We live in the land of consumerism, where with each passing day, more and more of us are becoming sucked in by consumer culture. If you don’t believe me, take one peek through your social media feed and try your best not to find an advertisement that doesn’t suck you right in.
No matter where we go, we are constantly faced with the next greatest product waiting to solve problems we never knew we had. In many cases, we are trained to believe that money is the answer to all of our problems. And while admittedly, money is necessary for our survival – it is not going to buy you the things that matter most. If you don’t believe me, here are 10 things money cannot buy, no matter how much money you have.
1. Love.
There is this huge misconception that people who have more money can find love easier. In reality-true love cannot be bought. Yes, you can buy a mail-order bride, or you can obtain a gold digger who only loves you for what you can give them. But the thing is- this person will never really love you if they are only in it for the money.
2. Friendship.
Another misconception is that if you have a lot of money, you can buy yourself some friends. Not literally, but if you shower people with money and gifts, they will be your friend, right? I implore you to speak to someone who used to be rich and lost it all, and ask them if the people they bought/paid for are still around.
3. Spirituality.
You can buy a Bible, you can buy crystals, you can buy a yoga mat, and you can buy every religious accessory known to man, but that alone will never make you spiritual. Spirituality is inside of you. It means facing yourself in a way that cannot be purchased. You might be able to appear spiritual by having tons of money- but when it comes down to it- you have to have it in you to be spiritual.
4. A good heart.
A genuinely good heart does not come from money and cannot be bought. If you are a bad person, this is something you will have to work on from within. There is nothing outside yourself that will make you a better person.
5. Happiness.
We are raised in our society to believe if we go to college, get a high-paying job, buy a big house and fill it with all the things that we will finally be happy. The thing is- if your happiness is placed into materials and does not come from within, you will always be chasing it. That is why many rich people report being depressed and in many cases-rich people destroy themselves because they are miserable chasing down happiness when in reality, happiness cannot be bought.
6. Respect.
Rich people may have those that fawn over them or that do whatever they want them to do, but the thing is- they can’t buy respect. Respect does not have a monetary price. It is earned through your actions.
7. Forgiveness.
You may be able to pay someone to say they forgive you, but until they have healed and are ready to forgive on their terms-they aren’t going to. Forgiveness (true forgiveness) takes time and most often comes when you ask for it and show remorse.
8. Gratitude.
Have you ever noticed that many people who have tons and tons of money are some of the most ungrateful people in the world? In reality-gratitude comes from a genuine place in the heart and soul. It cannot be bought, it has to be understood.
9. Connection.
Connection is the product of having a healthy soul and inner life. These things cannot be bought and instead are free. One could argue that money can take you away from those things, therefore making it harder to connect.
10. Compassion.
Above all, compassion cannot be bought. It can only be taught, and much of learning compassion is through struggle. Many rich people struggle to have compassion because they do not have the perspective, too.