Packages on the Doorstep

Hi everyone,

For the past few days, something delightful has been happening at our doorstep.

Packages. Lots of them.

Boxes from art supply vendors. Packages of display stands. A carefully wrapped shipment of bird art prints. Each delivery feels like a small ceremony – the doorbell rings, and we get excited to see what arrived.

Sophia has her first art show this weekend. She'll be at Arts on the Block in Raleigh, showing her bird art to the public for the very first time. And all those packages? They're the raw materials of a dream becoming real.

Here's what I've been noticing, with my mindfulness practice as my witness:

Money can buy happiness.

Not the lasting, deep, calm-and-insight kind of happiness. But the real, fizzy, doorbell-ringing kind. The joy of unboxing something you've been waiting for. The thrill of building a display that looks just like you imagined (sometimes even better!). The quiet satisfaction of holding a print you created, now ready for someone else to love.

Mindfulness doesn't ask us to pretend that joy isn't real. It just reminds us: this, too, will change. The packages will stop arriving. The show will end. The thrill will fade.

But while it's here? It's real. And it's okay to enjoy it.

So this week, I'm inviting you to do something a little different with your money: spend a little on something that brings you short‑term, honest, personal joy. Not because it will fix everything. But because joy is allowed.

This Week's Quote:

Personal Finance Tip of the Week: The Joyful Purchase (No Guilt Required)

You've heard the old advice: don't buy happiness, it's fleeting.

I say: fleeting is fine. A good sneeze is fleeting, and it still feels wonderful.

This week, set aside a small amount of money – $5, $20, whatever feels comfortable – for a purchase whose only purpose is to spark joy in the moment.

Not an investment. Not a necessity. Not something you "should" buy.

Examples:

Then, when you buy it, be present. Notice the anticipation. The exchange. The unwrapping. The first sip or sight or sketch.

Don't ask it to last forever. Just let it be fun.

This is not anti‑mindfulness. This is mindfulness applied to pleasure: seeing it clearly, feeling it fully, and releasing it when it's gone.

Sophia and I have been doing this with every package that arrives. Try it once this week. See what you notice.

Upcoming Events (Online + In‑Person):

1. Morning Meditation for Mindfulness
When: Thursday, April 16th @ 7:00 AM ET (Online)
Why attend: Greet the day with clarity and calm. A 30‑minute guided meditation plus live Q&A. Led by Cristof. A gentle way to ground yourself before the weekend's excitement.
Registration Link (free)

2. Sophia's First Art Show – Arts on the Block
When: Saturday, April 18th, 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM ET
Where: Artspace, Raleigh, NC
What: Sophia will be showing her bird art to the public for the very first time. Prints, postcards, greeting cards, and the joy of a dream taking flight. This isn't a Project Mindful Money event – it's a personal milestone, and we'd love to see friendly faces there.
Event Link

3. Senior Services Expo – Come Visit Our Booth!
When: Wednesday, April 22nd, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM ET
Where: South Park Community Center, Fuquay-Varina, NC
Why attend: Pine Ridge Wealth will have a booth. Stop by to say hello, enter to win an Ice Cream gift card or a Ready‑for‑Retirement Plan. No pressure. No pitch. Just genuine conversation – and maybe a scoop of something sweet.
Find us there

4. Money Workshop Series: Session 1 – Money Anxiety Relief
When: Wednesday, May 13th @ 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET
Where: Hilltop Needmore Community Center, Fuquay-Varina, NC
Why attend: The first in a new in‑person workshop series. Learn practical tools to calm financial anxiety – from body‑based mindfulness to building a real emergency fund. Space limited.
Sign up here

5. 5 Ways Mindfulness Can Boost Your Wealth (In‑Person Edition!)
When: Wednesday, May 27th @ 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM ET
Where: Fuquay-Varina Chamber of Commerce, Fuquay-Varina, NC
Why attend: The foundational workshop for everyone who has heard about mindfulness and is wondering how it relates to their money, now live and in person. Space is limited.
Registration Link (free)

From the Break (and Beyond): No New Article, Just Joy

I didn't write a new article this week. I was too busy unboxing bird prints and building display stands.

Instead, here are two resources that fit this week's theme of enjoying the present moment with money:

And if you'd like to see the art that all those packages are for, follow along:

As always, no pitch. Just an invitation to explore your own relationship with money – including the joyful, fleeting, package‑on‑the‑doorstep moments.

With gratitude (and a box cutter nearby),

Cristof + Sophia
Founders, Project Mindful Money

P.S. If you come to Arts on the Block on April 18th, please introduce yourself. Sophia would love to thank you in person – and maybe you'll go home with a bird print.

Project Mindful Money is a community initiative of:​
​Pine Ridge Wealth LLC, Registered Investment Adviser, Fuquay-Varina, NC, USA