実践ビジネス英語 Friday, December 28
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Money and Happiness (6)
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1[S]: In our current vignette, Paul Pearson talks about his recent trip to Bhutan, which he says made him realize he should spend his money on things that dust can't land on：memories, connections and engagement. Now, would you agree with that, Heather?
2[I]: Absolutely. I'm completely on board with the idea that money can buy happiness in a sense, if we are smart about the ways we use it. And travel is definitely one of the smartest ways. It expands our minds, bonds people together and can create memories that last a lifetime.
I've been lucky enough to take some amazing trips over the years. I'll never forget the deep sense of spirituality, history I felt at the ancient temples in Cambodia, or the way the entire city of Paris seemed like one massive work of art.
But even bad travel experiences can bring us great rewards I found. My husband and I took a cycling trip one year, in which we dealt with ferocious headwinds, crippling leg cramps, a punctured tire and trying to find the hotel room with no reservation during Golden Week in the pouring rain. It was pretty rough, but overcoming all those obstacles together brought us closer and gave us endless stories to tell and laugh about over the years.
3[S]: Well, sounds like quite an experience. Of course, you did need your bicycles to take that trip, so buying material goods isn't always a waste.
4[I]: Oh, no. But I certainly agree with the idea that when we do buy non-essential material goods, we should try to focus on things that bring us more than their basic functions. Our bicycles weren't just a mode of transportation, for example. They were a way to spend time together and get terrific cardiovascular exercise while we were doing it. They also let us see different parts of the country from a new perspective and gave us a great feeling of satisfaction when we made it to our destinations.
5[S]: Paul and Alyce Collins also talk about simple, inexpensive ways to spread happiness to others, such as buying flowers or sending postcards to people we care about.
6[I]: Right. And they are too. I'd say that it's not primarily the flowers or the postcards themselves that spread the happiness. It's more the knowledge that the giver or sender was thinking of the recipient and made the effort to show it.
7[S]: So what other kinds of things would you recommend spending money on?
8[I]: Anything that leads to self-enrichment is a good idea to my mind. So definitely books, fiction and non-fiction in a wide variety of genres. Especially books recommended by friends or family, because then you can discuss them together after you've finished.
That's actually one of my favorite, not too expensive gifts to give people, books that I've read and enjoyed. Likewise training in almost any subject, language, business, computers. These too can be very affordable purchases. I got a great deal of fun and mental stimulation out of a 2,000 yen book containing 30 lessons about basic German. I put the audio files on the accompanying CD into my smartphone and listen to them on the train on my way to work. It was such a thrill not long after I started when I was able to understand a few words and very short sentences in a German movie I was watching.
