Money Can’t Buy Happiness

“Money can’t buy happiness”.

What does that mean? We’ve all heard it, and most of us don’t believe it.

“Sure money buys happiness.”

I’ve heard people say that a lot. Or this one:

“Maybe money can’t buy happiness, but without it you’re miserable for certain.”

What do you think? Before you answer, consider this: happiness is the experience of extraordinary moments.

When you are on your deathbed, what will you remember when you look back on your life? Surely you won’t remember everything, just those key moments that stand out: the extraordinary moments. Chances are those won’t be the moments you spent at work, or buying a computer or arguing with your wife. They’ll probably be moments like making a game winning catch in little league and being praised and cheered by your team mates, or the reminiscent tingling sensation associated with your first kiss, or holding your child for the first time. Indeed, most old and successful people will regard the poorest and most challenging periods of their life with the most fondness.

Moments have value and it is a value which transcends money.

When Billy Crystal is asked to talk about the most meaningful moments he’s had in his career he does not talk about hosting the Oscars or making movies with big name Hollywood stars; instead he talks about making his aunts and uncles laugh when he would perform for them at ten years old. Those are the moments that stand out with the most value.

Life is a string of moments, and for most of us we believe that money will buy us extraordinary moments. That belief is a fallacy.

Now let’s take another look at the statement: “money can’t buy happiness”. I think this means “money can’t buy extraordinary moments”. Extraordinary moments are manifested by people who have a creativity which is fueled by curiosity. Sometimes those people have money and sometimes they don’t. When they do have lots of money, but lack the creativity fueled by curiosity, they lament over what they don’t have (usually non-tangible since the tangible is accessible); when they don’t have money, but the creativity fueled by curiosity, they’ll work two jobs will still manage to make a boat out of an old garbage bin with their kids, or invent a new form of baseball suitable to a muddy field on a rainy day.

You don’t need money in order to manifest extraordinary moments. When people say “money can’t buy happiness”, that’s what they’re saying. Money can't buy extraordinary moments.

You should be doing something every day of your life to manifest extraordinary moments; moments that brings you joy and brings value to your day and your life. If you’re not, you need to start that today. Don’t wait for some imaginary event in the future before you can manifest extraordinary moments.

If you’re telling yourself, “As soon as I get…‘X’…, I can start my life”, whatever ‘X’ is: a husband, a wife, a particular career, a million dollars, a Ferrari; whatever ‘X’ happens to be you don’t need to wait for anything. You should have extraordinary moments every day, starting…wait for it…riiight…NOW!

All you need is a creativity that’s fueled by curiosity. All you need is a passion for being alive. Without that, all the money in the world can’t help you.

Don’t believe me? Check these out:

http://www.forbes.com/2004/09/21/cx_mh_0921happiness.html


http://www.american.com/archive/2008/may-june-magazine-contents/can-money-buy-happiness