Few things are prized more in our western cultures than power and money. The message is strong and clear: you get money, you get happiness. The more money, the more happiness. It's laced into all of our commercials, it's laced into the very fiber of our society. Money buys happiness.

Of course you and I aren't so foolish as to buy into this get happy quick scheme. After all we have endless examples of people with incredible wealth and very little happiness. Hollywood being the prime hot bed for such examples.

And yet, still, some little part of you holds out. The illusion has been planted deep within. Money is fun. A lot of money would be the thing that would tip the scales forever in your favor for major happiness.

No, money doesn't buy happiness per se, but it sure would make things so much easier. Or would it?

Tony Robbins is one of this century's greatest motivational gurus. He stands as a towering 6' 7" example of financial success and happiness; the personification of "money buys happiness." Surely, for Tony Robbins, money buys happiness.

Tony tells a wonderful story however. One we can learn much from. The day Tony's company went public he made millions. He was at the height of his career--fame and fortune galore. A fairytale. And yet that night he talks about going home depressed, really depressed. One of his biggest dreams had just come true. He had banked millions. But still he went home depressed. The money, the fame, the success didn't touch what was happening inside Tony.

There are no shortcuts to living. Living is hard at times. That seems so obvious as to be mindlessly ridiculous. And yet, you and I aren't immune to searching for the quick way through. We so want to believe that some people side track the harshness of life. That perhaps money can buy happiness after all and if we can just get our hands on a major coffer full we'll be just fine.

Tony Robbins reminds us that there are no such shortcuts. Money is fun but it makes no difference whatsoever in the currency of life. Life is what life is and no amount of money or success can bypass it.

We're here to grow and evolve and just like water etching patterns into sandstone, life will etch itself into our psyches invited or not. Money or not.