10 Things Better Than Money
Money does buy happiness, but
happiness also creates wealth.
A recent Gallup poll, quoted in The
Atlantic, found that "well-being rises with income at all levels of
income, across countries." In other words, as the article's title states,
the poll proves that "Yes, Money Does Buy Happiness."
Except that it doesn't prove that at
all. What the study actually discovered was a "strong correlation"
between each nation's real GDP per capita and the sense of
"well-being" among those nation's citizens.
Correlation isn't causation. The
data could just as easily be interpreted the other way around: that happiness
creates wealth. What's most likely, though, is that happiness and wealth
are part of a cycle, each one creating more of the other.
And that's the reason for this post.
Assuming you want to create both wealth and happiness for yourself and those
around you, you have two approaches: wait until you're wealthy to be happy, or
become more happy now and thereby create more wealth.
I maintain that, in today's economy,
it's easier to start with the happiness, because unlike wealth (which takes
time to accumulate), you can increase the amount of happiness in your life
within minutes, simply by taking more notice of things that make you happy.
With that in mind, here are ten
things that can make you happy immediately, regardless of where you are in the
cycle.
1.
Life
It's easy to forget that the mere
fact of conscious existence--that you are alive--is itself a miracle. As the
old saying goes "every day above ground is a good day."
2.
Health
Rather than thinking of illness as
something bad that happens to you, start thinking of health as something good
that's happening to you.
3.
Purpose
There is nothing more conducive to
long-term happiness than knowing that your actions are making the world a
better place.
4.
Friendship
Almost everyone has friends,
although it's easy to lose track of them in the rush of events. Take a few
minutes--today--to reconnect with some of them.
5.
Family
If you've got a good relationship
with your family, rejoice! You're experiencing one of the deepest sources of
happiness on the planet.
6.
Self-reliance
Feeling secure that you can count on
yourself to accomplish what you set out to accomplish creates a quiet but
potent happiness.
7.
Community
Having the support of a wider group
makes you more aware that you're part of something greater than yourself.
8.
Gratitude
Rather than focusing on what you
don't have or what's out of reach, be thankful for the wonderful things already
in your life.
9.
Laughter
It is impossible to laugh and be
miserable at the same time. Regular doses of laughter are more than medicine...
it's the flavor of life.
10.
Love
'Nuff said.
Create these ten things in your life
and I guarantee that you'll either become more wealthy or, if not, you won't
really care anyway because you'll already have what's important.
http://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/10-things-better-than-money.html?cid=em01016week03
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