Salamun alaikum dear readers.
Today I will muse a bit about happiness. The Media today is full of stories where Wealth equal Happiness. Is this True?
So now I ask; how rich do you need to be to be happy?
Basically one need roof over ones head, food, water and clothing. These are basic needs, and for most of the worlds population these needs are met (yes I know that there are people on the streets in America, Asia and Africa, but if they are alive these basic needs are to some extent met).
But from having ones basic needs covered, to be able to call oneself rich is a big gap. There is a program on MTV that is called Cribs that I have seen a few times, it is the rich people showing off their wealth (their house, cars and so on). And I feel disgusted seeing it, and actually I feel disgusted about any person hoarding that much. What are the possible needs for such big house, so many cars and so on?
The same can be said about physical appearance these days. When is a person good looking enough? Many people have bodies that they need to exercise 2 hours every day, they need a special diet, they need injections and operations and all these recourses are spent just to look a little better.
I am NOT speaking about people born with a defect or having had an accident that an operation will help them. No I talk about the beauty industry.
Then there is the extravaganza of the fashion industry and the luxury industry. Its ads say that your happiness depends upon having 50 (or more) pairs of shoes, brand jewelry and watches, and clothing from the well known brands.
So now I ask again; how rich do you need to be to be happy?
By now I am sure you see where I am going? And many will by now branded me as a communist or worse. Could all these recourses and people spent in the industry I have talked about, could these resources be better spent on the betterment for all? I would personally put the perverse spending in the world’s arms races into the same “box”.
Many of the worlds rich when they become old, become philanthropists, giving off a part of their wealth to some useful course. Why, I believe it is guilt, but they still dress and live the same way mostly, so the “giveaway” does not hurt them much.
The so-called “filthy rich” are also populating the poorer countries in the world. It seem the poorer the country the richer the rulers. Ironic?
For me as a Muslim and see how the rich Arabs and rulers in most the Muslim countries built their mansions and filled their homes with poor servants from Asia mostly, is a perversion. Many of the imported labor are Muslims as themselves, but are treated worse than slaves.
So now I ask again; how rich do you need to be to be happy?
I firmly believe that when you become a slave to the outward appearance there will NEVER be enough. Never. There will ALWAYS be a need for another pair of shoes, another garment, another look and another item.
There was a survey done in England and I am sure it applies to everywhere; where most said they rather go shopping than having sex. Sex should be the top of the list of an expression of happiness, intimacy and love, but it is not, shopping is.
Everybody know the sensation of getting something new, something you have wanted, but then you have it and its gloss leave it fast. It is like drugs, more beget more…
So now I ask again; how rich do you need to be to be happy?
Or is it really true that wealth begets happiness? I firmly believe not. Those people I have met that seem happy are those with a purpose in life. People with a faith in what they do, like artists, religious people and even politicians, where their work seem more important to them than themselves, they seem to be on the road to fulfillment. So therein lay the answer or at least an important observation. To find happiness you can never gain it by fulfilling your needs, the needs multiply and grow always faster than how you try to meet them. It is ALWAYS a loosing battle. But by simplifying your own needs and help fulfilling others need, you get the reward from God, a full heart.
So the secret to happiness is to have few or no needs and a life in or partly in service of others, will gain you more fulfillment and happiness. Many want a job well paid helping others and hope/think that this will do the trick, sorry in most cases it don’t, it is what you do outside work, in your “free” time that help. God rewards gifts you give, if you are paid – you are already paid.
There is abundance in this world if it is shared, let us all be instruments for God in making this a reality. I will also recommend the film; “Pay it Forward”, is one of those revolutionary ideas. I will not go into details; it will spoil the film, but do see it.
