True Happiness is Not Material

A funny thing about time: As it passes, it brings perspective, which changes your priorities. As more seconds tick by, you start to realize that the $300 watch and the $30 watch both tell time and a Bentley and a Ford still ferret you to the same spot. What I am driving at—and the theme of this article—is that true happiness, that deep and underlying current of contentment in life, simply cannot be found in material things.

This is not a new concept, yet the truth behind it still sadly seems to elude so many of us. We just don’t “get” that “getting” more, better, or the best things won’t bring us lasting joy. Back in the 1st and early 2nd centuries C.E., the Greek philosopher Epictetus saw this schism in society, enough so that he addressed it many times in his speeches. One such time, he cautioned his audience that “The essence of philosophy is that a man should so live that his happiness shall depend as little as possible on external things.”

American motivational speaker and writer Denis E. Waitley, the best-selling author of the audio series, The Psychology of Winning, takes this same concept a step further and urges his audience (and us all) to realize that “Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.”

Agreed. But once we realize this truth, how do we foster and grow such happiness? How does this flesh out in everyday life? By focusing on the bottom line. Material wealth doesn’t bring happiness, but purpose, passion, love, and hope most certainly can.

Joseph Addison simplifies this idea, narrowing it into a trio of brief areas. I like to think of them as essential action points. Addison says: “Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.” Let’s break that down:

Something To Do

Most wealthy and established business people already know full well that one must be wholly committed to their company for it to succeed. But mere commitment alone—and the financial success it may bring—won’t bring true happiness either. Many of us have found this to be too real firsthand already in our own lives.

Following Addison’s logic, however, happiness can be found in having a passion for our work, be it paid or otherwise. Passion has been defined as “a very strong belief in something; a compelling emotion.” I love the latter definition, a force that compels us in some way, stirring something deep within us that is not only deeply satisfying but sustaining.

Something To Love

In the spirit of this article, this “something” I am specifically applying to our relationships in life. Be they familial, romantic, social, or even in the workplace, our human relationships are pivotal to true happiness. We must find people to love in life; people who we can pour ourselves into with passion and devotion.

For the business-minded individuals out there who find this is an entirely foreign concept, I can easily place this in a more than apt metaphor. Think of it this way: When we invest in people, just as enthusiastically as we invest funds into worthy business deals, the rewards are well worth it. In establishing loving relationships, the dividends are—just as with the first essential action point—deep and sustaining (Read: happiness-inducing).

Something To Hope For

A similar yet not quite the same vein to the essential action point just above is having something to hope for in life. What do you aspire to in life? Are you pursuing that with passion, giving the endeavor everything you have? If not, happiness may be eluding you. Something magical happens when you hope for things: You begin to believe those good things, wonderful things, things you are working towards and desire, are all possible.

Keep finding passion in your work, keep investing in your people, keep finding things to hope for, and keep spending your precious time working in worthy arenas, and as you do, discover the true happiness that goes beyond the material.