Does Money Buy Happiness or Pleasure?

I went to listen to a lecture a couple of weeks ago at a friend’s house where a Psychologist was invited from Columbia University to speak about “money and happiness” and the correlation between them. He presented many different graphs and studies and, in conclusion, as the audience grappled with the information set forth, money does not buy us happiness. What a surprise! What a revelation! I am sure that is what you thought the conclusion would already be. The interesting point he made, though, is that money does give us pleasure. Huh? Happiness and Pleasure…I thought they were the same thing? But, as I sat there listening, I asked myself, is there a difference between happiness and pleasure?

I believe happiness is a state of being…an internal feeling that is deep inside of us. Happiness SHOULD be a consistent state of being that we have throughout our everyday lives. Happiness is a feeling of bliss, contentment, no regrets of the past and no fear of the future. It is what is called “living in the now” allowing life to happen and accepting every experience that is set forth for you and from you. Pleasure, on the other hand, seems to come and go….it tends to be more external. We derive pleasure…as a feeling of satisfaction. This type of satisfaction may stem from the comforts we are able to attain, our nice homes, comfortable cars, stylish clothing, fun activities and enjoyable vacations. But these pleasures are fleeting and sometimes too far in between. The question arises: where and how do we find happiness?

Happiness is within the soul…it is a deeper sensation and state of being. We want happiness, but how do we attain it? The answer is not simple….it takes learning, living and loving…mistakes we make and experiences that we have. We can only find happiness through self introspection and transformation …no teacher can teach us in a classroom, no person can tell us about it…only we can make it happen through our own personal discoveries and revelations.

The question arises: What do you currently spend most of your money on… pleasure or happiness? Make a list and you will most likely see, in terms of expenses, we all spend most of it on pleasure. The truth is: if you want to move towards a state of happiness, start spending your money on you. Pursue activities and experiences that make you grow, develop and look inward and reach into your soul. Invest in your inner self….you are definitely worth the expense!

What do we fear the most… The Darkness or the Light?

When I was a little girl, and I would suddenly wake up in the dark from a dream in the middle of the night and feel scared and anxious. I would run across the hallway, wake my parents up for comfort and protection. They would give me a kiss and a hug and tell me everything was going to be ok. I would go back in my own bed, but I would still feel the fear and I would eventually fall back asleep. What was I trying to seek protection from?

Maybe what we are trying to protect ourselves from is just that…ourselves. We fear the content of our dreams and what they are truly telling us.

Can insomnia, difficulty falling asleep or waking up in the middle of the night be fear of the messages that we receive through our dreams?
Are dreams the way the Divine talks to us…gives us messages?
Are we afraid to listen?
Is it possible that we do not want to see the messages in our dreams because it may force us to change?
Is change within ourselves moving us towards the light…or what is called enlightenment?

Maybe we are not really afraid of the dark…but afraid of the light. We fear the shift, the transformation of our souls. We want to stay the same and have everyone around us change for our greater happiness. Searching your own soul can bring you closer to the light.

These are some questions to ponder. Know that you may need to wrestle with change in order to have a peaceful night sleep.

*I have updated my blog..shorter bits of shared experiences and wisdom with more questions to ponder rather than answers. I hope you give yourself a chance to think about the questions that I raise… I have given much thought to them myself.