It has been said that "money can't buy happiness," but that
is mostly true because happiness is not something for sale.
You cannot go into a store and buy happiness. The
implication with the phrase, though, is that happiness has
nothing to do with money. There is also an insinuation that
people who want more money are superficial and are only
interested in material possessions. I beg to differ. If you
understand what happiness is and you also understand the
difference there is between having money and not having
money, you will see that there is no contradiction between
wanting money and wanting happiness. They are not only not
mutually exclusive, there is a relationship between money
and happiness. It is more accurate to say that money may
contribute to your level of happiness. The pursuit of
success may, in fact, coincide with the pursuit of
happiness.
There is no one definition of what happiness is exactly.
There have been philosophical discussions for centuries
about what it is and how one might attain it. Some have
argued that it may be attained simply by being virtuous.
Others define it as the absence of pain. Others claim it
can be achieved by indulging in pleasures. Others believe
it can only be found through faith in God. Regardless of
the theories, we all know when we are not happy. Most
people would agree that happiness itself is not merely a
simple emotion like elation or bliss. It is deeper than
just a fleeting feeling that may both come and go within a
moment of time. But a state of happiness does affect our
emotions even though it may not be considered an emotion in
and of itself. Because of this, we can tell whether we are
in a state of happiness or not by how we feel.
I think of happiness as a positive state of well-being with
many contributing factors. It is kind of like soup. There
is no one ingredient that could be considered the soup. The
soup is a combination of all of the ingredients. Whether or
not the soup tastes good or bad depends on the combination.
Too much of one ingredient or not enough of another will
make an unsavory soup. Likewise, it is very difficult to
describe oneself as being happy while undergoing extreme
emotional pain, worry, stress, fear or any other unpleasant
state of mind. But this does not mean that happiness is
merely the absence of negative feelings. These are just
ingredients in the soup. Conversely, not feeling enough
emotional intimacy, recognition, accomplishment,
appreciation, attention or any other basic human need or
desire can also lead to unhappiness. Again, no one of these
can be said to be responsible for happiness alone. A
positive state of well-being is a combination of different
emotional experiences that lead one to feel fulfilled and
happy.
Money can play a role in both averting some negative
emotions and also building positive ones. Success can help
change the ingredients of the soup so it tastes better.
Living life with enough money to pay all the bills and
still put money away for the future is far less worrisome
than not having enough. Living life with enough money to
work fewer hours and go on vacations is far less stressful
than not having enough. Living life with enough money to
have the ability to enjoy hobbies and interests is far more
satisfying than not having enough. Living life with enough
money to get the education and training to do what you want
for a living is far more fulfilling than not having enough.
A person who wants these kinds of benefits would not be
considered to be superficial or materialistic. Although
having money alone will not bring happiness, having money
can contribute to happiness by giving you the ability to
have more positive experiences.
Money can't buy happiness, but it can lead a person to a
lifestyle that contributes to a state of happiness. With
the right motivations, when we pursue success, we are
pursuing happiness, too.
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Mary Gersten was a struggling single mother of four screwed
over by the legal system who partnered with the most
brilliant marketers there are today to help put together
the CMPS program where any average person could have a
great opportunity to find success on the Internet. Get a
copy of our free report, "Discover the 24 Hour 'CMPS' Web
Cash Secret," by going to http://www.cmpsmoneysecrets.com
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