How to Unlock the Power of Happy Money | E64 Ken Honda

In this episode, Fede welcomes Ken Honda to the show, Japan’s Zen guru and international best-selling author of “Happy Money,” surpassing 8 million books sold. Ken introduces his unique concept of happy money, reshaping our understanding of financial relationships and inspiring peace of mind. He highlights the power of gratitude and appreciation in financial health. Listen to learn how to build an abundant life.

Highlights from this Episode:

01:15 The Concept of Happy Money

03:27 Understanding Your Worth vs Your Earnings

05:22 The Energy of Money: Giving and Receiving

07:29 The Japanese Art of Making Peace with Money

10:18 Finding the Happy Medium with Money

12:53 The Impact of Lifestyle Inflation

14:54 The Power of Gratitude Towards Money

17:14 The Importance of Invisible Assets

23:27 The Power of Trusting Life

Connect with Ken:

https://kenhonda.com/

Connect with Fede:

Website: https://www.mymostauthenticlife.com
Instagram: @mymostauthenticlife
https://www.instagram.com/mymostauthenticlife/
Fede Vargas: https://linktr.ee/fedevargas

Transcript

Ken Honda 

[00:00:00] Fede: Okay, we have an inspiring episode today. Have you ever thought about reframing your relationship with money? What if you could achieve peace of mind and happiness with your finances? I invited someone on today who's an expert at happy money. In fact, he's written the book on it. He's Japan's personal development guru with eight million books sold.

[00:00:27] Fede: International best selling author of Happy Money, Ken Honda. His teachings have helped millions achieve happiness in their finances. He's a master at reframing. He'll give you valuable insights, empowering you to rewire your mindset about the energy of money. It's going to be a fun episode. You're listening to My Most Authentic Life, where we explore unconventional paths.

[00:00:55] Fede: My name is Fede Vargas. I pivoted from a successful sales career [00:01:00] Inspiring others, considering big changes in their lives. So let's get to it.

[00:01:15] Fede: Ken, so amazing that you're here on the podcast and that you get to share your insights about how you arrived at this concept of happy money. I'd love to talk about arigato in, arigato out. What's that 

[00:01:29] Ken: all about? This technique is taught by my mentor, Whitehead Takeda, who used to be called Warren Buffett of Japan.

[00:01:37] Ken: He said, when you receive money next time, just imagine all the people who are involved in this money. For example, if you're working for a big company. You're getting paid as a result of a month or a week full of a lot of work and they appreciate you and if it's a check from your [00:02:00] client and if you're a freelance coach, he or she could have chosen out of thousands of other coaches and they chose you.

[00:02:10] Ken: So you can appreciate them for trusting you. So money comes in for no reason. You've done something. And as a result, money is in your bank account. So you can appreciate your money in your bank account. And you can say, thank you. I use the word gracias, or you can say merci. I love it when I do that in foreign language, it's cool.

[00:02:34] Ken: So I use gracias, my money, for thank you for being here. And when you let go of money, when you spend money, you can say, thank you for being with us. Thank you for being with me. Even though it was a short stay, you can come back anytime. In fact, you can bring lots of friends back with you and then you can say, bye bye, come back fast, come back [00:03:00] soon.

[00:03:00] Ken: And then come back with lots and lots of friends and then let go. But if you just enjoy receiving, enjoy giving, self consciously, money is good, money is fun. Oh, I love money. I enjoy money. And that energy brings in a lot of money too. That's 

[00:03:19] Fede: beautiful. That's arigato in, arigato out. Love it. Yes. You've said something in the past.

[00:03:27] Fede: That how much you make versus how much you're worth are two totally different things. Tell us 

[00:03:35] Ken: about that. Yeah. What I said is how much you make and how much you have have nothing to do with your happiness. That means even if you have so much money, if we have, you're making so much money, if you don't have a good relationship with money, You could be very miserable and if you have a happy attitude toward life, and if [00:04:00] you can make both ends meet and have a little bit extra money, you can be the happiest person on the planet.

[00:04:07] Ken: Your attitude counts, not your bank account. 

[00:04:10] Fede: Paint the picture for us about the two contrasts between money IQ and having money. EQ, which is emotional intelligence about money. 

[00:04:22] Ken: Okay. Actually, you have to have both to be happy and abundant, but in terms of priorities. You have to have a strong base of money EQ, that money EQ teaches you how to enjoy life, how to be connected with people, how to be connected with within.

[00:04:41] Ken: So you know what you're doing, you love what you're doing, and by doing what you love, you help people. As a result, money brings in, money comes in. And with the money, you can enjoy your life, you can feed your family, and you can help your [00:05:00] friends. And by doing that, you have less attachment to money, and then you enjoy money.

