In the response of yesterday’s diary someone wrote “I would be happy if I had lots of money”. This made me think about the question whether money brings happiness. If this was true, everybody who has money would be happy. This is however not reality. I have seen many rich people who are not happy.
Yesterday I wrote that finding the purpose of your life brings happiness. Is having lots of money really the purpose of your life? I don’t think so because it does not make you more and more happy to have more and more money.
If someone is hungry, some money can make him happy because he will be able to buy some food to fill his stomach. If someone is freezing and has no clothes, he will be happy about money because he can buy clothes, a shawl or a blanket. Money can make you happy until the point that your basic material needs are fulfilled. After that, there is not much more happiness in money.
Many rich people have money lying in the bank but they are not even happy to see the money. They don’t have anything from it but instead often get worried and stressed because of it. If they invest their money in the stock market, they are maybe lucky and double the amount of their money. In the end they are in no way happier though. They ate two slices of bread yesterday and they won’t eat four slices of bread tomorrow just because they have more money! Money can only bring happiness until a certain limit. And it cannot make those happy who anyway have everything.
I am sure about one thing: you cannot buy your happiness with money. But if your money can bring happiness to others, it can definitely make you happy.
I am not rich with money but I consider myself very rich in love. I was earning much more money when I was still living the life of a guru than I do now.
When we were in America last year, one friend told me if I wanted to earn more money, I should simply go back to being a guru. There would be many people who would like to give me money then and I could use it to support my children in India. Why would people otherwise give me money? Many gurus come to America, the country of marketing, to market themselves and earn lots of money. I thanked him for the advice but told him that it is not anymore possible for me to be a guru. I will be happy to do hard work to fill my stomach and those of our children. And I am much happier now than before. Today I give to others and make them happy.
I don’t want to be rich with money. I want to be rich in love. This is my happiness.
Yesterday our friend Annick took us to Bocholt and we are very happy to be here with friends.
Related posts
Please read if the Aim of your Life is all about Money – 4 Oct 16
Putting Film Characters on Clothes – not for the Kids but for Profit of Companies! – 21 May 16
Why I’d rather be materialistic than spiritual – 29 Jan 15
If you love yourself, don’t sell your Work under Value – 3 Sep 14
Even in Business, the most important Thing is not always Money – 2 Sep 14
The Dangers of Globalization – when everything good is exported! – 10 Jul 14
No good Tomatoes in a Country full of Tomatoes – 9 Jul 14
Sharing Money in Family makes Life much easier – 21 Sep 12
Valuing everything only with Money can hurt Feelings of others – 20 Oct 11
Yes, money cannot make you happy, that is very old wisdom. but look at the face of the woman in your arms in that picture. that is love and it does make you happy. a hug ,a touch, being with others, loving others and being loved by others.
I quit a highly-paid job in corporate America because it systematically destroyed my emotions and private life while nicely filling my bank account. I wouldn’t even go back there if someone offered me a million dollars! I may earn less now but I am much happier. It is a decision if you want to earn money or want to live a happy life.
It really takes courage to make such a step because it goes against our feelings of having material security. Good for you that you had this courage!Love
Dear Ludwig,Yes, love makes happy. This picture was taken after a Darshan, a meditation for the heart chakra. It was focused on letting out your feelings and finding love and happiness.
Much love
I absolutely agree with you Cate. I will be glad to have a like minded person on my facebook. Please join me:http://www.facebook.com/people/Manoj-Karagudri/1127031627
Money is like energy– it is only good when it is flowing. In other words, money should be given and received, but not kept and stored, like stagnant energy. Trying to hold onto money only creates the fear of losing it. But when you generously give money away, using the guidance of your heart, you create more room in your life for money to flow in. If you strive your whole life to be rich and keep your money stored in the bank, what is the point of all that money when you die? It will simply be given to someone else to be used. When money is flowing in and out with genuine care, it does create happiness, like the flow of energy or love.
When people win the lottery in the U.S., it often ruins their lives, literally. They don’t know how to spend it with integrity and end up wasting it on material goods. Or their friends and family start trying to take advantage of their fortunes. And when they look back on their lives, they often realize how much happier they were before winning the lottery. Money does not equal happiness– the flow of life does.
Unfortunately everything is connected to money. Also some of the things, which bring us joy and hapiness. For example: I love travelling, it makes me happy and it makes me feel free. For this reason I think, it’s not a wrongdoing to have enough money to buy a ticket for a flight, which is able to give you something back. But it is also important to have the ability to construct pleasant moments without reference of money.
Money definitely cannot buy you happiness, but it can offer a little bit of security in that it takes away the worry about payments and such. For example I can rest easy knowing that when I return home there will be enough money in my account to pay for my rent and there will be enough money for me to eat some food. There is security in that…but it is not where my happiness lies, it is in my experiences and my friends and family.