Philosophy Discussion Forums | A Humans-Only Club for Open-Minded Discussion & Debate

[Mr Benji]

CHASING EXTERNALS
The explanation of chasing after things such as money , fame, comfort, and others is profound. These are things that many humans have become addicted to, and from which many people seeks freedom from. Thank you, Scott, for offering a guide for others who struggle in these.

[Ajiferuke Ajibola]

You see, I love the confidence with which you air your convictions.

I know it's because they are true. You have tested and proven them.

I am enjoying my life more ever since I started embracing true freedom.

Money can only bring momentary happiness. Happiness (joy) is what produces money and makes you enjoy it.

[Fanisa Ndhabambi]

Happiness is a magnet for great things to come, as a positive mindset leads to positive results. When it is abundant, it leads to fulfillment. Money doesn't buy happiness, you can have it but it would not be as fulfilling if you were happy. Indeed happiness leads to external success.

[Dea Ann Bridegroom]

I think with true happiness you earn or as you say it buys money. Most likely you are working in a Job of fulfillment and earnings are exactly what you want them to be or are to begin with.

[Daniel Lyon]

These days I just try to make my own happiness rather than do the conventional things that people do to be happy. I find joy in the little progress I make in school or in familial relationships. Anything positive just gets me up. The part about happiness buying money, well I also find it true and I hope I'd get to experience this soon enough as an entrepreneur.

[Sanju Lali]

Quite perfectly said that we need not wander outside to fulfill our want but be satisfied inside and get it in hand from outside automatically with a flow of events.

[Corinna Borsato]

We tend to think we cannot be happy if we cannot provide for ourselves and our family. We tend to visualize our spiritual freedom, our fulfillment and satisfaction, as dependent on having money, economical success. Truly, this is exactly what prevents us from achieving said success. Indeed, striving for earning more is not the correct way to go. Instead, a more suitable approach would be to manifest the economic freedom and liberty by believing in ourselves and becoming successful within.

[Surabhi Rani]

It takes 0 minutes to achieve fulfillment, true happiness, and invincible free-spirited inner peace which is 100% in our control. Nobody can stop us from taking it for ourselves. Money doesn't buy happiness, happiness buys money. Once we become graceful with happy free-spirited inner peace, with a grateful and empowering abundance mindset, achieving external success becomes easy. Once we stop chasing these things, they start chasing us. Happiness leads to external success. The above words rejuvenated my thoughts and ambitions and prepared me to face life's struggles and challenges.

[Wamboi Susan]

Internal success for me is of importance, external success is a byproduct of internal. If you not fulfilled within it always finds a way to show on the outside it can not be hidden. Self -responsibility is paramount.

[iamstephanieejike]

Invariably, I'll say then that happiness is contentment. Whether one drinks beer or scotch or doesn't drink it again after dropping the glass, the 'happiness' remains; nothing changes.

Takeaway:
"Happiness leads to external success, not vice versa."

Great!

[Bethel Saint Bright]

I'm happy to be in this pre-mentorship program. I'm happy to respond to this post. I choose to be happy because I have an invincible free spirit. I don't need things to be happy, as it costs nothing. My happiness attracts things to me. Thank you Scott for these life-transforming advice.

[Keisha Moore]

This is liberating because most people are of the ideology that success is what brings happiness. This is equivalent to finding joy in whatever you do, that is inner peace.

[Mounce574]

I used to think that I would only be happy if I made sure the people around me were happy- like my family, friends, and coworkers. All I did was fail, and that failure led to depression. I spent 9 weeks in a mental health hospital that gave me two pills in the morning to wake up and one pill in the evening to put to sleep. Needless to say, those pills didn't do anything except making me not feel any emotions and I felt like a zombie. Ten years later, I know that being happy comes from within myself and I choose to be happy. I don't need any "Magical Pill" to feel happy. Yes, money is helpful, but it just leads to wanting more money over and over. I can't make others happy but I have made it a point in life to smile and say hello to people. It's amazing how good you feel when you smile . Ironically, smiling is contagious.

The irony is that even though money doesn't happiness, happiness buys money. Once you become graceful with happy free-spirited inner peace, with a grateful and empowering abundance mindset, suddenly achieving incredible external success becomes so ridiculously easy. Once you stop chasing these things so desperately with such a negative unhappy needy attitude, they stop running from you. Once you stop chasing them, they start chasing you. Happiness leads to external success, not vice versa.

This is how I left my drug addiction. Every time I was down, I would be desperate to get more until the day I stopped, took a look around me, and thought "What am I doing? I know I can do better than this." All of the neediness had made my reality dismal. I knew I could do better, I was happy before the drug addiction. So I stopped and started repairing everything that I had not paid attention to. Looking back over my daily journals (I write something every day), seeing the progress I have made was enlightening. When I worked at a call center, smiling actually made the day go faster and my calls score higher on my quality assurance reports. I am happy, and will remain that way. By finding my authentic self, I can face any obstacle before me without trying to overthink and overcompensate to feel happy.

[Betsy House Mills]

This is an interesting concept. I hadn't thought about inner peace and money being connected. However, I guess if you are content with where you are in life, you are okay with the money you have. Thank you for this perspective.