Yesterday I was told again that wealth, fame and power are not enough to be happy. I am sure you will tell me: but it helps! Sure, I won't deny that. I'm not saying that everyone has to be like this. I am only talking about my own experiences, about the experiences I make personally. Experiences with people who could basically have everything because deep inside, they are very loving people, who unfortunately have forgotten over time, which means being happy, who have forgotten to enjoy simple things, that the most valuable things cannot be bought with money.
"You rich, poor man," I told to this person.
"What makes you think you'd say that to me? I have everything I want, I just don't know what's wrong with me, I'm not feeling happy, I don't understand!"
"No, you don't have everything you want," I replied, "you don't have happiness. The longer we talk to each other, the more I notice it. You're always surrounded by people. I never see you alone.Who's your best buddy? Or just tell me, where are your best friends?" I asked.
"I work day and night, that's why I am what I am today. I work hard and I deserve what I have achieved today. Why do you ask me this? You know my situation! I don't have a best buddy!" he told me angry.
"And you don't find that sad? Sadness is not happiness. That is what makes you unhappy. You are missing one of the most important things in life: a true friend".
The scheme is always the same:
1. Time is money. No time for family and friends. therefore, unhappy relationship and no (real) friends.
2. Sleepless nights. If you own a lot, you can lose a lot. The constant fear of losing something is present and this fear is real!
3. Permanent decision-making = patriarchal behaviour, surrounded only by Yes-Sayers. Patriarchs are always right, even if they're wrong. Do we like patriarchs? No. How is our reaction to such people? Incomprehension and distance.
What do I want to tell with this story? I could have told this person that it's his fault if he feels like this. But would we like someone to say this to us, or would we also be grateful for a conversation, or for someone who is simply listen to us? It doesn't matter which people you meet in your life. Rich or poor, thin or fat, big or small, lovable or not, EVERYONE has his own problems. Therefore, even if we cannot understand a situation, this does not mean that we have to judge someone. Let's try to understand and help them to find a solution (if they want it!).
More respect, more love, more understanding, more empathie. If people were to put this into practice, many of our social problems would not exist.
Isabel Gasperi, HR-Tipp Human Resources, 2017