If we think our lot is improving, happiness follows – People’s expectations about future may have more influence on their sense of well-being than their current state does. People living modestly but anticipating better days to come are likely to be happier than people living well but not looking forward to improvements in their living standards. Consider two people one earns $50,000 a year and foresees a 10% raise and the other makes $150,000 but does not expect any salary increase. The second person is much better off in financial terms but the first is more likely to feel good about life. People tend to focus on the negative part and ignore the positive. Fixated on always getting more, we fail to appreciate how much we have.

There is a reason money can’t buy happiness –  The things that really matter in life are not sold in stores. Love, Friendship, Family, Respect, a place in the community. The belief that your life has a purpose – those are the essentials of human fulfillment, and they cannot be purchased with cash. Everyone needs a certain amount of money, but chasing money is a formula for discontent. Too many people have made materialism and the cycle of work and spend their principal goals. Then they wonder why they don’t feel happy.