Would You Rather Be Rich Or Happy (Pt 2)
March 18, 2007
So happy to see all the comments pouring in.. Nv knew so many people actually bothered to read my blog posts.. Haha.. So b4 I proceed, jus wanna say thanks to all who have voiced out their opinions. Appreciated it. Had a wonderful time reading thru every single comment and really pondering and reflecting over many stuffs.
For those who have not read my previous blog post, do read it over here.
Now, the blog post was intended to clear some misconception about money and people who strives hard to be wealthy.
Though the title of my blog post could have been misleading. Just in case some people misunderstand that I actually would rather choose to be rich than happy, just let me clarify. Firstly, I must state that I would definitely choose to be happy rather than rich. Period.
I know money is NOT equivalent to happiness. I’ve seen so many examples of families who live an extremely simple life but yet experience the warmth and happiness which so many wealthy families are deprived of.
That is something which no amount of money in the world can buy. On the other hand, there are numerous examples of wealthy families which are broken apart. While many people admire those who are being born with a silver spoon, I’ve seen cases of wealthy friends who feel extremely depressed and empty inside due to the lack of warmth and happiness in their families. As a result, they resort to crimes and other bad behaviours so as to seek excitement in order to fill the empty space created by their wealthy parents.
Hence, this has led to the belief that being wealthy actually creates more problems. And some people really do believe that wealth and happiness are mutually exclusive.
But is that really the case?
Having read through the comments in my previous post, just would like to bring up some interesting points:
First one is by Rachit:
But the truly happy people in the world live completely in today. They have no worries about tomorrow, no thoughts of the past, they feel good every day … almost as if they are living in a compartment of one day.
And so here’s the irony … we want to be rich … because that money, and the journey towards the money will make us happy.
But because we work so hard to be rich, our attention shifts to the past & future … not NOW. And NOW is where true happiness lies. The ability to be happy despite your situation - to feel a good inside when we are poor, rich, sick, healthy
So, in my case … my ongoing goal is to remain happy without condition … if i’m successful, failing or anything else … i want to be happy with myself. If success, great meaning or riches happen along the way, it’ll be a nice bonus.
I think Rachit made a really good point about people focusing on the past and future and not the present. Certainly the case. True happiness does lie in what is happening NOW.
Hence, we should always strive to be happy with what we’re doing NOW. But my point is, those who are perpetually complaining about their lack of finances and lack of time etc are usually those who end up slogging their lives out for money. It’s because that they do not have this desire to be wealthy and have no dreams & aspirations for themselves that they are forced to report to a job which they dislike and end up being even unhappier.
Coincidentally, these are the people who will tell you ‘I do not want to be rich. I just want to be happy.’
Why do I say that? The friend which I mentioned in my last post has always complained to me about not having enough money. She’s NOT happy. And she WANTS to be rich. It’s just that she has not managed to identify the driving factor to move her out of her comfort zone.
Why is that so?
This brings us to the next comment by Moonaire:
I believe in helping people, and have been doing so since I could remember. Most are pro bono, and once in a while I do get paid (even when I don’t charge them), but either way, each time I successfully provide a solution, it brings a smile to their face, and it is that smile, that ‘customer satisfaction’ that pushes me forward.
Would I rather be rich or happy? I don’t really care about either. I just want everyone else (especially the billions of people on earth in state of poverty) to be happy, and I will do all I can for that smile on the face.
Now now.. Think about it for a second… Do you think Moonaire strives to be wealthy? YES! We’ve just had a short discussion on Friday about some big plans we’re going to launch and we want to be millionaires by the age of 25.
But what’s the difference here??
Moonaire has managed to identify a cause that is so much bigger than himself. You see, when your cause is just YOU alone, you will never find the motivation to work hard. You will never see the need of having big dreams and aspirations because it’s all about YOU alone.
If it’s not for my mother who has to stand and work for 8 hours every single day even though she’s already 55, I will never see a need either. If it’s not for my father who has to constantly face debtors knocking on the door and contemplate declaring bankruptcy, I will never see a need either. If it’s not for the majority of the world’s population who lives on only US$1 a day, I will never see a need either. If it’s not for our Lord & Saviour who has gifted us with our life and a chance to make a difference in others’ lives, I will never see a need either.
So it’s not really about YOU being happy and YOU being rich.
I’m sure many of the wealthiest people do not just work hard for their wealth and happiness. In one of the comments in my last post, I mentioned about the various large charitable organisations in the world being set up by some of the billionaires.
They recognise that the cause is bigger than them. Which is why despite accumulating so much wealth, they still do not stop working. And GIVING.
Here’s a quote from Johnny Wimbrey: ‘When you put money before the cause of helping people, money is your master’.
Then are those so called ’spiritual’ people who criticize people for seeking wealth. But yet, they themselves are slaves of money and are perpetually unhappy as well. So many people believe that wealth and spirituality are mutually exclusive. I beg to differ. I believe in Enlightened Wealth. I believe in giving first. I believe that our Lord has abundance of good things in store for us, with wealth being one of them. Not for us to enjoy, but for us to help the needy ones.
Alright, if you actually bothered to read this long post, I really thank you for your time. having said so much, bottomline is: Find something that you really enjoy doing. And try to convert it into a profitable stream of income. In that way, you will be able to be happy not only now, but also in the future. And you’ll be able to be rich at the same time. 
Coincidentally, this is also what is being preached by adam Khoo.
And yes, I do aspire to retire young. Not because I can enjoy for the rest of my lives. But because I can devote more time and energy to accomplish the greater things in life.
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