Introduction
Most of us think about money in practical terms: how to earn more, save more and manage it better? There are many courses that teaches these things. Some are easy to apply. Many are not.
But money has a psychological side. What is money? What energy it gives? How do we feel when we talk about money? These questions reveal more than financial habits. They reveal our relationship with money itself.
In this post, I will explore the psychological side of money which Ken Honda describe in Happy Money as Money’s Energy. From that idea, I will move into the principles of Money IQ and EQ and how I apply this in real life.
My Background
I have studied money from the practical side for as long as I can remember. I learned about standard money management, different forms of investment, and the idea of financial freedom. These ideas were easy to understand, but much harder to apply.
For a long time, I tried to understand why. In 2023, I attended a Robert Kiyosaki seminar in Singapore, where one of the speakers was Ken Honda. His perspective stayed with me.
Ken Honda did not focus on investment strategies or income growth. He spoke about how we feel about money, and how those feelings shape the results we get.
I then read one of his books, Happy Money. My mindset shifted. Since then, I have tried to view money differently. Alongside other courses I took, my perspective began to change. Instead of focusing only on results, I started paying more attention to process. That shift changed my attitude toward money.
Money’s Energy
Most of us think about money in practical terms. We earn it, spend it, save it, and invest it. We rarely stop to think about the emotional weight attached to it.
This is where the principle of Money’s Energy comes into play. The idea may sound abstract at first, but it points to something real.
Money carries emotional energy of how it is earned, received and used
If the money comes from a good source, it brings positive energy. If it comes from a negative source, then it brings bad energy.
Take illegal income as an example. Some people may justify it as survival. But underneath, the money comes with constant anxiety. When will I caught? What happens if I do? Money earned this way does not bring peace. It brings tension.
The same idea applies in less extreme situations. A person may earn money from work they deeply hate and tell themselves that the paycheck makes it worth it. But if earning that money means waking up every day with dread, then the money comes with a cost beyond time and effort.
Good money energy brings joy, peace and happiness . Bad money energy brings anxiety, fear, or even endless need to prove something.
SUITS: A Clear Example
The idea appears in SUITS through Mike Ross who’s practice law illegally and had previously made money through drug dealing and taking LSATS.
At first, this sounds reasonable. The ends justify the means. He needed money to support his grandmother. But throughout the series, Mike lives with the fear of being exposed. His money, status could never free him. That is what makes Trevor Evans’ words hit so hard
Don’t you get it. You’re breaking the law. Everyday.
Michael, the longer you go, the less the money matters. The food doesn’t taste as good. The car isn’t fast enough.The view isn’t high enough.
And finally, you realize that you would traded all in for one night of going to bed where you don’t have to worry
“When are they gonna come for me?”
– Trevor Evans, SUITS S5 E9: Uninvited Guests
That is the heart of Money’s Energy. The idea is simple:
How you earn and spend money has consequences. The question is whether you are willing to live with them.
Practical Applications
In practical terms, money becomes Happy Money when it is earned or used in a way that creates gratitude, joy, or meaning.
Examples of Happy money include
- Receiving payment with appreciation
- Paying for something you feel thankful for
- Giving money as a gift with joy
- Earning money from doing meaningful work
Conversely, it becomes Unhappy Money when it is earned or spent on a bad clause. This brings a feeling of anxiety, fear, shame, and resentment.
Examples of Unhappy Money include
- Stealing
- Resentment Payments
- Guilt Spending
- Chasing money out of fear
This is the emotional side of money. Money is not only about numbers. It is also about the feeling and meaning attached to its flow.
Money IQ and Money EQ
Financial Wisdom consists of two parts: Money IQ and Money EQ
Money IQ is the practical side of money. It covers how we earn, spend, protect, and grow it.
Money EQ is the emotional side. It shapes how comfortably we receive, enjoy, trust, and share money.
Both matter. One helps us handle money wisely. The other shapes the energy and emotion behind those decisions.
Money IQ
Money IQ can be understood through four areas
Making Money
Making Money begins with sincerity. It means offering something valuable through your own abilities and creating value for others.
Many people approach money through control, competition, or fear. Happy Money does the opposite. It focus on being your true to yourself, doing honest work and serving others well.
When money is earned this way, it becomes more than income. It becomes valued.
Spending Money
Spending money wisely requires awareness. Instead of spending automatically, it helps to ask whether your spending supports your happiness, well-being, values, or responsibilities.
Think about:
- Does this purchase truly improve my life?
- Why does spending money on this make me feel afraid?
- What are the fears attached to spending money on this?
When you become more mindful of your spending, you find out that you can spent money more confidently.
Protecting Money
Protecting money is about setting healthy boundaries and building honest relationships around it.
This may involve being transparent with those directly affected. It also means protecting yourself from pressure , manipulation and damaged trust
Money can be a sensitive topic, but where it affects other people, honesty matters.
Increasing Money
Increasing money is the investment side. However, this does not mean blindly following trends.
Instead, understand what you invest in. The approach is similar to Value Investing where it focuses on the strengths of the business itself.
