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The world has become materialistic. Your success is defined by how much money you have in the bank.
That’s just sad.
But the truth is that most rich and successful people are not doing very well internally.
I recently read an article called “F*ck You” Money by Jack Raines. He talks about how he would not switch places with Elon Musk or other ultra-rich people.
Raines writes about how miserable these rich folks are. Further, he embeds a tweet in his article showing that rich people have high divorce rates.
If you pursue outward achievements thinking that they will make your life better, think again.
You might have the money and power to do (or buy) whatever you want. But your inner peace might still suffer.
Money can’t buy happiness.
But it buys freedom, which is the source of happiness for most.
However, research shows that the ultimate source of happiness is having good relationships with other people — friends, family, colleagues, and partners.
That might be true for most, but maybe not necessarily for everybody.
Whatever your source of happiness is, I can assure you that money is not it. Maybe it is to some level.
But you will never find true inner peace just by having millions in the bank.
The Dalai Lama says;
Happiness can be achieved through training the mind.
No magic spell or hard work will lead you to happiness. Instead, everything is in your mind. If you train your mind correctly, you can achieve happiness quickly.
It’s not just about money.
Outward accomplishment does not mean only money or materialistic stuff.
A few other examples of external accomplishments are;
- Instagram followers/Youtube subscribers,
- a high-paying job,
- social status,
- awards/achievements.
They will make you happy, sure. But they will not give you true and lasting inner peace.
It does not mean that you should stop pursuing your goals. It means that you should not rely on external events for your happiness.
Your life (and your happiness) is a journey; it’s not a destination.
The goal isn’t always to get everything you want in life. Instead, it is to enjoy the process of the pursuit even though you might never get it.
Be grateful for what you have.
What is the value of $100 to you? Can you live with a hundred dollars for a month?
I don’t think anyone here can survive on $100 a month.
But for many people across the world, $100 a month is a dream. It might not fulfill all their needs, but it will provide basic food, clothes, and shelter essential for their survival. It will keep them happy.
Humans often always want more. Suppose you make your first million dollars. You are happy. You celebrate and be grateful for your achievements.
Then what?
After a few days of enjoyment, you start thinking about how to make ten million dollars.
It’s never enough.
Often, we focus so much on achieving what we want that we forget to be grateful for what we already have.
That is why we suffer despite external accomplishments.
Final thought
Train your mind to say, “I have enough.” Don’t feel miserable trying to do more because more is not always best for you.
You can have all the things you want in the world and still feel the discomfort of not having anything.
Everything happens on the inside. How you feel on the inside manifests on the outside.
Change how you think and what you focus on. Don’t rely on outward accomplishments because they will never give you true and lasting inner peace.
