If You Have No Ambition of Being a Millionaire, I Guess You’re a Happy Person Like Me

When you expect less, you become happier.

Remember the folktale of a king and happy man? If not, let me help you recall the story —

There was a powerful king who, despite all the wealth and money, was unhappy. His friends and advisors tried hard to make him happy, but all their efforts went in vain. Finally, a doctor came to help and said if the king spent the night in the shirt of the happiest man in his kingdom, he would be happy.

So, the king sent his men to find the happiest man in his kingdom. Months went by, yet the happiest man remained out of reach. Then one day they heard about a man who is so happy that everyone who meets him becomes happy as well. The king’s men found that happy man but were surprised to see that he was a just poor farmer. When they asked for his shirt, the man laughed and told them that he had none.

King heard this news and, being confused, paid an instant visit to that man. The poor yet happy man greeted and treated the king like family. The king was overjoyed as he never felt such unconditional love from anyone. Finally, the king became happy and then returned to the palace with a great realization that happiness has little to do with wealth but more to do with people, relationships, and state of mind.

What do we learn from that story? Don’t worry! I’m not inspiring you to roam around with a bare body to become happy. What I am telling you is your money and wealth cannot guarantee your happiness.

Of course, you must earn a decent amount of money to make your life fully functional. But that’s it. You don’t have to run after money and leave everything else to have a happy life. All you have to believe is that there are more components in life that you should be aware of.

You may earn a lot and possess a huge amount of wealth. But if you have no one to share with, can you be truly happy? I guess, not. You may feel great for a few days or months. Then, after a certain point, you’ll get used to it, and your money and possession will fail miserably to make you any happier.

When you share your life, events, achievements with others, it boosts your mind and, therefore, you feel connected and happy. You need a good relationship with your parents, your wife, your children, and the people you are surrounded with.

You need to call a friend and spend some time just gossiping about the good old days. You have to laugh out loud, forgetting everything else. You should watch good movies, listen to great songs, and visit places that help you rediscover yourself and enhance your understanding of life.

But if you are razor-focused on your high ambition of making millions or billions, you will hardly manage to be yourself and explore the world around you. Maybe a few of them will be able to manage both ends. But most people will end up being only money-earning machines with no real connection to life and the world around them.

Sometimes, people become so poor that they only have money and nothing else. As I said earlier, money is crucial, but a constant race for more money is absolutely unhealthy and life-threatening. That’s why you must have a clear idea of why you are earning and when you need to control yourself from the blind race for more. You need to set other things such as family, relationships, arts, travel, spirituality, self-development, good health on your priority list so that only money can never dominate your thinking.

If you are wondering — my happiness income is an amount with which I can run my family well and manage any emergency. And I do not run after more money or wish to become millionaires. I am in no race with others. I hardly compare my situation with anyone else.

If I am in good health, have enough to run my family, and can spend time with myself doing what I love (writing, traveling, etc.), I will always be happy with that. I will consider myself very successful.

I don’t buy the idea of success that tells you to earn more to be successful. I don’t believe more money equals more success. If you think the same, then we are on the same team. Why do people run a blind race to earn more and more and, in the process, lose everything else — is beyond my understanding!

Why not take a break and enjoy what we have. And slowly working to reach our happiness income. Why not sleep well with less worry and more peace? Why not start rethinking success and make our life happier?

Yes, life is complicated, and many a time, other people dictate what we think and do. But as conscious human beings, we must take some time to think and then understand our idea of a happy life and exactly what role money can play in it.

Well, I am not demotivating you to earn more. But being a man in my early 30s, I can say that more money doesn’t always do more good. And it takes away many precious things that you can never regain. I’ve seen it many a time.

So, please, before starting your blind race for more, sit quietly and think about the consequences.

Have a happy and peaceful life!

Thank you for reading.

If you want to read more of my writings, you may check out the following articles.

1. Why I Quit My Job While Others Were Busy Saving Theirs (The Ascent)
2. How I Unfollowed My Father and Learned Things Differently (The Ascent)
3. If Aristotle Were a Medium Writer (The Masterpiece)
4. The School of Nature (The Environment)