[00:05:08] Ken: And every month you, after you pay the bills, you have leftover money. So you either give, invest or save whatever you do, you're okay with it. And the more you give, the more you receive. 

[00:05:22] Fede: You've spoken about the energy of money and the act of giving and receiving, but that they're not necessarily connected.

[00:05:36] Fede: They're not necessarily transactional. Tell us about that. 

[00:05:39] Ken: When we took a look at our financial life in terms of flow. Money comes into your life and then goes out of your life. Money comes in terms of checks or clients, uh, money or government checks or whatever the form as a result of your past. You have helped [00:06:00] clients, you worked for a company and you get money.

[00:06:03] Ken: And then at the end of every month you just pay bills and then You pay at the restaurant, you buy at the supermarket to buy groceries, and then money leaves you. Money comes in and goes, money comes in and goes. If your money has happy energy, what I call happy money. You're happy, but if you have a lot of frustration when you bring in the money, money comes in with frustration, just imagine you go back from work and to your home, are you bringing in a lot of happy energy with you or you bring in a lot of frustrated energy so your family members can feel it whenever.

[00:06:49] Ken: I go back to my home. I try to just cleanse all the frustration or a lot of stress energy at the front gate. And then after I cleanse it all, [00:07:00] I come in as a happy person. Otherwise, a lot of us tend to bring back bad energy, unpleasant conversation with our colleagues or a boss or clients. And then when your kids are so angelic, but ask just innocent questions, You get mad at because of the frustrated energy you bring from work.

[00:07:25] Ken: Happy people bring in happy energy with happy money. 

[00:07:29] Fede: So going back to the title of your book, which is the Japanese art of making peace with your money, is that part of. The Japanese culture that shaped that thinking, or was it a life experience that made you come to that understanding? I 

[00:07:48] Ken: think both. My teacher, Wahe Takeda, who used to be called Warren Buffett of Japan, he taught me a lot of Zen techniques and also his teaching was very Zen.[00:08:00] 

[00:08:00] Ken: For example, I went to his, his place with three questions. And then I go home with 10 questions, more questions, uh, almost like a, he, uh, he used to say it's a souvenir for you. So, so a lot of questions are answered, but he asked me more mysterious questions that let me deeper into thinking for the next few months before I met him again.

[00:08:29] Ken: So, for example, what is money, what is money energy, what is happiness? So his questions are very deep and Zen, but because of that support and his deep teaching, I came to realization that we have to let go of this attachment that we want to be bigger. We want to do more. We want to live in a bigger house, doing more work or more money.

[00:08:59] Ken: Because every [00:09:00] one of us is born with a certain money size container, like a glass, some people like Bill Gates, Elon Musk, they are born with a huge container, but most of us have a lot smaller container. And then if you try to make it bigger, faster, we're going to break it. Lottery money. Or inheritance of money often break our money container.

[00:09:27] Ken: So when I teach this, Western people tend to ask questions. Hey, Ken, I got it. How can I make my money container grow bigger and faster? And the Japanese people tend to ask me, Okay, Ken, I really got this concept. How can I be satisfied? How can I satisfy myself? With what I got, because I don't need to grow my, my new container.

[00:09:52] Ken: So it's a totally different attitude. We have to know when is enough, how much is enough. [00:10:00] Otherwise we want to have, we want to go for a bigger house. Two, two more cars, maybe vacation home, helicopter, private jet, and all that. 

[00:10:12] Fede: Yes, I'm completely on board with everything that you're saying. How do we find that happy medium, which I guess where happy money exists?

[00:10:23] Fede: How do we get to the 

[00:10:24] Ken: middle? That's what Zen teaches. Between positive and negative, between male and female, masculine, feminine. Uh, big and small, happy and happy, uh, there is your answer. So, if you tend to be too over a positive, you need to learn about more negative, negativity. And if you tend to get stuck in the, uh, negative, You need to learn more about positive.

[00:10:52] Ken: For example, just talk about happiness level of income. If I say 50, 000 a [00:11:00] year, people from New York or Paris or Tokyo, who laugh at 50, 000, I can't even pay my rent. And somewhere in Mexico or somewhere in outside of Canada, big cities in Canada. 50, 000 is a big income. Depending on where you live and your lifestyle, some people require more money.

[00:11:22] Ken: Others don't. Like a friend of mine, who believes in growing his own food. For the family, he doesn't believe in cash, so he only makes about a thousand U. S. dollars a year. He needs to buy some medicine, band aid, those things. It's hard to make on your own. Those are a couple of medical supplies and a few tools.

