Money Cannot Buy Happiness, But It Allows You To Rent It
Genuine happiness is not earned long-term through materialistic wealth.
As most people say, "money doesn't buy happiness" and I am going to prove you just that! I bet those reading this have heard the particular saying many times before, but have you ever really thought about the subject itself? I did not fully analyze the statement until I came to observe and witness the reality of it within my own life.
The quote, "we tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have" by Fredrick Keonig has been framed on my kitchen wall throughout my childhood and I have not realized how true it is until now. Anyways, I was blessed with comfort. I grew up in Greenwich, a medium sized town, within Fairfield County, Connecticut. It was home to a multitude of financial service firms and hedge funds. Greenwich is historically renowned for being one of the richest towns in the U.S.
Hence, I lived in a culture where money seemed to be of the utmost importance to everyone. Large houses, luxury cars, and highly recognized designer clothing stores made up my town; and this seemed to always contribute to the unsatisfactory feeling of desiring more. To be more clear, I always sensed the twinge of jealousy individuals would feel when they witnessed a house larger than theirs, or a car newer and "better" than their own. Living in an environment in which the majority of individuals are wealthy can lead one to feel a sense of emptiness. Why is this? One reason is that it is part of human nature to desire what we cannot acquire. And secondly, when we succeed in gaining what was once out of our own reach, we still want more. The feeling of unhappiness and greed never disperses but continues to occur in a cycle of ravenous despair.
