Happiness Pills

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Lets take a quiz

What did you pick?  I thought this was pretty straight forward.  I picked 4 and 8. Easy, who would argue?

This was sent in a group text with a bunch of my friends.  Then the results came in, 4 and 7, 4 and 7, 4 and 7. I was stunned.  #7? Have a lot of money? This really surprised me.

Why did it surprise me you ask?  Don’t people want a lot of money?  Well, yes. But, why do people want a lot of money? I would assume t they believe that money will bring them happiness.  We can skip the whole middle man here and take pill #8 and just get right to happiness and never worry about money again.

Each of the people who responded to this chat are in households that make over 100k.  I am pretty sure one of them makes north of 250k. In big picture thinking these men should have plenty of money already!

This is one of the features of the American dream that perplexes me.  Money should not equal happiness. Sure, I understand money is a big help but once your basic needs are met money should not help you achieve any more happiness.  Study after study shows that happiness levels after 95k (no small chunk of change) tends to decline actually.

Money doesn’t buy us happiness. Things don’t buy us happiness.  So what does bring us happiness? A sense of community, gratefulness for what we have and intentional living bring us happiness and that can happen at any income level.

Think about these scenarios.   You work 12 hours a day and have to commute another hour a day.  You get to see your kids right before they go to bed and you are out the door before they get up.  You live in a 3000 square foot house that you constantly have to pick up all the stuff you have accumulated.  Even when you are home on the weekends you have to dedicate a couple of hours to answering emails and updating spreadsheets.  You get 2 weeks of vacation of year but you only use one. You make 200k.

Scenario 2.  You work 3-4 days a week for 8 hours a day.   You get to drop your kids off at school in the morning and you get to see them after school and play with them.  You live in a 1700 square foot house that doesn’t have lots of stuff in it so it is easy to clean. On weekends you get to spend with a family and you don’t feel obligated to check email and keep up with clients.  You take 3-4 weeks of long vacations throughout the year and take many day trips on the weekend. You make 40k a year.

Which do you choose? Who do you think is happier?  I know what my choice would be.

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