Can one ever live a fulfilled life without MONEY, HAPPINESS AND BEING SUCCESSFUL?
For all I know, these three factors are everyone’s prayer point. Everybody desires to have money, be happy and Successful.
Many times, there have been great conflicts and contradictions each time people try to ascertain the importance of these factors in one’s life. While many believe that having money is the bedrock for happiness and success, others have a different notion. This is why we hear things like “Money cannot buy happiness”, “Money is everything”.
Amazingly, a high percentage of humans see MONEY as the determinant for HAPPINESS and SUCCESS. Unfortunately, the failure to understand the relationship between these necessities have led many into regrettable circumstances. The quest for one over the other has forced many to learn the hard way.
I ask again, MONEY, SUCCESS AND HAPPINESS, can one really exist without the other? Let’s get a clear and straight definition of these three important factors. For a clearer understanding, I’ll try to break it down.
MONEY
We all know what money is. Even a toddler knows what money is, but regardless, money is simply a generally accepted means of exchange for goods and services in a given economy.
Recently, I came across funny but yet interesting meanings of money. They include; Momentarily Owned Not Eternally Yours. Another says “My Own Natural Energy Yield”, and lots more.
Money exists in different forms but that’s not our concern. Irrespective of the form of currency, money is money.
Who doesn’t want to have money? Who doesn’t want to be financially wealthy? Everybody wants to have more than enough money. This is why people struggle now and then, toil day and night, get scolded unnecessarily at workplaces, just to make money.
Money is good, money is sweet. Ever heard the saying “Money makes the world go round”? Surely it does. It can buy virtually everything one can imagine; it makes one to be respected in society; it buys people some level of immunity, fame and power. Because of money, some evil individuals who ordinarily should rot in prisons are at large, walking and living freely. The love of money is indeed the root of all evil.
The importance of money is numerous but the fact is, there are things money can not solve.
Remember, “The rich also cry”. You can have all the money in the world without being happy. You can have all the money in the world without being successful.
WHAT IS HAPPINESS?
Happiness is an emotional well-being. It is having satisfaction and meaning in your life. Having a sense of purpose in life makes one happy. Having a meaningful relationship with those around us brings happiness. Doing what one is passionate about, makes one happy and fulfilled. Yeah, personally I feel extremely happy when I write, cook and spend quality time with family and friends, even in my low financial state.
To a large extent, money can make one happy. Having money to satisfy every want brings a happy feeling but it will get to a level where all these privileges and increase of money, no longer matters, just like the law of diminishing returns in Economics.
Many rich people are unhappy despite all the material possessions. Ever wondered why some women who are married to billionaires still lament of being unhappy in the marriage?
The reason is because there is more to life and healthy living than having expensive gadgets, purchasing the latest cars, regular shopping, etc. Many are lacking the bliss of marriage. Some have tourist’s as husbands, always-on business trips, leaving the wives lonely and frustrated as hell.
Rich or poor, being happy goes beyond financial wealth.
WHAT IS SUCCESS
The society view of a successful person is one who has made so much money. One, whose net worth is alarming.
Bring a random man who inherited his father’s wealth, also, bring a random graduate who met his target of graduating with a first-class and ask the society to pick the most successful. You’ll be amazed to see the young man who is living large on his father’s wealth will be picked.
Who then is successor? A Successor being successful simply means achieving/accomplishing a goal and having a desired effect. Going by this definition, the true successful person from the illustration above is very obvious. Not everyone who has money is successful. So also, not all successful people are financially wealthy.
In other words, Success comes in various dimensions. There is financial success, academic success, marital/ relationship success, spiritual success, career success etc. But remember, being successful is basically goal accomplishment. It is result-oriented.
Having broken down these factors, MONEY, HAPPINESS and SUCCESS coexist and can not be separated. However, happiness is and should be the most important of the three.
Why did I say so? Keep reading.
“How can I be happy when I’m not working, I do not have money and you expect me to be happy, how do you expect a single like me to be happy?” “I can never be happy until I get admission into the University“, etc.
These and more, are common statements we hear daily. As humans, it is natural to feel this way.
So I ask; What makes you think that you’ll be happy when that dream job comes calling? Do you think having millions will bring you maximum happiness? How sure are you that becoming a mother will bring you peace of mind? How sure are you that being married is the only key to your happiness? Do you know that the rich also cry?
Do you know there are jobs you can get but can never find happiness and fulfilment in them? Do you know that you can be married, but daily, you wish you were still single?
While we do not pray and wish for negativities, these are realities.
You do not need to be the CEO of a multinational company to be happy. You do not need a job to be happy. You do not need to be married to be happy.
The list is endless.
Never tie your happiness to any circumstance or position. I know it can be difficult to be happy when certain things we consider important are lacking, but it is not impossible to be happy when in lack of these. True happiness comes from within.
While it is important to have money and becoming successful, bear in mind that happiness is more important. Happiness is a positive vibe that Spurs you to work towards being successful; it exudes positivity. This is what keeps that market loader ever-smiling under the scorching sun because he believes that his hard work will pay off sooner or later. “Happiness is all about disposition and not the position. It is also a choice.”
“Happiness is all about disposition and not the position. It is also a choice.”
“One man’s food is another man’s poison”. Be it money, success or happiness. Try as much as possible to give your life a meaning. You only live once.
Bottom Line
Money, Happiness and Success are three essential entities in one. They give life a meaning and just like the Head can not function properly without other parts of the body, so is Money, Success and above all Happiness.
Do you still have conflicting opinions? Different Strokes for Different folks, they say.