[00:11:45] Ken: He needs to get cash, but he's happy with a big farmhouse. That he rented from his friend for 200 for a year. He doesn't need to [00:12:00] spend much cash. And so if your life says like that, he's happy with a thousand dollars in a year. So it's up to you. Is this in Japan? Yes. So when he said 200 a year, it's a big place, it's an acreage house.

[00:12:15] Ken: And then all of us are surprised, what 200 a month. And then he said, no, it's a year. What are we at like 21st century? The owner said, they are all old people. So they're happy to have a happy young family in the village. So they, they didn't need the money because they have a lot of abundance, but he insisted on paying.

[00:12:43] Ken: So he, so the owner said 200, he thought it's a month, but he meant the owner meant 200 for a whole year. 

[00:12:51] Fede: This makes me think about. Lifestyle inflation, right? The more we make the more we spend and [00:13:00] sometimes even more than we actually make. 

[00:13:03] Ken: Yes. Yes. I'm abundant in my lifestyle because I've helped thousands of people and I have impacted millions of people in my life.

[00:13:12] Ken: I have a few places in Japan, but my close friends just keep sending me a lot of veggies and fruit. Just three of us cannot eat. A few seasons ago, I sent out apples to support Apple Orchard. And then what I got is boxes of tangerines to appreciate me for sending them apples. So I got boxes of tangerines in my front yard and the FedEx guy was smiling because, sir, you sent out a lot of apples.

[00:13:46] Ken: Now you get a lot of tangerines. I'll give you one box. And then can, I had to just send out because I, three of us cannot eat the whole box, so like we take 20, 30, and then I try to just send them [00:14:00] back to the new friends and then in a few days, but I got a lot of apples. This guy was laughing, sir, what are you going to do?

[00:14:07] Ken: You got some apples. Take one and then just take, take it, take one box to your neighbor. And then I got a lot of tangerines. Somehow their equation is apples equal tangerines, but anyhow, I don't need to spend a penny on my food expenses because people keep sending me rice, they grow veggies, they grow to just share their abundance with me.

[00:14:32] Ken: I don't think I need much money to, for survival. I'm well fed too. So, 

[00:14:38] Fede: so that's a perfect example of what you've taught is that if you give a certain way, it comes back to you in another way. So the 

[00:14:49] Ken: more you give, more you receive. Talking 

[00:14:52] Fede: now about gratitude. You've talked about. Being thankful for money and showing money.

[00:14:59] Fede: Your [00:15:00] thanks. 

[00:15:00] Ken: Yes. So, uh, you know, I can lose everything, what I own, but still happy. I can keep smiling because I know how to make myself happy. 

[00:15:12] Fede: So when you're in this flow and you've figured out what your gift is to give back with no expectation of getting anything back, how long can you hold that discomfort of eventually your resources, your basic resources do start running out, right?

[00:15:31] Fede: Do you just have confidence to keep holding that discomfort that eventually it's going to be coming 

[00:15:35] Ken: back? How many days can I just survive? Without eating anything. Yeah. 

[00:15:41] Fede: How long do you keep giving before it comes back? It's 

[00:15:46] Ken: just, let's think, take a look at it this way. We're in the flow of giving and receiving.

[00:15:51] Ken: We don't need to give and then not receiving anything. If you give so much, you receive something, [00:16:00] but you'd say, if you are working for a company, you should do it on the side about giving stuff. You just, you start your second career by just doing something that you love and without any charge. And if you can just have enough happy friends and customers, maybe you can just quit your job and start your own.

[00:16:21] Ken: So don't jump on it. Don't just jump off the cliff without wings. A lot of people do, believing that the wings were gonna go, gonna grow. After they jump, I believe in growing wings, but not in two seconds. It's not like an airbags in a car. So it takes time. So don't do stupid things. What I teach is very practical.

[00:16:48] Ken: Start building from scratch. That's how I did. And I have started my business when I was 20. So I started, uh, consulting and also accounting services. [00:17:00] You start from zero and start from zero to one, one to two, two to three. And then if you have enough momentum going, then boom, suddenly it just, you can fly.

[00:17:12] Ken: That's a great 

[00:17:13] Fede: answer. So what do you think is the main thing that we need to learn in the Western culture to start changing our mindset? 

[00:17:23] Ken: In fact, I think human connections and bonding. Is worth more, I teach visible assets and invisible assets and a lot of Asian cultures and I think Latino cultures have what they have in common is believe strong family ties, which unfortunately in the West, they seem to lose now and also money is such a big taboo in the West, especially in North America and Europe, people believe that they should be on their own and then you're good.

