Money and Happiness

Many a times, I will often ponder, what am I going to do after I retire? Especially when I am very comfortable with my life when I do. For me, I would want to travel the world with my hubby when I am still able to do so and my kids will have to fend for themselves as I AM going to spend the excessive money that I had worked hard for my entire life (maybe, I will just leave behind a small portion for them after I die)! I am going to buy all the things that I really like and be a hip granny!

This is definitely the most ideal scenrio. But, what I sees around me are totally not the case.

My company had this very well-connected advisor who had just retired last year from a big public-listed company and is still currently sitting on the board of directors of serveral big companies. After retirement, he will come to my office almost everyday and when I asked him, he will always says," I can't stop working. I will be very bored at home.." Then I said, "Why don't you take a break and go travelling with your wife?" He simply replied," I had faced her for so many years and she can just travel on her own." Oh well...So he started to call on all his 'friends' of all other companies to catch up on the good old times. Well, this is definitely good if other people treat you exactly the same way you expect them to.

That's when the reality kicks in. When you are high up there, whatever you do or say weighs a thousand pounds but after you retire, you are just another feeble old man with good connections but basically because you are old, a lot of things you will not have the energy to accomplish. I am not saying all retirees are like that but that is the impression some of these people will have. I began to witness how some of his old time friends 'entertain' him when he goes to their offices and this is seriously depressing.

Now, he wanted to start off another business with a few partners taking his friend's business model as reference. He began to have meetings regularly at the office and slowly the meetings get lesser but he will still come in everyday. He will sits in his office everyday to watch youtube on the net and at times dozing off on his chair..

I can't understand why he doesn't want to do all these at the comfort of his very big home.. It is seriously kind of sad to see this..Does he really dislike staying at home so much or does he dislike seeing his family? People of his age should stay at home and 享受天伦之乐..

One may have all the money in the world but when he/she does not have a happy family(or enjoy being in the comfort of their own home with everyone around), he seriously has nothing much(but of course I won't deny the fact that money IS important to everyone, but having sufficient and able to be comfortable in life with a blissful family is even better! At least I speak for myself.) Even though he can buy a zillion things with all the money he had, he still wont be truly happy because happiness is truly a state of mind and needs to be constantly spice up with warm gestures and genuine concerns from people who matters.