Money Can Bring Happiness. Or at Least Giving it Away Can.
Researchers at Harvard and the University of British Columbia have found that money can bring happiness. Only not in the way we might think. Giving it away, even as little as $5, can produce feelings of happiness. One of their key findings, as published in the journal Science (on March 21!), found that (it gets a little academic here), "Intentional activities—practices in which people actively and
effortfully choose to engage—may represent a promising route to lasting
happiness. Supporting this premise, our work demonstrates that how
people choose to spend their money is at least as important as how much
money they make."*
Let's see what Abdu'l-Baha had to say about this. "To state the matter briefly, the Teachings of Baha'u'llah advocate voluntary sharing, and this is a greater thing than the equalization of wealth....Man reacheth perfection through good deeds, voluntarily performed, not through good deeds the doing of which was forced upon him. And sharing is a personally chosen righteous act: that is, the rich should extend assistance to the poor, they should expend their substance for the poor...the freely-chosen expending of one's substance, leadeth to society's comfort and peace. It lighteth up the world; it bestoweth honor upon humankind."+
Who says religion and science can't agree?
*Click here to read more about their findings.
+Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha
A Life That is Well-Pleasing
Even a brief glance at the news is enough to make us think about our money on some level. Whether it’s rising food, education or gas costs, health care or housing, the recent stock market roller coaster or inflation, there’s something there to make anybody think twice. In such times becoming ever more mindful of our spiritual and material priorities, and realities, is fundamental to both our financial and spiritual health.
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