“We tend to forget that happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.”
– Frederick Keonig
What if you had a golden touch, so that every thing, every project you touch, turns in to a success or more money? Would not that be a blissful living?
I wonder about it, too often. However, once we achieve one financial goal, we move on to our other desires and wants. There are no ends to desires, as we often struggle to find contentedness with what we have and think having more money will solve our problems. Worst of all, money actually makes some things in our life more complex and awkward. Don’t believe me?
Let me share you my story, I was working as a manager in high a stress corporate job making over six figures and was very stressed, did not have time to enjoy my life and kept feeling something was missing from my life. Now being a stay at home mom and doing volunteer jobs, or working for my blog part time, without any monetary gain, yet I feel lot more satisfied with my life compared to before? Why you ask? Because I am choosing to live life with what matters to me and I value the most, and not what mattered to my VP at the job or other people. Now, I am not saying being poor without money is better. While being financially secure is important part of our life, none of us will ever be happy with all of the world’s money at our feet if we are not content.
Let me also share a mythical story called “Golden touch” to show you that sometimes having more money or wealth can bring sadness or emptiness in the life. While this story might be mythical, it can applied to our real lives in today’s world. You will see why, read on. This is based on Indian mythical story of Goddess Lakshmi, which shares similar moral wisdom of Greek Mythology of King Midas and other cultural stories.
Story of a Merchant who had Golden Touch
There once was a Goddess of money. She saw people on earth suffering from hunger, pain and ill-health. She thought, “Only if I can give enough money to a few good people, their suffering would end, and they would live a happier life”.
The Goddess of Money Goddess one good merchant who was kind hearted and a good devotee of the Goddess. She appeared before him and granted him a wish that he can have anything he wished for. He said he was grateful for all he had but wondered what it would be like to have anything he touched, to turned in to gold. So, the Goddess of money, granted him that wish.
The merchant was very happy, he went in the house and his shop and turned a few vases and pots into gold. He felt happier and went outside in the garden, he turned a few flowers and plants into gold. It was amazing, that everything he touched was turning into real solid gold. After a while, he got bored and felt hungry.
He came inside and asked his wife for food. His wife brought delicious and mouth watering food in a plate for him. He could not wait to eat as he was famished. But, as soon as he touched the food, it turned into gold. He felt sad and one tear rolled away from his eye. His wife saw it and said dear, do not worry, “I will feed you”. So merchant was happy and touched her hand to be affectionate in his appreciation of his wife for being so nice to him. And yes, you guessed it? She turned into gold as well. Now he was hungry, angry for losing his beloved wife and wondered if this wish from the Goddess was a good idea after all.
He was sitting still making sure not to touch anything in fear. In the afternoon, his 4 year old daughter, whom he loved so much came from her preschool and saw her daddy crying, and asked what happened? The merchant had broken down by that time and started crying. The little girl wanted to give him a hug to make her daddy feel better. As she touched her father, she too turned into gold. Now the Merchant had broken down hysterically and started to pray to the Goddess of Money to take away his boon as it had turned in to a curse and snatched away all the love and joy from his life. That boon was supposed to make him happy, not take away what mattered to him the most. What is the use of money if he had no loved one’s to share it with?
The Goddess of Money finally heard his prayers and saw that money did not solve his problems, and she felt the pain and heartache of the merchant. She was kind and just so she undid the wish and put the merchant in sleep trance. After a little while when the merchant woke up, he saw his wife and daughter next to him. They asked, why he slept off in middle of the day? The Merchant was so happy to see his family. Just to be sure he touched a pillow before touching them, when pillow remained a pillow, he was the happiest person in the whole world as his perspective had changed. The Merchant told to his family that he had a bad dream. His wife and daughter asked what would make him happy. He said eating a home cooked meal together would be the best gift in the world while he hugged them. And it was, the merchant had the best and satisfying meal in his entire life with his wife and daughter!
In conclusion, if money made everything better, many lottery winners and millionaires would be the happiest people in the world. True golden touch is gold or money itself but people in your life. Being content with what you have is the best way for living life, even though it may seem impossible. We will never know how good we have it, until we lose it like the merchant did. Many of us may not realize it but you are richer than you think .
If you look back at the happy memories in your life, I bet, it will have to do less with money and more about sharing with people you care for. Don’t you agree?