What does the future hold for you?
What does the future hold for those younger?
I ask that because lately I’ve seen some very disturbing statistics. Take for example;
- Children and youth (10 to 19 years)
- Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death
- Males account for 41% of 10 to14-year-old suicides, increasing to 70% of 15-19-year-old males
- 72% of females have hospitalizations for self-harm
- Young adults (20 to 29 years)
- Suicide 2nd leading cause of death
- Males account for 75% of suicides
- 58% of females have hospitalizations for self-harm
- Adults (30 to 44 years)
- Suicide 3rd leading cause of death
- Males account for 75% of suicides
- 56% of females have hospitalizations for self-harm
What is the reason for statistics like this?
Is it a lack of happiness? Is it not having all that they want?
Let me start with a study conducted by Princeton economists, they found that the ideal income for personal satisfaction is $75,000. Of course, there are other studies that have shown that people consistently believe that they would be happier if they earned more than their current salary. But is that really the answer?
Let’s get an answer
from Albert Einstein. He stated; “We cannot solve our problems with the same
level of thinking that created them.” Now think about that; if we believe that
our problem is not having enough money, we are probably living with a scarcity
mentality. In other words, no matter how much money you make you will still not
be happy as the scarcity mentality will not just go away when you earn a
specific amount of money.
Let me take this in a bit of a different direction now. I like what Manoj Arora states; “Do not focus on money, instead focus on a problem that needs to be solved for the world… money will follow you as a bi-product.” For your information Manoj Arora is an Internet Technology executive by profession and has written a book called ‘From the Rat Race to Financial Freedom’.
If you don’t buy into this idea consider the following comment by Benjamin Franklin; “Money never made a man happy yet, nor will it. The more a man has, the more he wants. Instead of filling a vacuum, it makes one.”
Let me conclude with someone that I did not know much about until recently. The person is Auliq-Ice. He is a South-African born philosopher, humanist, author and writer who is based in Germany. He stated; “Those who are truly grateful are deeply moved by the privilege of living.” Doesn’t this make sense?
Can you see how living a life of gratefulness would help you take your focus away from money and look for problems that need to be solved?
What can you do today to be more grateful?
Tim, those statistics are frightening. I am certain that suicide is not the 2nd or 3rd leading cause of death amongst people living under appalling (by Western standards) conditions in less developed parts of the world. Nor, from what I have read was it the case amongst WWII concentration camp prisoners doomed to execution in the Holocaust.
So is it a symptom of the entitlement mentality and permissive parenting that has affected the ability of younger people to survive in affluent times?
A wonderful comment Peter. I state that because you know the other side of the story. Yes, you’ve seen how much better people handle life when they don’t feel entitled.
Thanks so much for sharing your insight.