As I mentioned in my previous article ("The person you love is truly meant for you") regarding a marriage proposal—well, the guy’s family came to see me, and the very first thing he said when we met separately was: "I am so tired." I thought to myself, "If you’re that tired bro, go get some rest! Why are you here ruining my peace of mind?" Anyway, here’s what happened next—let me give you the full sentence: "I’m so tired from all the studying (for a promotion). I earn a good living, but now I just want a life partner who’s like a friend..." I thought, "What?" "Dude, you’re a Navy officer—why do you still need to study? You earn well, so just relax!" And hey, first decide whether you want a life partner or a friend—after all, as our own Shah Rukh Khan once said, "Ek ladka aur Ek ladki kabhi dost nahi ho sakte" Jokes aprat, here’s the interesting part: I observe something—he’s a Navy officer, he earns pretty well, yet he’s still not happy... Why is that so?
From what I’ve heard, money is everything. I agree that money is necessary to fulfill many of our desires, but Is it truly everything?
According to Ipsos, wealthy people tend to be happier. However, I suspect these statistics look good only on paper; if we dig deeper, we find that the wealthy are often the most stressed and depressed.
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Large-scale mental health research—such as the WHO World Mental Health Surveys—indicates that the lifetime prevalence of depression in wealthy, industrialized nations is roughly 15%, compared to about 11% in low- and middle-income nations.
Wealthy people often dedicate their entire lives to earning money—sometimes even sacrificing their childhood and youth in the pursuit of perfection and success. In their younger years, they suppress their desires, telling themselves they will fulfill them once they have achieved success. Now, they may have the money, but that youthful zest is long gone. Instead, they live in constant anxiety—worrying about whether their stock prices might fall or if they might suffer a financial loss.
On the other hand, consider those who are poor. They live day-to-day, earning just enough to cover their daily needs. They don’t aspire to own luxury cars or grand mansions; they simply want their basic necessities met. They remain content precisely because they have nothing to lose.
They find happiness in little things—whether it’s getting a new bicycle or dancing at someone’s wedding procession.
We often overlook the small joys in our lives in pursuit of grander desires.
"True happiness comes from within—from the soul—and it shows in the radiance of one’s face; otherwise, there are plenty of people who merely use makeup to appear happy”.
