Many sad people go through life thinking that if only they had money to buy this, and that, and have money to go on vacation, to drive a nice car, and live in a dream home, then they would be happy.

And you would think that at least they would be satisfied, but in reality, money cannot buy happiness. Money can only buy the necessities of life, and help to diminish the worries about money when it comes to paying the bills and so on. And yes it can make our lives a lot easier by allowing us to purchase a reliable vehicle which doesn't break down, and so on, but it cannot buy us the mindset to be happy.

It doesn't matter how much money one accumulates in a lifetime...it will never be enough. Once the goal to accumulate a certain amount is achieved, the goal simply becomes bigger, and bigger, and it is never enough.

I have been fortunate enough in my life to have enough money to be able to squander a good amount of it at the end of each month buying whatever my little heart desired. I have also had the privilege to experience what it is like to have no money at all. Looking back I have to say, that I was just as happy, if not happier when there was no money, then when I had an abundance.

I learned that it is all in the mindset. If we can learn to be satisfied with what we have, and resist the temptation to think that we need to keep up with the Jones' or the Smith's then we have everything that we need to be happy.

So many people have created an environment for themselves that is so stressful, that they need to go on a vacation just to get away from it once or twice a year, in order to keep their sanity. They live in their dream home, drive the vehicle they want and still they are not satisfied, because most people living the lifestyle of their dreams spend most of their time at a job they don't like.

This is so sad, why not create an environment where there is no stress, a place where we can be free and happy all the time.

Imagine how much money you would save on vacations every year if we could only create this environment where we are satisfied. We don't need to sail the sea to experience a peaceful feeling, we don't have to climb mountains in order to see beauty. We can create this in our homes, where ever that may be, whether in the country, city, or even in an apartment building.

Start doing what you love to do, and learn how to make money with it, even if it don't pay for several years, it will pay off in the long run and you'll be able to quit your job.

You have to take control of your mindset and create the environment where you will be happy. You need to stop looking at your neighbors, and stop comparing yourself to them, and create an environment that is suitable for your budget.

If you can afford to go on vacation, then by all means go for it, but never use your credit card in attempt to buy happiness, this will only cause you more unhappiness. You need to be at peace with yourself, your surroundings and most importantly, your financial situation. This is the only way that you will ever prosper and be able to be happy. If we are unable to learn to be happy in tight situations, then we will never learn to be happy in abundant situations.

The reason being is that material things, or money cannot make us happy. If we have not learned to be happy with little things, then we will spend our money on things which we think will make us happy. We will buy one car, and then discover it did not bring the happiness we hoped for, and so we buy another, and another, and for some people it does not stop until they are forced to file for bankruptcy. Why? Not because they didn't have enough, but because they were not satisfied.

So you see the importance of learning to be satisfied with what you have, because true happiness can only come from within ourselves.