A 37-year-old man named Jack called into “The Ramsey Show” with a problem most people wouldn’t expect from a millionaire: he felt lost.
“My wife and I just entered Baby Step 7,” Jack from Oregon told Dave Ramsey. “Our net worth is just north of a million dollars, so we’re doing great.”
Ramsey responded enthusiastically: “You’re 100 percent debt free, you’re rocking retirement and you’re 37.”
But Jack quickly revealed what was bothering him.
“I struggle with a sense of purpose now. It almost feels like I’m working for nothing.”
Wealth Without Direction
Jack’s story is unusual but not unique. He explained that paying off his house gave him a clear goal, but now that all his financial boxes are checked, he feels unmotivated.
Even charitable giving isn’t doing much for him. “Writing checks for charity doesn’t always satisfy me. It’s just a check. I don’t see the result,” he said.
He also questioned the idea of leaving a large inheritance. “Leaving a ton of money to my kids doesn’t feel satisfying. I feel like that just puts them in the same problem I’m facing right now,” he added.
Ramsey and co-host Ken Coleman weren’t shocked. In fact, they said Jack had reached a turning point many people hit after financial success.
“So you have discovered that money is not the answer to happiness,” Ramsey told him.
“It does lower your stress on things like taking care of your kids and basics like food, shelter, clothing. What it increases your stress over is the more crap you own the more repairmen you have to know.”
Made To Work, Not Just Save
Coleman explained that humans are built to contribute, not just accumulate wealth.
“We were created to work,” he said.
“We were created to contribute. What you’re longing for right now is some work to get up every day and to go do something that matters to you.”
He challenged Jack to think through three questions: Who are the people you most want to help? What problem do they have? And what solutions can you bring with your skills?
“When you begin to get the answers to those questions and you match it up with what you do very well, this is what you bring to the marketplace,” Coleman said.
Ramsey also advised Jack to change the way he gives: “Change your charitable giving where you get your hands dirty. Where you meet the people. It’ll change the visceral reaction your spirit has to generosity.”
Money Magnifies the Real You
Ramsey went deeper on why money alone doesn’t solve personal dissatisfaction. “It turns out a pile of money does not make you happy,” he said.
“Our spirits are not designed to be satisfied by non-spiritual things. The things in your life are going to magnify. The crazy in your life is going to get crazier.”
He explained that if someone is unhappy in their job or has a poor relationship, money won’t fix that, it will make those problems feel bigger.
“Bad marriages get worse. Crazy kids get crazier. Bad jobs get more toxic.”
On the flip side, Ramsey said, “Compassionate people become unbelievably peaceful. You just see peace on their countenance when they get money.”
Giving Yourself Away
Both hosts emphasized that true meaning comes from using your skills and time to help others. Coleman called this the “final stage” of meaningful work: giving yourself away.
Ramsey said that’s what he’s done for years. “I enjoy running the business. I enjoy the ministry of what we do. I enjoy doing this show… None of that is for money anymore. It hasn’t been for money for a long, long time.”
He told Jack to stop focusing on checks and start focusing on connection.
“You get meaning out of your generosity when you’re involved,” Ramsey said.
By the end of the call, Jack was given a new goal: find purpose through people, not just numbers.
“As soon as you get to the top of the mountain of money, you’re going to go, ‘It’s not enough,'” Ramsey said.
“And we never told you it was enough. We just said do it anyway, because the other option is being broke.”
For Jack, and anyone in his shoes, the next chapter isn’t about earning more. It’s about doing more that matters.
IMAGE CREDIT: ”Dave Ramsey” by Gage Skidmore, via Flickr. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Image adjusted for layout.