Money and meaning
Dallas Willard is an academician. He was voted as one of America’s most influential people. I have read his books and listened to his audio materials as well. I learned a lot from him.
He speaks with a slow and deliberate monotonous tone like most learned academicians do, but what he says is always insightful and powerful which is obviously a result of careful thinking and evaluated personal experience.
When a famous person asked him what he should do in order to achieve success and true happiness, the learned philosopher said, “You have to ruthlessly eliminate hurry in your life.” A very simple line yet packs a walloping punch. To hurry is now the norm and has set many people to sickness, stress and disease.
There is a great difference between attaining your goals and being happy. Some people have achieved their goals, but unfortunately are far from being happy.
Others just want to be “happy” and plunge into doing dumb things, consequently propelling themselves into an unending cycle of miseries, involving the people who love them as well.
Looking at successful people, they may seem highly visible, living a charmed and glamorous life, but deep inside them, they may be tumultuous, chaotic, dark and falling apart.
The world was shocked and saddened when famous actor Robin Williams of “Patch Adams” took his own life.
On the other hand, you may likewise see people with their outer world seemingly tumultuous, chaotic and dark, but their inner world is glowing.
The circumstances they are facing may not be very comfortable, yet they are journeying through life with a sense of joy and meaning.
Most people equate happiness to money. Many young people today equate success to fame and power. Both of these may be wrong.
A research group affiliated with the University of Chicago recently listed the 10 least happy jobs in the world and the 10 happiest jobs in the world.
The findings surprised many. The discovery was that the ten least happy jobs were more financially lucrative and offer higher status than the happiest jobs.