What next after acquiring all?

Let’s remember that these material things don’t make us who we are. They don’t define us as women. As good as they are: it’s very important we value friendship over wealth, relationships over riches, companionship over possessions, giving over acquiring, helping over gathering and walking in love over what we possess. That’s all that counts […]

Let’s remember that these material things don’t make us who we are. They don’t define us as women. As good as they are: it’s very important we value friendship over wealth, relationships over riches, companionship over possessions, giving over acquiring, helping over gathering and walking in love over what we possess.
That’s all that counts in life. Life isn’t about what we gather or possess but about the lives we touch with those things.Become a better woman.”
The piece was a thought inspiring one, especially in this holy month of Ramadan. Many live a life of extravagance and believe that life revolves around acquiring everything expensive in life, forgetting that there is more to life than putting on the costly and glamorous things. Every day, we see people on the streets who can hardly afford a meal for the day, while we have people who spend millions on material things. Life is indeed short and after acquiring all, the question really is what next?
Hadiza Musa, 38-year-old accountant, believes that “Material things do not necessarily make one happy. Have we noticed and wondered why those who seem to have everything still find it difficult to be happy. Happiness can never be bought, that is a fact of life. It is a hard fact to understand sometimes, especially in a society that tries very hard to teach you otherwise. We live in a society that instigates people to live above their means or do things at any cost to be noticed by acquiring all the irrelevant material things in life.”
Aisha Muhammed, 40-year-old teacher, says “In my opinion, this is not a message for women; this is a message for every human being who is interested because it affects all of us. Whether it’s a gadget you’re coveting, a game you have to buy, or a brand you have to wear, we all have a bit of a materialistic side. However, I agree that prioritizing things that have lasting values like family, relationships, giving, etc. sure do leave everlasting memories and happy moments.”
We all make the mistake of believing that the more money and stuff we have, the happier we’ll be. We’re all prone to comparing what we have to what our friends and family have, and then worrying about how those objects might reflect on us as people.
Unfortunately, that’s just a recipe for anxiety, depression, and unhappiness. There’s no real trick to preventing yourself from getting caught up in these materialistic values, but it’s always good to keep in mind that there is more than can be done in terms of touching the lives of people around us in little ways, rather than showing off affluence and wealth in the midst of poverty. You don’t want to be caught up in a situation where you begin to ask yourself, so what next?