Wednesday, July 29, 2009

materialistic world?

Truth be told, I don’t live the simplest of lifestyles. But I don’t place a lot of importance on the material stuff that I do have; I’m not attached to it. I can enjoy it when it’s here, and yet not mourn over it if ever goes. I think it’s perfectly fine to live in abundance - so long as we don’t define ourselves by the abundance in which we live.

Many of us secretly believe that we’d be happier if we made more money. I can guarantee otherwise: If you’re miserable poor, you’ll be miserable rich. Perhaps even more miserable. Your base level of happiness isn’t determined by the wealth you’re able to amass or the amount of “things” you’re able to collect.

At best, material things can give us a temporary high. It’s like taking a drug. But the high is always short and the crash is always hard as we return back to our base level of happiness. Moreover, true happiness can’t be dependent on anything outside of us as the entire world is transient and changing. If you base your happiness on something that is bound to change, you’ll live your life in fear of losing it.

To truly be happier, I think each of us must follow our heart.

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