All of us have heard the saying that ‘Money can’t buy you happiness!’ but do we understand the meaning behind it? Are we truly happy without enough money?
If I try to answer it through the theory of Economics then a person with equal assets and liabilities or more assets than liabilities should feel happy. Well in that case a vagabond beggar could be the happiest man on the earth since he apparently has no liabilities but ask a beggar and he would instantly open his hand for alms or a vagabond might even say that he is in search of true happiness! Then what is this happiness all about? Well, I don’t have an answer, no one in the world ever had! But I have some experiences and examples which I would like to share with you.
I have observed that you cannot spell ‘Happiness’ without ‘I’ which means that in order to be truly happy you need to feel within yourself that ‘I am happy’. In fact happiness is a state of mind and true happiness comes from within and not from the external factors. It is a feeling from your inner consciousness and there is no absolute reason to be happy. Similarly there is no reason to be unhappy as well. It might seem absurd and erratic to many but unhappiness arises due to our non-understanding of certain situations or behaviors in our daily life. Does that mean we should avoid such situations or behaviors? Should we denounce worldly possessions and live the life of a vagrant Yogi in order to achieve true happiness?
The answer lies in a better understanding of the world we live in. It is believed that life is full of misery but practically that is not true. It is we and our minds which is making it miserable. The cage of materialism around us, our possessiveness, our lack of willpower and all the negativity that we have garnered from other infected minds are some of the probable reasons of our unhappiness.
Most of us have read about Gandhiji’s talisman in NCERT textbooks which says that whenever we are not satisfied with our life or when we cannot control our ego and desires then we should remember the poorest or the most helpless person we ever saw and the suffering people who cannot even satisfy their bare minimum. We will realize how fortunate we are when compared to so many homeless and poor in the world and our worries will start fading away.
The youngsters of today with more facilities and freedom should be the happiest of all the generations the country has witnessed. But is it so? Most of my colleagues at workplace always complain about low salary packages and the non-working friends blame price rise and a pathetic Government or even failed relationships for their worries even though they still manage to pamper their girlfriends with expensive gifts bought from the money of their rich or hard-earning parents. One of them generally flaunts his new Apple I-phone whenever he meets me or whenever he is around girls. Now let’s take a situation wherein another guy walks in front of him and his girls and snubs his I-phone with the latest and a better version of the same phone! Isn’t it going to shatter his ego? His resolve will now be to sell off his current phone and buy the one better than the one his rival had in order to preserve his metrosexual appeal. The age of Information Technology and virtual world is fast turning us into core Narcissists. It is evident from the fact that the most popular word of 2013 was ‘selfie’ which is the name given to a self portrait or picture of a person taken by him using a hand held camera or mobile for the purpose of posting it on a site. Not just general people but world’s most powerful person like US President Barack Obama was caught smitten by this trend so much that he was photographed clicking a ‘selfie’ while attending the funeral of the great leader Nelson Mandela who passed away in December'14. The virtual world of technology and material culture is slowly turning us into slaves of our own minds. The Bhagwad Gita teaches us to control our minds and senses and do not let them control us. According to the spiritual book of the Aryans, a slave is the one who has no control over his mind and actions vis-à-vis.
Does it mean that we should boycott new technology in order to be happy? No not again as materialism is not the culprit. The real convict is our deteriorating level of self-consciousness and mind control.
Let’s return back to my friend who loves flaunting his Apple I-phone. Just imagine that instead of showing off his phone he displays an award or a trophy which he recently won at a dance competition where he was declared the best. Now that would be something which will truly exhibit his personality and his friends will be impressed with his talent and would start liking him for what he is and not what he possesses for the possessions are temporary. They will never last forever and will only attract phony persons who will only befriend him for his ‘money’ and ‘materials’. The values, ideals and actions of a person are the true essence of his/her personality for which he/she will be remembered even after death. No one can replace your personality as every person on the earth is born with some unique features and qualities. A genuine person with a strong personality will always appeal good people and spread awareness among those who need it and spread happiness everywhere.
If a person is driving a car and suddenly the vehicle takes a wrong turn and hits a pedestrian then the fault lies in the driver and not the car. The law will always prosecute the driver. Similarly the new technology and the internet are not to blame. The same facebook which is becoming a reason for complicated relationships among the youth is also a very powerful tool to spread awareness about social issues. Our father and forefathers had to consult a dictionary to find meanings of words but today with a single click on Google we can find almost anything and that too with detailed information and images. Not only is the knowledge of every nook and corner of this world but also of the universe is now available within a few clicks. But how many of us are using these tools wisely? The guys are wasting time mindlessly chatting with girls and girls are creating fake id’s to woo and web-play with guys. The next time you log in to friendship sites just ask yourself ‘Is it really making me happy or making me a slave of the net?’
The faster the net the faster are the ambitions of youngsters to achieve instant fame and in that process some are doing weird things and posting them as pictures or videos on various sites. Psychologically these kinds of acts are not ambitions but their desperation to become famous without much struggle or hard work. This intense pressure to stay ahead and outplay others using unfair means is leading to an increase in stress among youth and spoiling their personal and social life. It seems like the benefits of a liberal economy which the parents of today’s young earned in their prime has only made their children vulnerable and dependent on them. Statistics claim that more than 40% of the pension money of retired Government employees goes into funding their children’s education. While in America a person becomes an adult after he owns a home and a car whereas in our country you become an adult the moment you get married even if you are still dependent on your parents.
A change in the society cannot be brought in a day similarly happiness in a society cannot be brought until everyone is living a happy life and has the freedom to realize and achieve their ambitions and dreams which is inevitable to true happiness. We cannot change our social affiliations but we can improve our mindset by not being dependent on our folks or in fact anyone because the dependence on others is one of the major causes of karmic unhappiness. The flavor of hard-earned money is a thousand times better than gifted or inherited money and likewise a person without goals or ambitions in life is worse that a beggar because at least the latter knows that he is begging for a ‘living’ but a goal-less person doesn’t even know why he is ‘alive’?
Finally it not about salary, but it’s about facing your reality. The happiest thing in the world is to live and be loved for what you are and understanding that each one of us is sent to this earth to achieve a purpose and it’s the realization of that purpose which ultimately makes you! The bible says ‘You reap what you sow!’ and Bhagwad Gita says ‘Your karmas (actions) are in your control but not the results’. Hence, you yourself are responsible for the happiness or unhappiness in your life and co-relating it with money, power or fame is worthless. As I would like to sum it up with a message to the youth in the words of Sir Warren Buffett- the richest investor and among the richest men in the world,
‘Stay away from credit cards and Invest in yourself!’
An author, blogger, anthropology and photography enthusiast and an organic travel freak. I travel to write and write to travel and explore places to observe in order to document the lifestyles of different cultures in the world. A foodie by heart, I believe food has a major role to play in defining different cultures and diversities. Open to all kinds of suggestions you can write to me over anything related to my content. Message me directly or through messenger. Would love to hear from you! Much love!
