Researchers at Princeton University conducted a study on the correlation between money and happiness.
They found out that, as people’s income roses up to $75,000 annually, their happiness generally increased. But at incomes beyond that, people -on average, didn’t become any happier.
Of course this much of money isn’t enough to buy you a Ferrari or a Beach House somewhere in the Caribbean, but it’s enough to get the basics covered. To live a comfortable life where you don’t have to worry about your rent, paying your bills, or putting food on the table. This number, of course, varies depending on where you live – but you get the point.
If the outcome of this study is true, it means that pursuing a certain area of your life will make you happy’ier, only up to a certain point; after that you are better off looking for happiness and fulfillment somewhere else.
Let’s say you are trying to get in shape, which would improve all aspects of your lifestyle, it would definitely take a certain amount of effort to get in shape (meaning: a muscular proportionate physique with a 10% body fat). After this point, spending any more time, energy and emotions in the gym won’t necessarily make you any happier.
The same concept can be applied to every single aspect of your life.
I wouldn’t say this came as a surprise to me, yet I never really stopped to think about it in that way. This’s always been my ultimatum: to become a master of disparity; to chase science and art. Dancing and martial arts. Luxury and Buddhism. Light and darkness. Love and lust.
This is life on the edge. The collision of sanity and madness.This is the place where the laws of nature are suspended. The in-between. This isn’t balance. This is a perfect imbalance. And it’s only you there, losing yourself to find the meaning of happiness.
This is a call out to those who spend their whole lives doing only one thing. Chasing one dream. Working at the same job. Mastering one domain. Reading the same books. Hanging out around the same people: maybe you don’t need more of “one” thing in your life; maybe you need a little bit of “many” things in your life.
Get better at getting better!
Kahuna