College students have a weight carried on their shoulders. Debt. Bills. It all revolves around one thing in life — cold, hard cash.
After another summer of working at a full time job five days a week, I’ve come to a realization that money doesn’t buy happiness. No matter how much money you make at the end of the day, happiness doesn’t prevail. Maybe it does for a bit once you realized you got paid — but afterwards the feeling fades.
The digits in your bank account are just a number. These numbers buy us things. Food, a roof over your head and even small possessions that ultimately don’t matter.
Do these small things make you happy? Some material things people buy make them happy for a short time — maybe even a long time — but they are just ‘things.’
Things we buy with money can be a small knickknack on your dresser or even a new outfit that was on sale. These don’t last long, and we don’t keep those things forever. They often go to a new home, or are thrown into the garbage.
Objects aren’t happiness. Happiness isn’t in a paper box with a bow on it. Happiness is an emotion, and that’s how you feel good deep down on the inside: involving people you love.
You can’t buy happiness with money, no matter how you earn it.
Getting paid well at a job you hate really isn’t the way to live life. Every situtation can be different, however. Some may need a steady income to survive. But, the question is does it make you happy? If the answer is no — then rethink what you’re doing.
College is a way for people to get degrees for their dream job, but for some it’s a way to get a high paying job to attain simple, small green sheets of paper.
Money rules our lives.
Ultimately, humans are slaves to the green paper.
It doesn’t have to be that way for you. Take your life in your own hands and don’t let it run by how much money goes into your bank account every week.
There are many steps you can take to achieve happiness that don’t involve money.
The first step to happiness is in the workplace. You need to find a career or task that you love to do — regardless of the pay rate. You’ll find that you’ll be much happier.
Working in a job doesn’t always have its perks. Sometimes you find people in the environment that you don’t click well with. This is when you need to get away and take some time for yourself.
Every once in a while make sure to take some days off and do something you love in your free time. Working isn’t all there is to life.
While discussing this theory of money and happiness with some of my co-workers, they brought up the idea of experience. It buys that. Right?
Sure it does, in a way. But, these experiences only last for a short time and eventually they come to an end. Money isn’t the driving force behind the making of fond memories. Instead, it is up to the people we are surrounded by. Those are the ones who can make us truely happy.
Money is a necessity to everything. Want food? You need money. New car? More money. An apartment? Much more money.
The amount of money you have or want to attain shouldn’t drive your life. Remember, money comes and goes. Happiness lasts a lifetime.
Lindsay Trombly can be reached at [email protected]