More Money, More Happiness? Or More Money, More Problems?

We live in times where social media deems having money, success and fame equates to happiness. The purpose of this blog is not to deem money as a bad thing nor to portray money as evil. The purpose of this blog is search for the deeper meaning of happiness. Material possessions can not give us peace of mind. Material possessions can provide temporal joy, but not permanent joy. If you don't believe me, read below for quoted statements from celebrities (who have A LOT of money, fame and success) and their stand point on money and happiness.

-Cardi B: Interviewer: "You had put an Instagram video where you had an iced out Patek Philippe watch and you seemed like the happiest person in that moment." Cardi: "It wasn't like... I was happy like, who don't be happy when they get new stuff? But the thing is, I was happy cuz a lot of people stay trying to play me. I was happy cuz, yeah I talk about ssshhmonneyy, like I love ssshhmmoney, but I don't show it off." Interviewer: "Asked this has always been an interesting debate. I interviewed Russell Simmons, we got into this big argument about money equating to happiness. The interviewer thought money equated to happiness, but Russell disagreed. The interviewer asked Cardi, since you've experienced being dead broke and now you have a lot of money, do you feel like you are happier now?" Cardi: "Sometimes... it's a sometimes thing. It makes me happy that I'm able to afford what I want and it makes me happy that I'm able to treat my family, but I feel like the way that I have money kind of took away some of my happiness. Because I remember when I didn't have a lot of money, I was stripping and didn't have a lot of money, but I was happy because I got to do whatever I wanted and I got to have an opinion, didn't have to be so careful about what came out of my mouth. I also felt more pretty, because I didn't have millions of people trying to change me. I was happy, sometimes I feel depressed cause I can have a good day, but you never know when someone is going to make a meme and put you down, or when someone is talking about your family member, it's a 50/50 thing."

-J Cole: "When I was young, I thought that success was all I needed. That's what was going to bring the happiness. Buying my mom a house, the fame, the accolades, having people say, "oh you are the best in the game." I thought, oh those will be the things that will bring me happiness. When those things came. The happiness wasn't there. I realize that there was such an attempt to achieve these things and have it going, that you lose sight of the people and the blessings that you have around you. You're so focused on the next success, the next step, the next check, whatever it is, that you forget the fact that you have these things that seem small if you're looking that way. But if you're looking this way you'll see that those things are your mother, your family and that's love."

-JayZ: He was asked to define money and happiness. "It's complex, right? And it's deceiving at times because people think the two equate, but they don't." Interviewer told him he has a lot of money. "Yeah, and I have a lot of happiness, but that doesn't mean the two equate to each other. Interviewer asked him if his happiness has risen at the same rate as his bank account. JayZ states, "No, that's the thing, they're not tied to each other. I mean it allows you freedom, it allows you to go to places where you can smile and look at the sunset. If that's what you choose to do, but there are a lot of people with tons of money that aren't happy. That's either because they become a prisoner of their money or are so consumed with getting money that they aren't happy. Life is about balance right? You have to have some type of balance. There is time for work and there is time for play. You have let both of these things co-exist."

-Russell Brand: "I'm from Grey's.. Grey's it like how it sounds. I didn't like it and I didn't feel like I fitted in. I thought if you want to be happy you have to be a successful person, gotta acquire stuff, gotta have people adore you and gotta have glamorous stuff. Because I felt small and felt alienated and alone. I felt very powerless in Grey. Then I experienced the things I was trained, culturally indoctrinated to believe would be a culture type of salvation. Fame, fortune, attention and limitless fallacious and yet salvation did not come. There is a massive disappear, the alienation that I felt on a personal level, is actually a social problem and we're culturally trying to solve it. And the way that I tried to solve it as an individual was by lacerating in glamour, trying to acquire money, and by consuming."

-Cameron Diaz: "In America, this idea of fame, that to be famous means you're successful, means your happy. I don't do what I do because I want to be famous. Being famous is my job. Fame does not define me. When I'm home and with my family and friends, I am not famous. I am just Cameron, fame does not define me.So if you are looking for fame to define, then you will never be happy. You will always be searching for happiness and you will never find it in fame."

-Cardi B (Pt 2 on Suicidal Celebs): "When I was younger and I would see a lot of these celebrities committing suicide and I'd be like why are they committing suicide, they're rich? I'm broke, I want to commit suicide. Ya'll got money, who wants to die? Like ya'll famous. Until like, now I'm in their shoes and now I know why the peer pressure, the critics, it just kind of drives you insane. I know people say you shouldn't care about the peer pressure, but you're not in my shoes. Even if I don't read the comments, I still have that pressure. Like now I'm already here, there is no turning back, I'm already known and now I have that pressure to show people that I'm more than what a lot of people think that i am or will be. And that peer pressure sometimes drives you insane, know what I'm saying? Like before I had 2 or 3 people that wanted me to fail, now I have thousands that want me to fail and I cannot fail because I have to prove them something. So I don't have to read it, I already know and that pressure gets overwhelming." Cardi also shares how she feels people are only around her now because she's Cardi. Since she's famous now, her ex boyfriends who used to treat her really poorly now all of sudden want her. She felt like although money, fame and success is nice, but it does not equate to happiness.

So Where Is True Happiness Found? How Can We Aspire to Have Money, But Not Let Money Have Us, Nor be the Sole Source of Our Happiness? --Solutions

-Cameron Diaz: "So for me, it goes back to authenticity, intention, why do you want to do anything you do? It should not be motivated by anything you think is going to make you famous. Fulfillment comes from within you, from being true to yourself. Not from chasing fame."

-Titiana Ngongang: I'm not famous, but I have my personnel thoughts on this topic. To piggy back off what Cameron Diaz said. Our motives is one of the key things that shape our happiness and our entire life in general. Before we commence anything we must ask ourselves "Why?" What's the purpose of us starting this company, starting college, starting a Youtube channel or even starting a blog. Before you do anything, ask yourself why am I doing this. If you have a deeper purpose other than fame, success, and money, then you're on the right track. In whatever we decide to do with our lives, purpose must be tied to it and the purpose must have a deeper meaning other than ourselves. Purpose should bring change, love, and a positive influence. If you're struggling with discovering your purpose, I wrote a blog on this topic, click this link.

Celebrity Focus

Many celebrities have already stated their view point on this topic. The video above is linked to a mini-documentary I made on my Youtube channel on this topic. Money is an essential item to human survival, but money does not equate to happiness. Thanks for reading and watching.

Always keeping it real,

Titiana Ngongang