What Matters Most? By: Ernel S. Merano
As we know, the world is full of caprices and luxuries desirable and inviting to one’s irresistible even to man’s sensibilities. We often express our wishful fancies in saying, “if only I am rich and I can buy anything that I like”. Despite what common sense tells us, we still wonder why we live in scarcity while other students inside the campus live in abundance whose parents earning enormous income. That is why we could not avoid pity ourselves sometimes and feel inadequate. However, regardless this unfortunate reality, there are things that make up for our discontent, yet, still make us happy individual, such as our friends who accepted us for all that we are not for what we have. They are the ones with whom we are not afraid to show our real selves. Nevertheless, still numerous thoughts keep us up at night time, like: why do I need to wait for my natal day for my parents to buy a new t-shirt? Why does it take so long for me to earn a thousand bucks while my friends can readily ask it from their parents? Do I need to spend my money for lunch or just suffer hunger to buy something I want? Another common experience is when we see new pants or shoes in the store, we immediately start to save part of our allowance to be able to purchase it soon as possible.
Enviably, our friends can have this thing without sweet promises and even impossible bargains with their parents. These realities never fail to pester us. So, it is inevitable to feel that there is no use saving money at all since by the time we have made ample money to buy what we like somebody has already bought it, or it is already out of fashion, or simply lose the excitement of acquiring it. And it is during these times when we do not have money and we can only see the things that we like out of the store window that we feel so insecure and very least. But it is also these moments of financial nothingness that we learn to appreciate the things that we have that money cannot buy. Call it rationalization or “sweet lemoning� but it really does wonders as we realized that what really essential is invisible to the eye, like love, peace, and harmony among friends and families. Such are a happiness which does not cost a cent. Hence, we understand the deeper purpose why God planned our lives the way it is, and that is why we will do away with being shallow persons who are just concerned with the external world but somehow more discerning in what really matters most. We then learn the wisdom that what makes a person is not money or what he has but how he deals with what he has and how he handles life. We must, therefore, gain knowledge to care less the things we do not have and start rediscovering what we have been blessed and gifted alreadyothers might have actually been wanting what we have already possessed. Just think this over! Does money matter?