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"The poor are happier than the rich, because the poor still think that money can buy happiness … but the rich know better." - Anonymous
One of the crazy things you see a lot more these days are stories about celebrities or uber-rich people who are desperately unhappy … losing themselves to drugs, or even ending their lives by suicide. I believe this points to the issue of meaning and purpose in life ... something many people lack. Whether they realize it or not, most people never really stare meaninglessness in the face, because they THINK the reason they're unhappy is because they're not successful. They think that happiness would only be theirs if they met certain career goals, if they had large amounts of money, or over-the-top success. They don't face the meaninglessness of
their lives … they think they have the answer. Accepting the norms of our dysfunctional society, they think the problem is they've not yet reached high enough on the ladder of success -- as they are defining it -- and that is what's keeping them from being happy and fulfilled. Be careful what you
wish for. If the issues of meaning and purpose -- essentially spiritual questions -- are not answered in a satisfactory way, what happens as life unfolds? Suppose a person builds their sense of meaning around possessions or career success. If and when they
actually REACH certain success markers, watch out! When they discover how empty life still is, then they will be REALLY depressed. This happens all the time, whenever we think our unhappiness is situational, and that fulfillment will be ours when we get to the other side of something.
I've heard this story multiple times, with multiple variations: "I used to be a lonely, unhappy single person. I thought if I just found a partner and got married, then I'd be happy. Well, I got married. Now I'm a lonely, unhappy married person."
Someone else says: "I used to be an insecure, depressed, poor person. I thought that if I
just made more money, then my problems would be solved. So I worked hard, rose up the ranks, and today I'm making really good money. Now I'm an insecure, depressed rich person."
Wherever you go ... there you are. Listen to these words -- by none other than Richard Nixon -- about the unhappiness he sees in wealthy people around him: "If you don’t have [nice things],
they can mean a great deal to you. But then when you do have them, they mean nothing. "To me, the unhappiest people in the world are those in the watering places, the international watering places, the south coast of France and Newport and Palm Springs
and Palm Beach. Going to parties every night, playing golf every afternoon, then bridge. Drinking too much, talking too much, thinking too little. Retired. No purpose. "I know there are those who would totally disagree and say, ‘If I could just be a millionaire, that would be the most wonderful
thing. If I could just not have to work every day ... If I could be out fishing or hunting or playing golf or traveling, that would be the most wonderful life in the world.’ "They don’t know life. Because what makes life mean something is purpose. A goal.
The battle. The struggle. Even if you don’t win it.”
NEXT ACTION:Today's next action is to think of someone you know -- either know personally or know of -- who seems to fit the description from Nixon's quote. Do you know of someone who seems to be well off, but lacking purpose? The point of this exercise is not to judge
-- after all, we don't know someone's inner life. At the same time, it's helpful to take the truth that is being shared in the article above and make it personal. Let this serve as a reminder about the importance of having a meaningful, positive purpose. What's yours?
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