesting:

• Finding Purpose In Pain: How To Grow Through Pain (Instead of Suffering) 
• The Habit of Gratitude: How Practicing Gratitude Daily Changes Your Life
• 60 Big And Small Things To Be Grateful For Every Day [Even When Things Are Tough]
• Resisting Money Obsession: 10 Steps to Appreciate Your True Value While Building A Meaningful Life