Ever hear the old adage, “money can’t buy happiness?” Of course, you have. And you know that it’s always uttered in the sense that the best things in life cannot be purchased with money. I’m sure that we would all agree with that. I also want to state the obvious; Money Can Indeed Buy Happiness. The problem is that happiness purchased is also fleeting. I’d be pretty happy if I had a new fishing boat. I’d be happy with a fat, juicy steak from Ruth’s Chris. I’d be happy with a new Macbook. But the newness will eventually wear off, and the happiness would turn to other wants and wishes.
You see, the thing about things is that things are never forever things. All things have a shelf-life! So, why do we all chase after more things, like they are the holy grail of happiness? Because although we know how fleeting the “new car smell” is, we can’t get enough of it.
What then is the cure for this addiction? As soon as I learn that lesson, I’ll share it with you. In the meantime, here are two ways that might help out in your quest for contentment and enough.
- Discovering when enough is enough is pretty heady stuff! The answer is to ask yourself these two questions. A) If I don’t have this stuff, what’s the worst that could happen? B) Does my family need this to the same degree the families we serve in Haiti do? The answer to these questions is easy enough to discern. Just try them on for a test drive.
- Answer the following two questions every morning for fourteen days in a row. A) What three things am I grateful today? B) What will I do to make today better for someone else? As in number one, these two questions are amazingly helpful in fighting the disease of stuff.
You see, the thing about things is that things are just things.
May your days be merry and bright…and may all your Christmases be right! See what I did there?
—Chuck
