Wealth and Happiness

As a young person I thought that if I could ever accumulate a lot of wealth I would surely be very happy. From what I observe today, there are still a lot of folks who believe that. They work so hard and devote so much of their time and energy to the accumulation of wealth and the acquisition of "stuff" that they have very little time left for anything that truly matters. I have known wealthy people. I have known happy people. In some few cases I have known wealthy people who were also very happy. But the interesting thing is that the ones who were both wealthy and happy were happy long before they achieved any wealth at all. When they were poor or just making their way like the vast majority of us, they really valued their relationships with friends and family above all else. For a few, they placed their spiritual well-being above wealth, but seemed to have financial success anyway. They worked hard for it, but kept such work in perspective and kept their lives in balance. Once they became wealthy, they had no hesitation in using their wealth to benefit others, to help others in need, to share their time and their wealth. But without exception, they told me they were no more or less happy being wealthy than they were at any other point in their lives. And the few wealthy folks I knew who did not have their lives in balance or their egos in check, were miserable, unpleasant to be around, and obsessed with themselves and their supposed importance. But money alone does not grant happiness or status, at least not among those who know the value of more important things.

Ross Perot found this out firsthand. "Right after my company got successful, as a young man I met some of the wealthiest people in the world. I found that they were such unhappy, lonely people... I learned that money and happiness are unrelated." So, if you are unhappy today, it would be wise to look further than your bank balance for the source of your troubles. There is no doubt that having money makes many things easier, and I recall one very wealthy person saying that "I've been rich and I've been poor. Given a choice I would choose rich." But what if you don't have that choice? Happiness is not something you can buy at any price, nor is it something that another can take from you if you truly possess it. We must learn to love what we have, and not pine for what we do not have, and choose to be happy. Appreciate what we have, reach out to help others, and happiness will find us.