Stock Doc: The Pursuit of Happiness

As a performance coach and psychologist for some of the wealthiest financial types on Wall Street, I work with many brilliant individuals, some of whom, however, have fallen victim to their own self-destructive and perfectionist minds.

Many of those who sit across from me on a weekly basis are focused on obtaining financial nirvana but somehow seem oblivious to all of the wonderful things that they already have or will accomplish in the future.

They compare their successes and their wealth to those who work next to them and even to their friends. They compare their stock portfolios to their friends' and anguish over failures far longer than they savor successes. My clients fall prey to their insatiable drive to obtain material wealth that they believe can supply their families with security and happiness.

While it is true that money can contribute to an individual's sense of security and the ability to live comfortably, it does not directly relate to obtaining happiness. Many of my clients are so competitive that they often forget to look around them and appreciate the commodities that they already possess. For them, nothing in life worth having comes without a price tag.

My job is to help them channel their thinking and focus on some of the quintessential moments in their past and current lives. Moments once lived, cannot be purchased or frozen in time, so it is important to really take them in and appreciate them. I would never tell my clients to work less. I would just help them to work more efficiently so that they might be able to enjoy the fruits of their labor.