Buying Freedom and Happiness

I dropped my phone last month, and the screen shattered. I thought I could still make it work for a few months and see how it goes. But last week the touch was not working on certain areas of the display, and I decided to buy last year’s version of the iPhone, and I almost went to the store and bought it. 

I thought about it for a minute, and then I remembered my flatmate had told me about Cashify, where I could check the value of the shattered phone. I went to the Cashify store, which was thankfully just a few meters away. They suggested replacing the screen, which they did in half an hour, and the phone felt like new after that. I saved thousands of rupees and extended the life of my phone by a year at least.

From the last few runs, my feet were not feeling very happy, so I thought I would buy the new shoes I was eying for some time for running. And they made a difference in how I feel more than a new phone would have.

The point is, I could have bought the phone, and it probably would have made me happy for a day or two, but not more than that. A slightly better camera wouldn’t make much difference in my life. But running better lets me improve for life. This is an activity that impacts my life the most; this is when I meditate, observe, and let the thought flow, and ideas come in. 

There was a time when I wanted to buy every latest gadget, even when I couldn’t afford it; now, when I probably can buy some of them,  I decide not to. And this makes me very happy, knowing that I am learning to control external materialistic urges. I think that is what freedom is: freedom of being able to choose what makes you truly happy and adds value to your life. 

I am not saying I am very good at this; I have a lot to understand and learn. But being able to differentiate what is actually important to me and what makes me happy is something I strive to work on. Through that, I could save money that wouldn’t bring any happiness or growth in life, the money I can save to buy myself time, which is what freedom and happiness are truly about.