Another year – and it is the same old story. The familiar Square One where we know how much money we want to make, where we want to travel, and how we want to look. Now, all that’s required is putting it down on paper and getting to work on it.
If only it was that simple.
In reality, it is difficult to stick to our New Year resolutions.
Whether we want to call it resolutions or by another hip name on social media, we place these choices in our box of “happiness“.
Sometimes, it can be a choice that only an independent mother would understand. Other times, we just need change in general.
The key reason we choose these objectives, whether big or small, is because we believe that it will make us happy.
This is the beauty of life. When it is all said and done, we feel much better than we did the year before. If that is truly the case, I ask
can we place a price tag on our happiness?
In this day and age, everything can come with a price tag. It is true that you can change almost anything you want on this earth with the right amount of money. It can be something as small as establishing a healthier diet or a little more extreme, like nose plastic surgery. Each scenario has its own meaning, depending on the person.
But, does it really equate to happiness?
Is it possible to pay for a feeling?
In 2016, the roads in life have become a little more difficult to navigate.
The way a majority of people live is artificial. Either everything is packaged and easily accessible instantly or requires a lifelong commitment that doesn’t seem to be realistic.
In either circumstance, where is the source of happiness? We have to question where we transition from.
A large part of life happens online. It seems like in a span of twenty years, we have created a world within a world. The way we communicate, how we are informed, and most of the decisions that we make, all stem from here. This small, yet enormous digital world has altered life as we know it at the same time, altering the beauty of life.
But, has it truly altered our happiness?
Have we changed so much that happiness is now just a by-product? In some ways, it appears as though it is no longer an emotion. It is simply an item. I can order happiness, when I need it. We have almost totally digitized our lives. We have tuned our emotions to how we spend and what we buy. Joy or pain is ignited, when one buys or sells. It doesn’t seem to be natural anymore. Is this happiness? Must we pay the price?
I have realized that I’m happy with who I am, the way I am. If the beauty of life and everything good in it, including happiness, must come with a price tag, I’m not always willing to pay.
9 comments
I’m not ready to pay for happiness 🙂 Unless it’s with the time I spend 😛
I’m ready to invest my time in happiness – both mine and someone else’s 🙂
Thanks for making me smile, Vidya
Sid recently posted…Of Online & Offline friends
Which is probably why I like you, Sid! 🙂 Thank you!
Vidya Sury recently posted…My Morning Mantra
The best and most cherished things in life that give us happiness are free. Your child’s giggle, the parents’ joy, the husband’s hug, the pet’s animated excitement, a friend’s warm shoulder and so on and so forth. But sometimes money can be put to a good use for giving happiness like facilitating travel or a comfortable way of living. Money is just an instrument. Happiness cannot be bought with money. An insightful post, Vids.
Rachna recently posted…The caregiver’s trauma
Thank you Rach. I was freaking out over something and just had to get this out. 🙂 We can have a wad of cash and never get some of the things that we yearn for! A close friend of mine was fond of saying – money cannot buy happiness but it can keep us miserable in comfort – and we used to laugh. So yes, money is a great means to happiness, but not happiness itself! Hehe. Hugs!
Vidya Sury recently posted…My Morning Mantra
Vidya, nice to read your post, I have over a period of time have learnt to be happy with simple things in life; that make me smile, bring in a little joy, meaningful work and at the end of the be able to sleep in peace. I would never want to PAY for happiness, at the same time I don’t want to stop dreaming .. so I will not even postpone happiness 🙂 thanks for sharing !!
G Angela recently posted…Gratitude Post – January, 2016
Never stop dreaming, Angela! There is a reason why they say hope springs eternal, and keeps us enthusiastic about life. I love how a little goes a long way when it comes to the simple things, in terms of happiness. Thank you for commenting! Hugs!
Vidya Sury recently posted…My Morning Mantra
I don’t think so. Happiness is pretty much priceless for me.
Money does bring some kind of happiness but most of it is transitory and disappears once the money-bought things go away. Real happiness comes from simple things – a smile, a hug, a small gesture – they all form precious memories lasting all our lives. I get what you mean Vidya.
Obsessivemom recently posted…How to snatch a siesta from the jaws of 4-yr-olds
Too many people get caught up in wanting things and image whether it is that new purse, blouse or newest gadget. Many change how they look and this is happening when they are still growing! It should be against the law when a 15 yr old gets a nose job or bigger boobs-how truly sad. It seems to be bigger now more than ever but I think this feeling has been around for a very, very long time. I think of the women who, in the 1880’s and ’90’s took out their bottom ribs to get that tiny waist popularized by Lily Langtry. You speak such wise words and we should be happy with who we are…it starts from within
Birgit recently posted…Mock Squid Soup Film Society-My Pick for February