[00:17:56] Ken: But think about it. We are totally dependent on each other. [00:18:00] I depended on the electrician to install electricity in my house so we can communicate with you, right? And also, I don't cook very well. So I need to like when I go out. I need to have somebody cook for me. I need to have somebody grow my food. I need to have somebody drive me to, from one place to another.

[00:18:21] Ken: So I'm totally dependent on people. But we just ignore the fact that we do depend on each other. So even if we, even among close friends, I was surprised in North America. You don't talk about money stuff, and when you have money troubles, you don't ask your brothers or sisters for help. It's not supposed to be good, not nice in North, North American culture, but in Latino culture, like Japanese or Chinese or Korean and others, when we have some trouble, the first place we go is not for bank.

[00:18:57] Ken: I think it's a family members and close friends. [00:19:00] So. In terms of that, friendship is more important than bank accounts. 

[00:19:07] Fede: Absolutely. So what are invisible assets? 

[00:19:11] Ken: Invisible assets, all the good visible assets is money in the bank, even though it's invisible cars, real estate, stocks, and bonds money, right?

[00:19:20] Ken: Classic cars and paintings and coins. I include that in big Bitcoin in that category, because you can trade with physical things. Invisible asset is something that love friendship credentials. And also knowledge, experience, generosity. And those things are undervalued in Western culture. If there are like very smart kids, who just, who are genius with math and science, they are highly valued.

[00:19:51] Ken: But another kid who is very kind, generous, and happy. They are not as counted [00:20:00] as highly as, as, uh, kids who are genius with science and other things. So kindness and generosity are highly undervalued in a modern culture. But I think we're going to appreciate more of kindness, generosity, and gentleness. And if you have that, actually that makes you, your life very happy.

[00:20:27] Ken: And I think those things. Uh, people know that is very important in happiness. 

[00:20:35] Fede: What do we. Need to work on right now in this period in history, that is so highly charged. 

[00:20:45] Ken: I think we need to learn how to find peace with yourself, without what's going on outside, um, is influencing us, influencing us. So we have to cut the ties between what's [00:21:00] going on and who we are.

[00:21:02] Ken: Some people try to do that by not watching TV and by not reading media But it's not so good because what's happening in the other side of the world Will affect us in this upcoming turmoil or typhoon or hurricane, we need to be more creative because a lot of people have a hard time making both ends meet there is statistics released a few weeks ago.

[00:21:33] Ken: That, uh, 50 something Americans have a hard time, uh, paying for the, uh, uh, extra expense, like a car break or something like, uh, 400, like almost half the people can afford to have that money, which is amazing. And then, but those of you who have a hard time making both ends meet, you have to learn how to.

[00:21:55] Ken: Master your finance. A money problem, there are only two. [00:22:00] Two money problems in life. You're making too little or spending too much. Poor people are doing both. They're making too little and also they're make spending too much. So my question or the gift affirmation for you is when you go out shopping next, you have to ask yourself this question.

[00:22:20] Ken: Am I going to die tomorrow if I don't buy it today? And if you're going to die tomorrow, buy it. If you're not going to buy tomorrow, if you're not going to die tomorrow, don't buy it because you have enough clothes, enough watches, enough of everything. A lot of poor people spend so much money on a dollar shop to release the stress.

[00:22:44] Ken: But you're not going to use them all. So don't waste money on something you don't even appreciate, because a lot of people say, I need to reward myself, but that reward would cost you something. Right. And [00:23:00] then you lose the peace of mind. So don't reward yourself with your future peace of mind, because that's what you're doing.

[00:23:07] Fede: You said many good things there, but do we really need to buy something? Will you die tomorrow if you don't get that? So what advice would you give a younger version of Ken Honda before he discovered happy money, before he discovered the gift of that mindset? 

[00:23:27] Ken: Wow, Fade, you're asking me such, uh, you keep asking me such great questions.

[00:23:32] Ken: I really appreciate that. So I'd probably ask, tell the young people, trust life. That's what matters. As I think you agree, you would agree with me. Life takes you to unexpected places. Sometimes I never expected to be here. Uh, in my twenties. I never thought I'd become a writer. I never thought I'd become a world traveler, which I wanted to have that [00:24:00] secretly, but I never wanted to, I never thought of becoming a speaker.

[00:24:05] Ken: There was no occupation called a speaker. When I was young, so a life is taking me to such an interesting place that I'd never had imagined before. I speak more in front of a camera than I write in front of my computer now. So 20 years ago, when I signed up for this work, my job was to write books, but now I speak more with people like you and in English.

