More money, more problems?

It is a disturbing trend that those in power and in control of legislation over salaries spend a lot of time devising ways to increase their pay and allowances.

On other issues, they may differ but on getting paid more money, they are united.

What does that create? A domino effect.

Soon other people begin to agitate for the same and justifiably so.

MORE MONEY

Doctors set aside their equipment and the Hippocratic Oath — to treat the ill to the best of one’s ability — because they too need more money.

• .

  Keep Reading

• 
  Study to help predict, address heart problems in the elderly
• 
  Returning alleged dirty money exposes hypocrisy in the Church
• 
  How Raila-Ruto deal revealed his political magic
• 
  How weak enforcement hamper's fight against financial crime

Soon enough, nurses soon follow suit. Teachers abandon their noble calling and go out on the streets demanding more pay. Police officers, it will soon be rumoured, are on a go slow, as they also feel they need more money.

We all need more money.

But does more money automatically improve one’s well-being?

I remember a mechanic who used to repair my vehicle and was very good at his craft.

FORTUNES IMPROVED

After working for many years for the dealer, he resigned and set up his own garage.

Since he was really good at his job and was a pleasant person, many people he had served while in employment defected to his garage.

With that initial boost of customers his business took of pretty rapidly.

In time, the business prospered and to all he seemed to be doing very well.

However, unfortunately five or so years down the line he passed away. He was a man in his prime, possibly about 45.

As his fortunes improved, so did his household, because for each year he prospered he would add a new wife to an ever expanding family.

At the time of his death he had four wives. He also was a man who liked his drink and being a popular man at the pubs he patronised, he did not lack for girl friends.

Where am I going with this? Was my mechanic a happier person when his fortunes improved? Was he a better person? There I raise my doubts.

Is more money the solution to all your problems or does it mean risque behaviour? Are you a better person because you have more money?

Statistics based on research show that earning more does not necessarily make you happier.

Solomon, who is said to have been richer than anyone that lives or has ever lived, in his pensive moments wrote “vanities of vanities, all is vanity.”

My understanding of this phrase is that money with no purpose is meaningless.

I believe that a lot of us, me included, make the same mistake when it comes to money, thinking the more we earn the happier we will be.

However, if we realised how short-lived the pleasure of showing of a newly acquired asset is, then perhaps we would be better-placed to understanding money and its relation to happiness.

Imagine you bought yourself a new car and the person you wanted to  impress the most left the country before seeing it, would you still appreciate your acquisition?

Does one construct a huge mansion based on the size of his/her family or because other people are building big houses and one must keep up with the lot?

If you really want to buy yourself a fulfilling life, it is not really how much money you earn that matters, but how you spend it.

RICHER PEOPLE

Incidentally,  research indicates that people do not mind much about their actual level of income, just so long as they are earning more than the people around them.

Unfortunately, as you earn more money, you will most likely be surrounded by richer people than yourself, so you often end up failing to take advantage of that comparison you so desired.

Ironically most people do not engage in fun activities when they make a lot of money, rather they spend their time working overtime or thinking how of how much more money they can make.

Ideally, they are engaging in activities that are likely to cause them more stress and tension.

The author is a life coach and founder of Peak Performance International — a human potential development firm.