We’ve all heard it said that money can’t buy happiness. However, how many people truly believe that?
We see someone driving a nice car and think to ourselves, “If I had that, I’d be happy.” When we hear about someone winning $100,000,000 in the lottery, we think to ourselves, “I’d be happy if I won that.” We see on social media that one of our friends bought a beautiful home and think, “Wow! If I had that, everything would be fine.” Is it possible to buy happiness with money?
This question was investigated by scientists. They discovered that even in low-income societies, people were happy. In collaboration with McGill University and the University of Barcelona, a paper was published in 2021. Here’s what was discovered:
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Scientists interviewed 678 people in the Solomon Islands and Bangladesh between the ages of 20 and 50, focusing on those living in more rural and impoverished areas. They gained an understanding of moods, lifestyle, fishing activities, household incomes, and market integration. Scientists in both countries compared the poorer societies to their counterparts, who lived in larger metropolitan cities and fared much better financially.
The Happiness Factor
The researchers discovered two major findings: people who live in cities and make a lot more money reported lower levels of happiness. People living in more impoverished areas with lower incomes, on the other hand, reported higher levels of happiness. Rural societies also valued family time and being outside in nature.
Researchers concluded that people were happy in these poorer countries, and that monetary gains may even be detrimental to their happiness in urban areas where people were staying ahead. This lends credence to the notion that happiness is not primarily related to economic output. People are at ease when they feel safe.
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And, interestingly, scientists discovered that, while the majority of the world on social media compares themselves to their peers, which can lead to unhappiness, this was not the case in these more rural areas.
What can we glean from this research?
To begin with, these rural communities were not starving. They lived in a neighborhood where their most basic needs were easily met. The main thing they had was a sense of community and a connection to nature. These two factors appeared to contribute to the overall reported happiness levels.
Having more things, wanting more things, wishing for more things were not common in these rural areas.
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Wealth is not a bad thing.
Money does not harm us in and of itself. I work with many people who are happy and do exceptionally well. Wealth does not, in and of itself, cause us to be unhappy. What makes us unhappy is sacrificing for wealth or becoming emotionally attached to things. And if we could believe that we don’t need things to be happy, we’d make different life decisions. Do you believe it?
And it’s fine to go to university and find a good job to support ourselves and our families. It’s just that the emphasis would be on family and friends, rather than “things,” and a sense of community.
If we made this our priority, we would move at a slower pace and without the “someday I will get there” mentality. We would contact and spend time with friends. We would read a book, take a walk in the park, and watch the sunset.
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We would complete our tasks because we enjoyed them. We would go on vacation because they are fantastic. We would spend time with family and friends because it brings joy to our hearts. We would spend time in nature and do things to be at peace with the world and the universe. Because it makes us happy.
Instead, we concentrate on living well now
Our minds are perplexing. “OK, I’m going to work really hard for a while, and then I’ll start living,” we often say. But here’s the catch: we can do that for a long time, but we don’t know when we’ll be able to enjoy life. We may be exhausted and suffering from health issues. We may suffer collateral damage as a result of everyone we’ve lost or injured as a result of our constant working.
We might not even reach our objective, you see. We can spend all of our time, energy, and sacrifice for a financial goal, and then it’s gone.
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The fisherman
One of the best examples of this is a story about a man who goes fishing. He has a small boat and goes out into the ocean for a while to fish. He returns with enough fish to feed everyone. He’s just sitting on the beach, eating his fish and admiring the natural beauty around him.
“What are you doing?” a wealthy man asks. Did you know you could make a lot more money if you kept fishing all day? You could return and not only eat your fish, but also sell the extras. When you’ve made enough money, you can buy more boats and hire people to assist you in catching even more fish. Then you’d have so much money that you’d be able to sit back and enjoy yourself all day. If you worked really hard, you could do it in ten or twenty years.”
The fisherman looked at the rich man and said, “That’s what I’m doing now! Why would I do all that?”
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There’s deep wisdom here
We must accept that this is life. We must stop waiting for monetary changes before we begin to live. There’s always something lovely to look at. We don’t require much to be happy. We simply need people in our lives who can make us laugh, play, and have a good time. And we need to spend time just enjoying life and the beauty that surrounds us. Those are the things we require.
Happiness is available to every one of us
We can be happy at any time in our lives, no matter what. If we make this our primary focus, the rest of life becomes secondary. If we are older and live in a retirement community, we have friends to spend time with and activities to participate in.
If we’re younger and struggling financially, we could sell everything and buy a van, which we could convert into a livable space. Then we’ll be able to travel and explore. We can take in all of the beauty that surrounds us. No, it isn’t perfect, but they are doing things they enjoy rather than acquiring things to make themselves happy.
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“What am I going to do today to find joy and happiness in my life?”
Happiness is free
Can you call a friend right now and go for a walk with them? Can you cook for your friends? Can you go outside and watch the sunset? Can you build a small fire and read a book at the same time?
These things will make you happy. They are straightforward. Don’t compare yourself to others or wish for more. Happiness is present and immediate. All we have to do is stay in the present moment. We will always find happiness if we focus on the things that truly make us happy and devote our energy to them.
One day at a time, one breath at a time, life is truly a beautiful adventure.
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