Be Happy With What You Have
You know the saying ‘money doesn’t buy happiness, but I’d rather cry in a Ferrari than on a bike’? It seems a somewhat whimsical and ironic statement, and in fact it is, but we can learn an important lesson from it. We inherit these ideas from rampant neoliberalism, which can lead us to hate ourselves, feel like we’re failing, and think that everything in our lives would be better if we only had this or that.
They say the money problems have eased. But they are still there; only now better packaged. On the one hand, it is true that having a job and a moderate income can help you be more relaxed. But at the same time, money really can’t buy mental health. On the contrary, sometimes it just makes certain problems worse and fills certain gaps in the wrong way.
If you’re not happy with what you have, you’ll never be happy with what you want or think you need. It’s not healthy to live like this. In fact, it pushes you into a state of nervousness and anxiety that causes you to miss out on unique moments in life.
Life doesn’t start when you get something you want
The current unemployment rate in many countries has many psychological consequences, both in the short and long term. But social and economic issues aside, it’s important to take a closer look at the factors behind that constant need to renew our material desires, a need so pervasive in Western society.
Think of people who hope that they will have enough money to spend a few days at the beach with the family, or who hope that they will get a certain job so that they can have a good time with their friends. How would this affect their mood over time? They would probably become paralyzed as they wait for something to happen, hoping that time will pass quickly so they can get what they want sooner.
If you’re waiting for something outside to fill your inner void, you’re wasting time that you’ll never get back. When you get that great news, if you ever get it, maybe it won’t be special anymore because you’re exhausted from all the waiting.
No one said you can’t have ambitions, but they can’t just be relegated to the future. However, this requires a lot of courage and an extreme tolerance for frustration and uncertainty. It’s nice to be able to go anywhere knowing that everything you’ve left behind is all right, but life isn’t just a matter of safety and getting everything done perfectly all the time. You also have to be able to live with risk.
Certainty brings peace, but no happiness
Take advantage of your energy instead of waiting for happiness to come to you at the ideal time. Only by discovering what you already have will you be able to find new resources to replenish it. Life is made up of phases, and each of these phases has a special charm that we often only appreciate when we look back on it.
Being happy with what you have is not the same as being conformist. Taking advantage of the positive things in your life is not a negative mindset. Knowing how to recognize the beauty of everyday people and situations includes learning that it is the peace we radiate that makes us who we are, even if our wallets are sometimes empty. Being happy with what you have is striving to be better as a person, not an object.
You cannot learn how to control your bad financial situation by negotiating with your bank. You must acquire this skill by learning lessons, by seeing the problem with your own eyes, by fighting it with intellectual means, and by accepting it from the heart. The most valuable thing in life is inner peace, and this requires that you have gone through periods of complete insecurity. It is not something that can be obtained with a salary or within a certain amount of time. It is a long and heavy emotional process.
While it’s true that everyone is busy getting what they think is necessary to be happier, it’s also true that if the desire takes away all their passion for the present, it’s more like a self-imposed evil.
Our dreams should generate flow, and our goals should ensure that this flow is not a meaningless influence, but an intention to perform that serious job or responsibility to the best of our ability. This should be something that makes us work and something that drives us at the same time. Being happy with what you have is an intention to dedicate yourself to the present, which will be reflected in your future.
The most beautiful things in life are not visible or tangible, but are felt
