I have another topic on my brain so I thought I'd ramble about it for another blog entry. I think it's safe to say that all three of us know the value of money, strive to save it and try to use it properly. Even though I'm currently on the poor side, I'm relatively happy most of the time. It will be nice to save money though.
I have a few friends in my life that are well off and prove to me that money doesn't necessarily mean happiness. I had dinner with one of those friends last night. He has a very good job that isn't in danger due to the economy. He has a brand new car (paid for by the job) and a great house. He takes trips constantly because of rewards from his job (he's a mechanical engineer). Despite all those tangible things, the man is miserable. His family does not make him very happy, I don't think his job makes him very happy even though he reaps a lot of benefits, and even the fun parts of his life seem to be depressing.
I'm also friends with a couple (that are actually divorcing now) that don't have to think twice about money. The wife actually decided to throw money at her weight issue and got the Lapband System when exercise and dietary changes didn't work out. She thought that using a medical procedure to fix her problem would also fix happiness and it did not work.
In this day and age, people are so hung up on making money. They want the best of everything. They think they need a great house, fantastic car, expensive vacations, and a multitude of possessions in order to live a "good life". But how many people do you know seem truly happy and actually value things that don't cost a thing (family, friendship, faith, etc)?
I'm proud to say that I'm a fairly happy person. I have great friends. I have a very supportive family. I have an amazing son that makes me so proud. Each day he says or does something that reminds me that I've done a good job raising him. I do have things that make me unhappy. Obviously my lifestyle and weight are a big issue. (No surprise there!) The more and more I look around at the world, it becomes more apparent that I cannot just throw money at my problem with fancy diet programs, medical procedures, pills, etc. Now I have obviously spent money on Weight Watchers in the past and I bought a treadmill. I consider the treadmill to be an investment for my future because it's not an easy fix. I can't run on that beast for a week and watch all my weight drop off. I truly feel that I'll feel happier when I put in all the hard work that's necessary to eat better and exercise regularly. I'll feel empowered and I definitely won't want to undo all my hard work by falling into bad habits. I just wish I could walk around and shake some people so they realize what they truly need to be happy.
2 comments:
I agree with you. Money is NOT everything. It is necessary but it does not create a life. Having people who you love and who love you in return are the only things that can create true happiness. The best advice that my dad ever gave me was to do what makes me happy and the money thing will work itself out. Sure I'd love to have money to pay off my student loans and buy my farm but the reason I want that money is that it would allow me to be with or at least near the people that I love.
I think money and love are two of the most difficult topics to agree on. They mean different things to different people. I think we're fortunate to be Midwesterners, we aren't all about the material things and wealth. I'm not saying there aren't Midwesterners who are greedy, money-driven, etc. because obviously Jenny pointed that out. In a way I think money does equal happiness, but not in the way you pointed out. For me, money equals happiness when I have a cushion of money in my account that's there for emergencies or plain ol' just savings. Money is happiness for me when I can go buy groceries without having to worry about writing a bad check or overdrawing my account. I think having an abundance of money can be a lot like having an abundance of food - it can lead to over-eating (over-indulging) and spoiling. (I think that's my best simile/metaphor ever). Going along with my simile/metaphor, if you (and your family) have enough food (or money) then they are full and happy without the over-indulging. I don't know if all that makes sense to you but it does for me. That's an English major for you.
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