[00:24:33] Ken: If you trust life will take you to the most amazing, fun place ever. I love 

[00:24:40] Fede: that. My next question was going to be, but in the way you already answered it, what's next? And it sounds like the unknown is next. And how does that make you feel? I feel 

[00:24:52] Ken: excited because I have, I've made enough money. I've done it all.

[00:24:56] Ken: So I don't need to write one more book. Well, by the way, this is my [00:25:00] next book in Japanese. What's it called? What I want you to know about money, six lessons, and here it says money was not running away. You are the one running away from money. Money was 

[00:25:14] Fede: not running away. You were the one running away from money.

[00:25:18] Ken: Yes. Awesome. And also here it says. Why are we feeling there's not enough money and there are six reasons so like I love just just writing books I love helping people. 

[00:25:31] Fede: So what would you say your life? Purpose is because you have so many gifts if you could narrow it down to Ken Honda's life purpose is 

[00:25:41] Ken: What is it?

[00:25:42] Ken: It's to inspire. Your life can be more fun, you can enjoy your life more, and then you don't need another million dollars to do that. It's your, it's a little shift in your mind and your heart, and then once you start looking at life in [00:26:00] a, from a different, slightly different angle, you can find something to appreciate about, and that, once that starts growing, you cannot never stop.

[00:26:13] Ken: Because appreciation has its own place, has its own power, and it grows. And if appreciation grows in your heart, it overflows. So you start appreciating your boss, colleagues and clients and kids and parents, friends, and they will appreciate you more. And then once that cycle gets going, you will just enjoy the momentum.

[00:26:38] Ken: You'll probably headhunted. You're going to change jobs. Do more and then enjoy your true life. 

[00:26:48] Fede: I love that seeing life from a different perspective, just by switching up the angle a little bit. Yes, it opens up a different [00:27:00] possibility and solution 

[00:27:02] Ken: making. Yes. And because oftentimes we feel like we are stuck in a box and, but when you push it, it, it looks, it looked like a wall, but when I push it, it's actually a door and you can only push it.

[00:27:18] Ken: Oh, I thought it's a wall, but in fact, it's a door. And if one door shuts, another door opens. Um, because of the air flow, right? Wow. You have to look around and then, okay, that door opens and then you can go. So that's what I meant. Life will take you to such an unexpected places. I've interviewed, uh, thousands of people in my life.

[00:27:43] Ken: And then that's what they say in their seventies and eighties, like. I never thought of becoming a doctor. I never thought of starting my business. I never thought of becoming a politician. I even interviewed my, one of my prime ministers and he said, in my twenties, I never [00:28:00] thought I'd become a prime minister and, but life takes you there.

[00:28:04] Ken: I love that 

[00:28:05] Fede: so much. I want to repeat that. What looks like a wall, if you end up pushing, could turn into a door and then the airflow opens up another door. That's awesome. 

[00:28:20] Ken: Yes. And then you don't even need to push hard. You just touch it. And then because of the air flow, the other door opens automatically.

[00:28:29] Ken: And then we are so preoccupied is what it's in front of us. But that's not your path. Your path could be there or here, or maybe on the other side. And there are many doors actually open for you. Yes. So 

[00:28:47] Fede: your gift is inspiration can, because that totally inspired me and anyone that's listening, look around at all those walls around you right now.

[00:28:58] Fede: They're not walls after all. [00:29:00] It just needs a friendly push. You don't even 

[00:29:02] Ken: need, you don't need even need to push. Maybe you can blow. 

[00:29:08] Fede: Oh my God. That's amazing. Amazing. Cool, Ken. Thank you so much for your time, your wisdom. I'm feeling pumped. I'm feeling energized after hearing you speak. I'm so 

[00:29:22] Ken: happy because this is my passion.

[00:29:25] Ken: This is my joy. So invite me back anytime. 

[00:29:29] Fede: Amazing. This conversation, no words for the energy you've brought to this episode. Thank you so much for everything that you're giving back. 

[00:29:39] Ken: Thank you so much. And I hope you'll find it fun. And then I hope you try Arigato in, Arigato out. It doesn't cost you anything.

[00:29:49] Ken: It just brings you a smile. So just be happy. Life is to be enjoyed. It's not made for suffering. So enjoy your life more. And I hope [00:30:00] physically, I hope to see you someday. 

[00:30:03] Fede: Likewise. I hope so. Bye 

[00:30:05] Ken: bye. Thank you. Bye 

[00:30:06] Fede: bye. And that's today's episode. Thank you so much for listening. And as always have an amazing day and remember to keep on living time on.