To Be Happy With What We Have
When I thought of this subject, some well-chosen words from Augustine of Hippo came to mind: the poor man is not the one who has less, but rather the one who needs more and more to be happy. If we put aside the meaning of “rich” as a person who owns a large amount of money, the categorical affirmation in our headline has to do with the happiness that the saint spoke of several centuries ago. It’s about being happy with what we have instead of constantly striving for more.
This happiness actually comes from places that have little or nothing to do with owning a coin, because what makes us happy is not material, but rather emotional and physiological.
In connection with what we said above, it is worth noting that we live in a world where we are surrounded by things that are considered disposable items: advertising and new technologies sometimes make us believe that almost everything is about owning material things that can do us happier.
However, this is not true, and we should try to be happy with what we have, because we are not happier than our parents, even though we have the latest mobile phone, two cars and three computers at home. Maybe we live a more comfortable life, but the consumerism that gives us these things does not really make us satisfied as human beings.
When my sister tells me she has to buy new clothes and has two closets full of clothes to choose from, I wonder how much we are fooled by our needs: we usually value what we do not have and forget what we really lack.
What these examples show is how good the quote at the beginning of the article is, so much so that it seems strange that it comes from the Middle Ages. However, we have repeated the idea it represents hundreds of times: do I really need this? This is a question we should ask ourselves in many situations.
As we said, we have so many things that we sometimes forget the things we could not live without: good mental and physical health, the opportunity to have personal relationships that make our lives worth living, including having friends who are always there for us and the blessing that is our family.
All this and more can not be bought with all the gold in the world. This is why all of this can ironically make us rich in happiness: no one will feel better than someone who overcomes cancer, gets rid of depression, finds the best support imaginable from a partner or someone who receives a loving hug.
On many occasions, we have certainly felt frustrated because we did not reach the goals we set or because we did not get what we really wanted. We actually feel that we need more and more at the same time as we become less and less satisfied with what we own.
It is true that it is beneficial to arrive at certain goals we want to achieve, in order to conform to what we have or are can be equated with stagnation. However, it is good to keep in mind that happiness comes when we enjoy the process we go through.
Our desires do not bring us happiness, they only beautify it. It is very enriching to learn to feel complete with what we have achieved or what we have been able to give, and to be able to freely receive what comes to us without asking for anything.
As we have seen from the beginning, it is things that come to us for free and without material value that can make us rich, so we must be happy with what we have and value what should be valued. Money can give us comfort, but what stirs up our emotions is what gives us meaning.
