With money you can buy a house, but not a home.
With money you can buy a clock, but not time.
With money you can buy a bed, but not sleep.
With money you can buy a book, but not knowledge.
With money you can buy a doctor, but not good health.
With money you can buy a position, but not respect.
With money you can buy blood, but not life.
With money you can buy sex, but not love.
With money you can buy food, but not an appetite.
With money you can buy insurance, but not safety.
*Compiled from 1000advices.com and an anonymous reader.
Undeniably, money is a vital part of our life. In order to survive in this materialistic world, we need to have cash in our hands, what’s with the soaring price of practically everything essential: petrol, property, food to name a few.
BUT, don’t let money control us. Besides seeking for wealth to support our lifestyle, don’t forget what lies beyond riches and fortunes: things that can’t be bought with money.
There are things in life that cannot be measured by wealth. It doesn’t matter how much money we have in our bank accounts; home, time, sleep, knowledge, health, respect, life, love, appetite and safety are priceless.
Even if you’re Donald Trump-rich, you won’t be able to provide the warmth of a home if you don’t play the part, you can’t reverse or elongate time, you cannot undo past mistakes, book does not guarantee knowledge; your effort defines it, you certainly cannot revive the dead and cure the incurables, and personality breeds respect (even the poorest man will gain respect from the others if he do the same).
Having money does not mean you have a life. I have seen way too many filthy rich acquaintances who are not satisfied with their life in their pursuits of wealth. They spent way too much time hounding for more money, more fame and forgetting how to celebrate life’s little moments, then only to regret when it’s all but too late. Like, missing the opportunity to be ‘there’, to bond with their child. No matter how fat their wallets are, they are just not satisfied, they lost track of life while they are busy pursuing wealth. They forget to actually “have a life”.
Love comes from the heart. No amount of money can buy someone’s affection. It all lies down to our personality and how we treat others. You can be drop dead rich and gorgeous, but what draws love from others is first, how much you give (love). Love does not take into account the $ sign, it takes sincerity and effort.
Remember, my friends… life does not revolve around money and money only. Fortunes don’t guarantee happiness, health and all of the above. You, yourself with effort, heart, soul and sweat are the key to your own happiness. Realize that, money cannot redeem everything. Don’t be blinded by wealth and abandon the rest, with the mentality that when I am rich, everything will come to me at that time.
So while you’re working hard to pay your bills, don’t forget to “get a life” and make sure you are truly happy.
With the hustle and bustle of this time of the year… this is an excellent post. We spend so much time running around to get ‘the perfect gift’ and the reality is that it doesn’t matter! As a mother in her forties, when I look back, I remember putting up the tree, baking cookies, playing games, hot chocolate, the party on christmas day when all the cousins got together and we stayed up late… I can’t remember a single gift… sadly, not one! These are things I am trying to instill in my family and my kids life. A gift, or money, cannot replace a hug and storytime!