A Christmas Aspiration for Happiness, Health & Harmony
When did money become the goal and not a vehicle to obtain a goal?
‘Show me the money’, ‘Follow the money’, ‘I want more money’; long forgotten it seems that money is supposedly the root of all evil. It now appears to be an aspiration itself; not what it can buy. Why do we now pursue the ‘almighty dollar’ and not the benefits it is supposed to be able to provide?
Happiness, health and harmony are listed again and again amongst the most popular aspirations for people. As the richest generation ever to live on earth are we now concurring that money can’t buy happiness, - health or harmony. That amassing money is the next best option.
I recall reading a book within which a fisherman who lived simply by the beach with his family was mentioned. He only fished for his family and friends needs. Each afternoon he would be home enjoying the company of his family and friends. He was asked why not buy a fleet of boats, employ workers, export your product, float a company to get the capital required and make a lot of money. The fisherman asked, ‘what will I do with all the money?’ “You could retire, live by the sea, fish when you want to fish and enjoy the company of your family and friends’ was the reply.
In the season of goodwill, I hope we all get the chance to stop for a moment and reflect on what is happening in our lives. Central Queensland is rushing into a massive resource boom. However in this ‘rush’ to make money, what are we sacrificing? A fly in fly out workforce that separates workers from their families for up to 21 days at a time; a harbour we no longer care to eat the fish from; a water supply we have concerns about drinking from; irreparable damage to valuable farming land and the water below it; increases in housing rental prices forcing long time residents to leave towns, replaced by a mobile workforce.
In this column I have listed a number of aspirations for Central Queensland. A high speed train linking the cities of Rockhampton and Gladstone; a wave pool for Yeppoon foreshore; a reality website TV show for Mount Morgan; the early rollout of the National Broadband Network (NBN) etc, as I believe that decentralisation is essential in providing for a better future for all Australians. By providing this type of infrastructure Central Queensland can be a more attractive destination for people to live, work and play in. We need to assess what kind of future do we want for this region and for our country. A short term fix may deliver bigger problems in the future; environmental and social. Pause, take a breath and lets again place happiness, health and harmony as our main aspirations, not money. May the decisions made during this boom reflect on the3 H’s and not the almighty dollar.
Happy Christmas, I do hope you get to spend it with family and friends. Remember the future is not to see, it is to create.
P.S. Central Queensland lost one of its champions this month with the passing of Lloyd Willie. As Robert Louis Stevenson said, “the man is a success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much; who has gained the respect of intelligent men and the love of children; who has filled his niche and accomplished his task; who leaves the world better than he found it, whether by an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul; who never lacked appreciation of earths beauty or failed to express it; who looked for the best in others and gave the best he had”. Lloyd Willie was a success, which I’m sure will be appreciated even more in time.
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