That's a Personal Question!!

Does money equate to happiness?  In the essay “Measuring Success” by Renee Loth, she investigates her own thinking around success and happiness.  In her writing, it is clear that individual experience is the only determining factor needed to define personal success.  There are many different ideas as to what success or happiness is.  It is likely there are as many as there are people on the planet! 

We happen to live in a society that is materially driven and so we can get caught up in looking to what success or happiness is “supposed” to be rather than determining for ourselves through our own experience.   My favorite line in this article is “The drive to succeed keeps us focused on the future, to the detriment of life in the moment. And the moment is all we ever really have.” (page 273) Powerful!  If you believed that this moment is all there is, what will you spend your time doing?  Chasing money?  It is obvious that Ms. Loth has had enough life experience to recognize what is really important to her.  Perhaps that’s just it!  Live in the moment, get to know yourself and what you value.   Eventually, through your own experience you will know for yourself if money equals happiness.