Random Thoughts

7 degrees of happiness. I can’t seem to get that out of my head. Been busy all day, working hard and fast, and whenever I have a moment to myself, "7 degrees of happiness".

What does it mean anyways? Are there different levels of happiness, similar to the different levels of intoxication? Are you Level-2 happy when you do a certain something and upgradeable to Level-4 happy based on some additional achievements?

I don’t really think so. In my humble opinion, you’re either happy, or you’re not. If having a hot cup of coffee in the morning makes you happy, then you’re happy. If you’re bored with it and you want a muffin too, then maybe you’re not quite happy. Of course, you can’t be happy all the time. Sometimes you have chronic diarrhea, and you are not happy. Fine. Totally understandable. But you can say that you’re happy most of the time, which is what really counts.

And really, what makes people happy? Each year, millions of people write some sort of article (much like this one) about what happiness is, and about what makes people happy (according to Stats Big Jim), each of them more or less the same. "Love" is a common one, I’m sure. I once thought the same as well. Is love enough to make you happy?

I’m sure, secretly, all these "love" people actually want money. Yeah, m-o-n-e-y. Money makes people happy.

Hold your horses. Before you say "no no no money doesn’t make you happy", imagine the mafia is coming over to collect the money you owe to insurance/Revenue Canada/mortgage/car loan/[insert your own enemy here], within FIVE hours, expecting the full amount owed, or your right leg, yeah, money makes you happy. If anyone dares to say money doesn’t make you happy, this person should try to sleep on the streets of downtown Toronto when it was minus 40C out. If anyone is to say, "I don’t need money to be happy", all we need to do is take away his car, his clothes, his house, and more importantly, his food, we’ll have him begging for mercy very quickly.

Maybe I’m just being cynical.

I went to see a house yesterday. Cute little house, at a great location. Reasonably roomy, clean, in good condition. The location is impeccable: 5 min away in all directions to Walmart, Canadian Tire, Home Depot, Chapters, and other malls, as well as a large library, police station (you know the crime rate ain’t going up here), schools, everything you need. The price is not too bad, considering the quality of the house and especially the location. I wanted to buy it on the spot.

Went home, and later had a chit-chat with my mom. My mom the financial expert. She laid it out for us: "you can’t afford it". Even with 2 incomes, we will not be able to afford it. I tried to make the numbers work, but they wouldn’t budge. I can’t afford it. Wow, so much for a dream home. I guess it’s all part of good financial planning and the eventual reward to be able to buy a house, but damn. And it’s not even all that big, and it’s not even all that expensive.

The problem is with a 25-year mortgage, I end up paying double the cost of the house. At that rate, we can afford the house, but when we sell it, we’ll lose plenty of money, which is not the point of buying a house. It’s supposed be an investment, an asset, not a liability. Gosh, if only I have the money to afford financial freedom.

So today, I came to work, solemn. The reality of my financial incapabilities has bent me backward, and I am humbled. I will stop dreaming, and I will start saving. Fiscal responsibility will be my new mindset.

And I’ll be happy.