Post by Goth on Jul 3, 2008 13:56:45 GMT 1
What, in your opinion is the key to happiness?
In a nutshell, I believe the key to happiness is not having what you want...it's wanting what you have.
If you are totally focusing on what you hope tomorrow might bring, you are not 'mindful' of what you already have today.
Don't get me wrong, it's good to have personal goals, just as long as you are not relying on 'reaching' those goals to make you happy. Failure to reach your goal will only lead to misery and stress, because you are constantly striving for 'something' to make you happy. Happiness is a state of mind, not a result.
Some people have mentioned that lots of money will bring them happiness. If people think that money is the answer to their problems, they're wrong. They're are not happy because of their own emotions.
Of course people need money to survive, but wanting more of it doesn't bring happiness because it's never enough.
Here's an interesting little story I found and thought I'd share...
A young businessman was at the pier of a small coastal village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Seeing several large yellowfin tuna inside the small boat, the businessman complimented the fisherman on the quality of the fish and asked how long it took to catch them. "Only a little while", the fisherman replied.
A little surprised, the young business man asked, "Why didn't you stay out longer and catch more fish?" The content fisherman said, "This is enough to support my family's immediate needs. I don't need any more." "But what do you do with the rest of your time?" asked the confused young man. "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a walk with my wife, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my buddies; I have a full and busy life."
The lad scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds buy a bigger boat with the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to LA and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise."
The fisherman asked, "How long will this all take?" to which the young man replied, "15-20 years." "But what then?" The business man laughed and said "That's the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions."
"Millions, sir? Then what?"
"Then you would retire, move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take a walk with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your buddies."
~ Author unknown.
There is a saying; ‘if you are not happy here and now, you never will be’.
Thoughts?
In a nutshell, I believe the key to happiness is not having what you want...it's wanting what you have.
If you are totally focusing on what you hope tomorrow might bring, you are not 'mindful' of what you already have today.
Don't get me wrong, it's good to have personal goals, just as long as you are not relying on 'reaching' those goals to make you happy. Failure to reach your goal will only lead to misery and stress, because you are constantly striving for 'something' to make you happy. Happiness is a state of mind, not a result.
Some people have mentioned that lots of money will bring them happiness. If people think that money is the answer to their problems, they're wrong. They're are not happy because of their own emotions.
Of course people need money to survive, but wanting more of it doesn't bring happiness because it's never enough.
Here's an interesting little story I found and thought I'd share...
A young businessman was at the pier of a small coastal village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Seeing several large yellowfin tuna inside the small boat, the businessman complimented the fisherman on the quality of the fish and asked how long it took to catch them. "Only a little while", the fisherman replied.
A little surprised, the young business man asked, "Why didn't you stay out longer and catch more fish?" The content fisherman said, "This is enough to support my family's immediate needs. I don't need any more." "But what do you do with the rest of your time?" asked the confused young man. "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a walk with my wife, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my buddies; I have a full and busy life."
The lad scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds buy a bigger boat with the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to LA and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise."
The fisherman asked, "How long will this all take?" to which the young man replied, "15-20 years." "But what then?" The business man laughed and said "That's the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions."
"Millions, sir? Then what?"
"Then you would retire, move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take a walk with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your buddies."
~ Author unknown.
There is a saying; ‘if you are not happy here and now, you never will be’.
Thoughts?
