June 19, 2009

Money Doesn't Buy Happiness... No, Really

In This Issue:

Feature Article: "Money Doesn't Buy Happiness... No, Really"

Quick Tips : "Meditation - Forget The Pose and Relax"

Fast Facts: "Do We Have an Agreement... or a Contract?"

* FEATURE ARTICLE *

“Money Won't Buy You Happiness... No, Really”

I grew up being told that money wouldn't buy happiness. I'm not sure I fully believed that, as the same people who told me this bought lottery tickets each week and often talked about how they wished they had more money.

Later I decided that while money wouldn't literally buy happiness, it would enable greater choice. And, with greater choice, I could choose to live in a way that would make me more happy.

Now, I have a different view. Firstly, 'happiness' is a state of mind, while money is a tool. There's no necessary relationship between the two.

Like any 'thing' money doesn't have any particular meaning except for the meaning we give it... in our minds. Someone who associates having money with being happy has really just conditioned themselves to feel happy when they think about having money.

Of course, money has value. It literally enables us to pay for food, shelter, education, and so on. But the emotional response (e.g. happiness) we get from either having money or the things money buys is purely a result of being conditioned or conditioning ourselves to associate happiness with having either or both to those things.

So, is it possible to live in poverty and still be happy?

Well, if the poverty is so dire that you cannot meet your basic human needs i.e. you're health is suffering, you are sick, starving, extremely cold, etc then your physical state would certainly affect your emotional state and undermine your happiness. But, as long as you have your health, are eating enough, have shelter and warmth... why couldn't you be happy?

After all, most of us - including the 'poor' - in Western economies have higher living standards than the kings and queens of yesteryear. If it was just a matter of having what money can buy... why aren't we much happier than people who lived in harsher conditions, centuries ago?

That 'better' job, brand new car, holiday, etc may certainly give us experiences that enrich us... but they don't 'make' us happy. We make ourselves happy. We choose to be happy or not... in every given moment. And it's not the environment that determines how we feel - we determine how we feel in response the environment. So, really, we don't need any 'thing' to 'make' us happy... we can choose to be happy right now, in this moment.

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* QUICK TIPS *

“Meditation - Forget The Pose and Relax”

Meditation is a great way - if not THE way - to quiet your mind, connect with yourself and let everything else slide away.

The health benefits of meditation have been well documented, and there's much more I could say about it too. But for now, let me talk about a 'block' a lot of people have - and which I've had - about meditation. That block is associated with a need to sit or hold your body a certain way in order to meditate.

Here's the thing: meditation is primarily concerned with your mind, not training your body to sit, stand or move a certain way. I DO believe that you can get into a meditative state from getting into certain positions (e.g. yoga positions) or engaging in certain activities (e.g. tai chi) and that there are certain benefits associated with these.

But if your main goal is to achieve a meditative mental state, it's ideal to be comfortable. Which means that if you're sitting cross-legged on a wooden floor or standing with your knees bent in a specific pose... and you're so uncomfortable that you can't relax... you won't be able to meditate!

For people starting out, I recommend sitting upright in a comfortable chair - in a comfortable position that allows you to relax your body, breath gently and ultimately quiet your mind.

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* FAST FACTS *

“Do We Have an Agreement... or a Contract?”

What's the difference between an 'agreement' and a 'contract'?

None. They mean the same thing: a legally enforceable exchange of promises.

Similarly when you accept 'terms and conditions' or 'terms of use' on a website or elsewhere, you are also entering into an agreement, where you have agreed to all those terms.

Oh, and 'conditions' is also rather superflous: 'terms' and 'conditions' probably have distinct origins, but pretty much mean the same thing these days.

When is an agreement not an agreement?

When it's a 'non-binding agreement' or 'memorandum of understanding' or 'letter of intent' or otherwise includes a clause to say that the agreement or contract is not binding on either party.

In this case, the arrangement really just reflects an intention for the parties to come to an agreement and is a gesture of goodwill rather than a commitment.

But use caution here! Just because a document is entitled 'memorandum of understanding' doesn't mean it isn't binding. Ya gotta read the terms and conditions.

P.S. This is NOT legal advice... :)

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