Money EQ
Money EQ is about handling emotions related to money. It breaks into four areas
Receiving Money
Most people are too scared to receive money. To receive well is to accept value without unnecessary shame. When you are open up to receiving, money feels more like part of healthy exchange.
Enjoying Money
Enjoying money is not simply about pleasure or luxury. It is about appreciating what money allows you to experience in the present.
Instead of always chasing the next financial goal, look at the present and value what is already here. Money should not only be managed. It should also be appreciated.
Trust with the Money Flow
Most people are too scared to take financial risks. Happy Money does the opposite. Be confident to take calculated risks and that will open a path to abundance.
Sharing
Sharing is the final part of Money EQ. This can mean sharing money, time, knowledge, effort, or kindness. It does not need to be large.
The point is that generosity changes your relationship with money. It shifts money from something to guard anxiously into something that can also create connection, gratitude, and meaning.
Practical Applications
All these Money IQ and EQ concepts return to the same foundation: Money’s Energy. How we make, spend, and receive money shapes the emotional energy.
But how do these ideas appear in everyday life?
For me, they can be applied through three simple principles.
Don’t Save Money out of Anxiety
Saving money is important. But when saving comes entirely from fear, it can feel as though no amount is ever enough.
You may begin by saving six months of emergency funds. Then you feel the need to save for one year. Then three years. The cycle continues, not because your needs have changed, but because anxiety keeps moving the goalpost.
Instead, save money for all the fun things. Traveling, buying a new PC or early retirement. You are infusing your thoughts of money with appreciation and joy.
A similar idea in Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T.Harv Eker, he encourages creating an Enjoyment Fund, money set aside specifically to be enjoyed. The point is not reckless spending. It is to build a healthier emotional relationship with money.
Likable People will attract Money
Another practical lesson is that money often follows trust, warmth, and sincerity.
This comes down to two simple ideas:
- Do what you love, and learn to value the work you do.
- Treat people with genuine care, because customers respond to that care.
When people feel respected, understood, and appreciated, they are more likely to support you. In that sense, money is not only attracted by skill. It is also attracted by human connection.
Arigato and Maro Up
A final principle is gratitude and sincerity.
Arigato means Thank you in Japanese where Maro (magokoro) means true and sincere heart.
Be thankful. Be genuine. Appreciate the good that comes into your life, including money itself. This mindset changes the way you interact with people and with opportunities.
Gratitude creates a different kind of energy. It makes money feel less like a source of pressure and more like part of a meaningful exchange.
My Reflections
Having read through Happy Money, I founded myself genuinely drawn to its way of thinking. More than becoming financially free, it is about learning how to live happily with money. In that sense it feels like stoicism in practice.
I recalled when I started network marketing around 2017. I was afraid to sell products because people might judge me. However, looking back, I think the deeper reason is because I don’t truly believe in the products that I was selling.
That experience stayed with me. It made me feel that money reflects who we are. If we act with sincerity, integrity, and self-control, then the money attached to our actions carries a different kind of energy.
Life is like this, and I like this. It is like this not because of the risks we’re taking. It’s because of who you are.
– Harvey Spectre, SUITS S5 E10, Faith
I agree with the book’s ideas overall. However, I would place more emphasis on Protecting Money. I feel that while sharing is good, it is important to set boundaries. Without them, people can take advantage of you, and over time that can damage your self-respect. In the long term, that creates negative energy around money as well.
I also believe that emergency funds are also important. However, it is important to set limit and committed to it. Otherwise, it would just turn into anxiety and fear that is never fully satisfied.
Putting it into Practice
So far, I have only applied some of the principles from Happy Money, but they have already changed how I think about money.
I have become more conscious about how I spend it. I now stop and ask whether I truly want something or not. I also keep both an emergency fund and an Enjoyment Fund, so that money supports both security and enjoyment.
When it comes to sharing, I try to be generous with the people around me, but mainly with those who genuinely value and care about me.
In terms of investing, I still rely on a financial planner because I do not yet have enough expertise to manage everything on my own. Even so, I still review the options carefully and make the final decision for myself.
The main thing I still struggle with is confidence. I understand the idea of taking thoughtful risks, but acting on that understanding is harder in real life. I think that part will take time.
Conclusion
Happy Money changed the way I think about money. It made me see that money is not only practical, but also emotional. It reflects who we are.
The key take away from this book is not to learn how to earn a lot of money, but how to live happily with money. This means earning in a way I can respect, spending it with awareness, sharing it with boundaries and managing it without fear.
I still have a lot to improve. But this book gave me a perspective that feels more human than most financial advice. In the end, that may be what matters most. Not just having money, but being able to live with it happily.
Disclosures
AI tools were used to assist with outlining, clarification, and editing suggestions.
All ideas, interpretations, and final writing decisions are my own.
References
Honda, K. 2019, Happy Money: The Japanese Art of Making Peace with Your Money
Korsh, A. 2011–2019, Suits, TV series, Universal Content Productions
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