Happiness is a choice, a feeling of contentment, a sense of satisfaction, an appreciation for the blessings and is something that should be learnt. The lack of connection between wealth and happiness has long been common knowledge, and the understanding itself has long been a source of bliss to moralizers who like the fact that material goods are not life's answer. Individuals pursue material goods, thinking that they might lead to happiness, however, the true equation between wealth and happiness is that happiness is wealth. This is true because wealth is not found in our jobs, promotions or by helping an organization turn a profit, rather, it is found in pursuing our passions and the quality of relationships.Unlike wealth in the form of possessions and money, happiness is only felt and cannot be quantified.
The simple and charmed life that may have been led by one’s parents or grandparents rarely exists today. Happiness brings in a positive and stable mental frame of mind. Being happy is many times more worthy than letting the negative emotions build up in one self. Happiness is what really matters in life. Happiness can lead to health and relationships; it is something that partly comes from within.
There are many reimbursements to being happy. Happiness is linked with more creativity, better health, higher income, and better place of work evaluations. They tend to be more supportive, charitable, creative, healthier and altruistic. They live longer, are more likely to get married, are inclined to staying married at a longer period of time, tend to have more associates and in actual fact earn more money.
Happiness is also important as it leads to health. The more satisfied one is with one’s life, one is healthier as well. Happy people have stronger immune systems, and thus they are less prone to diseases and illnesses. Happiness also often leads to positive emotions due to the sense of satisfaction. These positive emotions also somehow lead to a stronger immune system as well. Many people report that having even the simplest of illnesses such as a cold leads some people to feel anxious and depressed. On the other hand, people who have a more positive emotional style are also less prone to disease. One does not have to look far to validate the fact that happiness leads to health. Simply enter any assisted living or senior citizen’s home and you will see that the happier seniors are those who are moving about, and who participate in the activities of the center are those who are free from illness. A happy life certainly starts with a healthy life. Those who are happy are free from the stresses of life, and since stresses negatively impact health, then a happy life eliminates stress and makes one a happier person.
Happy people also use affirmative thinking habits to uphold a sense of well being. They are less prone to self reflection particularly cogitation about negative past events, less likely to take on in negative contrast with peers, and are more probable to think of events positively, reduce daily hassles and hence enjoy the delight of successes. These accomplishments and successes are a form of wealth.
Parents today spend majority of their time working away from the home, so that the family can enjoy the material comforts of life. Therefore, less time is spent with the children, and sometimes in the process family relations become sacrificed. In the end, these parents regret that they did not lead happy lives and the children regret that they did not have happy childhoods. Materialistic possessions will have a temporary effect of pleasure. To avoid feeling hollow at the end of someone’s life they must spend time with those they love and surround themselves with people whose company they enjoy. A happy life does not have just one important element. It is a balance of interests. Where material accumulation may sometimes benefit in the short run they will strip ones identity and confuse them in the long run. It’s important to be comfortable and secure, not flashy and insecure.
Fortunately, being happy does not cost much. People have to make their surroundings comfortable and stress-free. They should adopt a positive attitude such that even their problems are turned into valuable opportunities that will lead to even more happiness. Surrounding oneself with loved ones will also make life more enjoyable and pleasurable. Having fulfilling relationships with family and friends will go a long way in making life worth living for.
The other uncertainty concerns wealth. If an individual has a million dollars in the bank and never touches it or even builds a huge mansion and never dwell in it, it is the same as if he had neither the house nor the money. This indicates that wealth is not so much what an individual has, but what he/she does with the money.
For a poor individual, in spite of owning millions, he/she restlessly yearns for more since he feels he cannot have sufficient, and in particular if he/she lacks the things cash cannot buy. For these non purchasable resources cannot be left out of the picture: love, friendship, a sound digestion and a consistent, natural capability to sleep at nights, are vital to the possibility of happiness, if not straightforwardly supplying it.
Happiness is a procedure rather than a destination. Individuals who accomplish goals that are significant to them tend to savor the achievement and then move on to soar to new levels. The contentment that comes with satisfaction can be looked at as a touching salary for a job well done. That salary can then be used up as a resource to work on the way to other new goals. Thus, happiness is a cup that truly runs over.
In the end, happiness really is what matters in life. All the wealth in the world cannot buy enriching and fulfilling relationships, and money cannot buy health as well. Should everyone adopt this policy in life and make it his or her personal advocacy, then maybe almost all of the conflicts around the world would simply fade into oblivion. Being happy does not take much; but the benefits of being happy would make a long list, and many people will never argue on this. Happiness leads to health, an enriched life, and is true wealth.
Works Cited
Buchan, James. Happiness and wealth. London: W.W. Norton Publishers, 2006.
Hughes, Happiness is true wealth. 7th ed. New York: Addison Wesley, 2006.
Kinyau, James. True wealth. Kenya: U.G. Lomgman Publishers, 2008.
