Now here’s a new angle on what makes us happy that I hadn’t read before.
An opinion piece in The Christian Science Monitor titled, “Does money make you happy?” by Arthur Brooks, claims that feeling successful is more closely related to happiness than having lots of money.
One can have a wad of cash, but if they don’t feel successful in their work, they’re less likely to be happy than someone who has little wealth but feels very successful in what they do, Brooks contends.
Of course, I thought, this explains why so many people who have modest wealth, still live a very happy satisfied life.
It’s not about the money. It’s about a feeling of completeness, wholeness, spiritual worth and value lived and demonstrated. We feel good when we are successful at our work, assuming the work is something we love to do in the first place.
Brooks points out that we should not compromise the work we do for money, because we’re probably sacrificing happiness too. Money gained cannot measure the success we feel when we build a strong family, grow spiritually, and nurture friendships. Money is a poor measure of true success, and should not be confused as such.
Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed the article. You might too.
Well now… isn’t that an interesting read…
It also rather explains relationships as well doesn’t it.
It is the feeling of completeness, wholeness and spiritual value lived and demonstrated that makes you happy–not whether you are married or single. It explains how some marrieds and singles can be completely happy and others are not at all. It isn’t the presence of another person (or lack thereof) that is the determining factor.
What a great eye-opener.
Guess Mrs. Eddy knew whereof she spoke when she said, “… conscious worth satisfies the hungry heart, and nothing else can.” (Message for ’02) And the first part of that sentence is also apropos: “Happiness consists in being and in doing good; only what God gives, and what we give ourselves and others through His tenure, confers happiness: …”