Who is rich ??
He who is content .
Who is content ?? NOBODY !!
Who is content ?? NOBODY !!
Agreeing with the words of Benjamin Franklin, I feel it is pretty hard to tell what does bring actual happiness ; PoVeRtY & wEaLtH have both failed in most people's lives. And not knowing this eternal truth, we have let Money become the sixth sense without which the other five have no use.
I recently received a mail which stated how MEDIA has become a puppet in the hands of the wealthy. The popular news channel NDTV which boasts of housing the stalwarts of Indian journalism in Pranab Roy and Barkha Dutt , seems to have developed a soft corner for Pakistan since the time Pakistan President has allowed only this channel to be aired in Pakistan . The national weekly India Today which used to be a supporter of BJP has suddenly realized that they are anti hindu, thanks to its take over by NDTV.
Leave aside these examples, think how do we react in our everyday scenarios. When we go to a shop to buy something, we always feel happy when we have bargained and got the thing at a lower than usual price. At the same time, when we are about to sell something, it gives us more happiness when we sell the thing at a higher than usual price. In short, we feel more satisfied on holding onto more money (when we buy) or on ending up receiving more money (when we sell). The only way more of something can be better than the less of it is if it brings more contentment. Hence do we conclude that more of money is better than less ?
If your answer is YES, have a look at the survey taken by The University of Michigan's World Values Surveys (WVS), whose data is considered the most authoritative by happiness researchers. NIGERIA which doesn't lie in the top ten rich countries of the world, is the World's happiest nation. And yet we feel we need to be enslaved to MONEY for the eternal happiness.
I came across a video clip in youtube titled "Benjamin Wallace: Does happiness have a price tag?" And I felt you would also enjoy watching it.So here it goes..
Do I mean to say MONEY plays no role in attaining happiness ?? Ofcourse not. Till the time money is within your hands' reach, you are the Master. But when you find yourself buried in the ocean of money, that's when Money starts ruling you. That's why it is found that no wonder a person earning about Rs.50,000 per month is more happy than the one earning Rs.5000 per month. But at the same time, rarely is a person who earns Rs.5,00,00,000 per month more happy than the one who earns fifty thousand in the same time. The sad thing is that the Greed within us lets us overhear our granny's words who always ask us to value health and family more than wealth and stuff and let Money overpower us.
In a nut shell, let me recollect the words of Robert Brault, who said, "The little money I have - that is my wealth, but the things I have for which I would not take money, that is my treasure!" Wealth is no doubt essential, but it would be of no use unless you possess the Treasure of your life too. And we need to realize that Money is not the ultimate treasure we seek in life !
Good one!!!
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