For the first 20-some years of our lives we are lead through a maze of challenges, twisting and turning us around with a single goal in mind: to become wealthy, successful and happy people. After all, this is why we are here.æ We are getting the education that will help land us a job that will make us rich and happy. Well here's a new challenge that we must face: riches never lead to happiness and mental success. So why are we here?
Honestly, money and material items may result in comfort, but think realistically about the last CD or DVD you purchased. It was exciting taking it to the register, making a purchase and peeling back the shrink-wrap to reveal that wonderful smell of printed paper and plastic. However, that feeling doesn't last long and the want for something else new haunts us again. This is the basis of economics, unlimited wants and limited resources to satisfy those wants, and it is a part of each of us. Unlimited means never-ending, but all too often we think, "If I could just buy that car or get this career, I will be
happy." As people, we can never be satisfied with material things.
When you really look closely at what you own you will begin to realize that nothing can really be yours or belong to you. The materials that went into making that object were most likely there long before you were born and will continue to exist long after death. They only exist with you temporarily. Nothing Earthly is permanent.
What am I suggesting? I am suggesting that it may be important for some people to assess the route they are choosing in life. æIf you are thinking of going into a certain career for success and money, realize that this in truth may never make you as happy as you think it will. It's who you will come home to, it's how you let yourself feel inside, and
it's how you spend your life making a difference that will make you happy. All of these things come from the inside. This is real success. Make the decision now to be successful in life.æ Never give yourself the opportunity to regret not discovering that happiness comes from inside.
æ
Name:Patrick Year: senior Major: business mgnt Comments:
Warn-out garments
Are shed by the body
Worn-out bodies
Are shed by the dweller
Within the body.
New bodies are donned
By the dweller, like garments.
-from The Bhagavad-Gita
Name: Christie Comments:
That left me with the warm and fuzzies! Happiness does seem like a quest to so many, when it should be a state of mind.
Name:Jeremy Carter Year: Graduate student Major: English Comments:
Ultimately even our base physicality, our bodies, as such, are only on loan. There is a beautifully constructed myth in buddhism about the neverending hunger of the ghost. The ghost is surrounded by material wealth and plenty. A virtual cornicopia of sensual and physical enjoyments which is meant to represent where we as human beings find ourselves in the world. The ghost is starving and by virtue of its special insubstantial nature can never be filled by the fruits of this garden of earthly delights. Your article is a wonderful description of exactly this phenomenon, that being the mad scramble of starving ghosts desparetly seeking to quench their hunger on nothing.
Name: alum. in FL Comments:
Good article and good advice. To be sure, money does not automatically equal happiness. And contributing positive change to the world in which you live is a great thing to be able to do. Keep in mind, though, that living an altruistic life is a lot more fun as a philanthropist than it is as a martyr. Money lubricates life. I see a lot of my friends struggling because of money issues, and, while money alone wouldn't make them happy, the constant stress of not having enough money to live in a satisfying environment makes them miserable. Deep in debt from student loans and often possessing a degree in a field in which they can't find work, they are unhappy, not because of their lack of money, but because their life expectations haven't been realized. They don't have the "basics" of life that their parents have. They can't buy a house, they can't buy a new car, and some can't even afford cable TV. These aren't unrealistic expectations...this isn't a rich lifestyle I'm talking about. These are just basic needs of a middle class person. Realistically, the choices you make now as students will determine where you wind up in life. Realize that holding a degree in something doesn't mean you'll automatically find a good job (or any job) in that field. Get a degree that gives you skills you can sell after school. While you may love dance, painting, philosophy, anthropology, archeology, literature, psychology, poetry, film, or history, getting a return on your investment in your education may be difficult in these and many other fields. If you have $60,000 in student loan debt at graduation(sounds like a lot, but it's not that unusual), you'll be paying at least half a house payment each month upon graduation to repay your debt...for 25 years...and that's if you have a lousy low-paying job. And what about the growing trend of HUGE credit card debt? I know people who graduated college with credit card expenses that rival their student loan debts. So how can you afford these basic needs of life if you're saddled with huge outstanding debt? How can you afford a house if you're repaying huge student loans and have a low paying job? You can't. And that's where the disappointment, the unhappiness, and the "I wish I hads" come into your life. If you strictly approach your route in life based on hedonistic goals, seek happiness without money, and major is something you "love" but can't profit from, you simply can't build a satisfying life in a capitalistic country. Money makes everything... EVERYTHING... easier. I guess what I'm saying is this: don't expect money to make you happy, but don't expect to be happy without it. Don't fool yourself into thinking that scraping by financially will make you happy as long as you like your job. Your education is an investment...think of it that way. Make the most of it by chosing a major and a field of study that pays. There's no reason why you can't find a job you like that also pays well if you pick your route in life carefully. Little choices you are making every semester concerning your major have huge consequences (or repayments) later in life. Think about it.
