Money and happiness are not linked at all, if we're just talking about pieces of paper and that little emotion we all wish we had in abundance. When we include ourselves in the picture, though, we could all conjure images such as swimming in stacks of 100's, or holding a huge check with our name on it, smiling for the pictures. We have all had these flights of fancy, especially those of us who haven't tasted much in the way of sustained financial success.

Why is money and happiness even spoken together in the same sentence? Money, after all, allows us to survive on this earth. We traded in the bartering system quite some time ago for money, or currency, in order to pay for the things we need. How then could something used to hammer out one's existence be so important as to determine one's happiness?

The answer is not an easy one, for money has its ties into a few other base emotions besides happiness: power(or fame), greed, lust, and compassion. Everyone has a base emotion that drives them more so than another emotion. If it is one of those emotions I've mentioned, then it is linked to money, and by default, to happiness.

Here are some examples of people we know about:
- Movie actors or actresses who make it to celebrity status . They got their payday at the same time, only to find out that with all their fame and fortune that they can't BUY an ounce of freedom to do something as simple as going to a restaurant, or getting out of the car without someone noticing. That is, unless they move to Montana! Money to them means nothing at this point, because it can't give them the one thing they really want in order to be happy.
- Billionaire CEO's such as Bill Gates, who spend most of their lives preparing and educating themselves to get to the pinnacle of the business world, only to find out the one thing that really makes them happy is when focused on giving to charities and helping someone less fortunate.
- Average people, who for most of their lives had just the basics, who win the lottery. They get to hold the big check for the camera and fulfill their dreams, only to blow through the millions buying things for themselves and others. Often these people end up in some sort of trouble due to the sudden experiencing of the full gamut of emotions I've mentioned that surround money: greed, power, and lust, and maybe even a little short-lived happiness and compassion for others. They end up where they started, with nothing, except for a new opportunity to figure what's important in life, and what really makes them happy. It certainly wasn't the money, was it?

If all of these examples seem extreme, then you for one probably only need to look in the mirror to find out how you feel about money and happiness. Are you happy yet? I hope so.

Learn more about this author, Vernon McDaniel.
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