What Makes You Happy? (Part 1)

What is it that you want? That is the zillion dollar question isn't it. It always surprises me how many people have no idea what they want when I ask them that. What most everyone says is something like, "I want to be happy." But who knows what that means?

Most people know what doesn't make them happy, but what would make you happy? Then there is the little problem of the things that make you happy come with so many things that make you unhappy that it is impossible to do what makes you happy.

"Money doesn't buy happiness." is the conventional wisdom, and on the face of it, that may be true, but the lack of money brings pure misery. If all you can worry about is how you are going to get your next meal and the fact that you really really need to go to the doctor, have a place to live, buy gas so you can keep going to work and slow the tide of debt washing over you, then you will be very unhappy indeed.

"The things you own end up owning you." What keeps people form following their dream? Successful people say that they got that way by following their dream no matter what and no matter how many times they fail. That is all well and good if you have nothing to loose, but the worst possible situation is to have that little bit that you always wanted and be so afraid of loosing it that you simply refuse to take any risk. You have to wonder what great things someone might accomplish if only they were not beholden to the things that they owned. Perhaps, that house that you always wanted more than anything is the very thing that is now holding you down. Or the car, or condo downtown or whatever.

"I want to help people. Really make a difference in people's (children's or whoever) lives." Very noble. If you want to do this professionally and it will truly truly make you happy, then that is wonderful, but there will be no money given to reward this lifestyle. Ask any member of the clergy. If you are lucky, after 25 years of service, and a little luck, you may be able to make $40,000 a year. Good thing you get holidays off ... oh wait.

If this is what will make you happy, then you must forgo nice housing, cars, medical insurance and things that make most other people happy.