MONEY Talks...

Are you happy?

One of the most powerful and influencing things in the world is MONEY. We know that in this generation, no one can actually survive without it. But is it right to think that it’s also a source of our happiness?

After talking to quite a number of people, I got a unanimous answer. Most of them think that money can make them happy. I partly agree with that, but not totally. Money can make us happy in some ways. And it can only give us temporary emotions of happiness.

When we buy those shoes that we’ve been dreaming of having for years. When we are able to treat ourselves to a nice dinner at a fancy restaurant. When we are able to provide for people whom we care about.

When we give money or buy something and give it to poor people, when we see their happy faces, it makes us happy too; and that example involves money.

On the contrary, money also creates evil. With wrong people around, we might use our money wrongly. My mom once told me, “You control your money. Don’t let your money control you..”
That stuck to me for ages. But I didn’t really pay attention to the deep meaning it had.

Sometimes, when we have more than enough wealth and fortune, we tend to overuse what we have and use it on things that are not really necessary, sometimes on things that will even put us to harm. However, we don’t really notice it nor we care, because we have more than enough. It may make us happy at that moment, but after all the parties, after everyone has left, we are all alone again, depressed.

But we try to avoid depression as much as possible. Having more than enough money, we do that thing again, thinking of the happy moments it gave us the last time. And the cycle goes on.

Are you satisfied?
Growing up, I didn’t have any problems with money because I was a kid and I would just ask from my mom. Sometimes she gave, sometimes she didn’t. But the hell I care, I was fed more than 3 times a day, I was provided with shelter, bed, and all the things that I needed. So money wasn’t really something important in my life before.

This changed when I started being independent. I flew out of town and basically put myself to college while working on the side, and at the same time getting some allowance from my mom who was in the States. I had a hard time back then. I remember living for three days with 5 pesos in my pocket, but I don’t remember how I survived that part. (I think some friends helped me.) So everytime I had the money, it was a like I was in paradise. I had and I lost so fast.

Then I started working for an airline. My love for money went stronger. I spent here and there. I spent for things that I didn’t really need, but wanted. In the job that I had that time, all people around me were showing off signature bags, wallets, shoes, clothes. If you weren’t wearing signature things, you wouldn’t have friends, that’s actually not an exaggeration. If you had more expensive things, they would buy much more expensive ones. Nobody was satisfied with what they had. It keeps them wanting more. Everyone was pressured with the competition that wasn’t really there. And this was their source of happiness. I got influenced, a bit easily.

Although I was earning more, I was also depressed more often. I didn’t have a lot of savings. I was just spending a lot because I thought it made me happy at that moment. I was too comfortable at where I was. I wasn’t thinking of the future and what it entailed for me. I didn’t think how something you hold so firmly can be gone all of a sudden.

Then it hit me.

Are you sure?
After everything that happened to me, after all those experiences, bad and good, I realized how influential money can be. It gives you a more convenient way of living, it gives you more choices than others. It helps you build a good house and provision for your family. But it also builds fake friendships, fake relationships, and fake personalities.

Certainly, most of us noticed that when we have the money, we also have many friends riding with us in this majestic car we’re in. But when we don’t have all these grand things anymore, we also notice our friends gone, all nowhere to be found.

As Oprah Winfrey said, “Everyone wants to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.”

Then I learned why I was more depressed when I had money than when I didn’t have. Because no one was there for me at times when I needed someone. And also because I was so confused on who my real friends were.

Now are you sure that money can really make you happy for long? If so, I have a question for you. Hollywood celebrities have riches beyond our imagination. They can buy everything that they want. For sure they don’t know anymore on what to do with all those dough. But why are there so many celebrities who put themselves to rehab because of depression, anxiety, and etc.? Why are there many incidents of celebrity suicide? Why are there so many divorced rich couples? Why are there so many rich broken families?

Are you still thinking that money can make you happy? If you are, maybe I’m not really good at making my point across. I will try harder next time.

But as a conclusion, I’m pretty sure most of us have realized that no matter how influential money can be, it can’t really be our source of happiness.

MONEY CAN’T MAKE US HAPPY FOREVER.