can money buy happiness?

I’m going to steal some words from my friend Taylor, who unknowingly inspired me to write this.

“To be a calm, content, non-worrying human becomes a kind of revolutionary act.“

A little context: On an Instagram post, here, Taylor was talking about happiness. Happiness and the possession of things; happiness and appearances. She has a tendency to weave some words into sentences that I wish I could have come up with myself.

This one sentence hit me like a punch in the gut: “To be a calm, content, non-worrying human becomes a kind of revolutionary act.“

This exact topic has been something I’ve been giving a lot of thought recently. I myself have fallen into the trap of thinking more = better. Or, if I could just get that one thing, I would be so happy. 

Well, I’m here to tell you that’s not the case. Any happiness I’ve gotten strictly from a material possession has been short-lived. What’s more important is what you do with that thing. Buying a new laptop it’s exciting for a few hours, but I didn’t truly enjoy the thing until I used it to start a blog, continue learning, and get back into writing. A new fancy camera sitting collecting dust does nothing for you, until you use it - explore your craft, see the world literally through a different lens.

I guess for me, the act of owning things isn’t all that exciting. But having the things that allow me to do what gets me excited -- that is the road to happiness. 

Here’s the thing with that though. You don’t need to have the best, brightest, shiniest toys to do these things. I enjoy painting, I’m crap at it, but I enjoy it. I don’t need the best quality materials - canvases, brushes, paints, etc. to just do it. Heck, I started with less than $20 spent on a notebook and kids’ watercolor paint set. 

I think we all can fall victim to the “keeping up with the Jones’” mentality sometimes, and that’s okay, no one’s perfect. But let’s not let that run our lives, drive us into greed or gluttony, or sink us into debt.

People throw around the phrase “money can’t buy happiness” a lot. I used to blindly agree with that, but now, as I approach mid-30’s, I actually kind of get it. Money can’t buy your happiness outright, no. But it can buy security - in the form of a roof over your head and food in your pantry. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is all about fulfilling basic needs in order to reach higher satisfaction in life. I gotta say, he’s not wrong.

Money can buy my happiness in the form of trips, travel, adventures, and concerts. Am I lucky to have some disposable income to spend on these things? Heckin’ yeah. Those things are a huge source of happiness for me. I’ve learned that I’m in a better mental state in general if I have something to look forward to. Whether it’s a quick weekend trip to visit friends one state over, or planning an epic week-long van roadtrip, or a last-minute concert at the local dive-bar on Saturday night, I’ll take it. That’s what works for me. I hope that all of us can take some time to find what works for ourselves and run with it.