Hello everyone! This is Aida with a new episode of Learn Arabic with Ease at the pre-intermediate level. In this series, I will be speaking about a different topic every time, suitable for this specific level, and obviously at a slower pace than normal to make it easier for you to understand the content.

 

People have been searching for the meaning of happiness throughout the centuries. Many people consider that the purpose of life is to find happiness. We define happiness differently, however. A large number of people believe that money is the key to happiness. They argue that without money, you can’t possibly live a decent life because we need money to get a good education, to buy a nice house and car, and even to treat ourselves when we are sick. This is all true, of course. In advanced countries, where the economic situation is favourable, people have good jobs and can live comfortably.

 

Researchers into the topic of happiness, however, have found that there are certain factors that are necessary in order for us to be happy. These include family, friends, a good partner, health, and a good job. Only the last factor is connected with money. This suggests that if we have good familial ties, have nice friends to spend our time with and are healthy, we are already on the right track toward being happy. Let’s imagine someone with lots of money who has a medical condition that cannot be treated, or someone with lots of money who doesn’t have healthy relations with his family or does not have loyal friends. Can this person really be happy just because they are rich?

 

Money is, of course, necessary. Without it, we cannot survive. This suggests that everyone needs a certain amount of money to be able to live comfortably, without constantly having to worry how to provide the next meal for our family or buy medicine for our beloved ones. The question is: how much money do we actually need to be happy? This is where people disagree. Some people are satisfied with a modest life, while others are never satisfied. They want a bigger house, more clothes, a more expensive car, and even more accessories.

 

There is no single recipe for happiness. It seems that the biggest mistake most of us make, especially when we are young, is to expect life to be perfect. We forget that happiness does not have to mean overall happiness. We often overlook the small moments in life that make us happy, such as enjoying a meal with family or friends, meeting friendly people, passing an exam, or even enjoying a sunny day. Such happy moments in life could very well be actual happiness, so perhaps we don’t need to look that far to find true happiness.

 

In some countries, such as Germany, Austria and Switzerland happiness has become a subject that is taught at a number of schools. The teacher of this subject has to be trained for a couple of years. The idea is to help children deal with stress factors in their life, such as exams, as well as how to solve problems. They are also taught that they are responsible for their own happiness. This is achieved by helping them to understand their strengths and what they want to achieve in their lives.

 

And now, let’s take a look at what people might say in reply to questions related to happiness.

 

Example nr. 1:

 

I am relatively happy with my life. I have good friends who are always there for me when I need them. I am healthy and have many hobbies, such as playing the guitar and swimming. I am studying something I like at university and get to meet new people every now and then. The economic situation in my country, however, sometimes makes me worry about whether I will be able to find a good job once I have completed my studies. I don’t wish to leave my country; however, I might be forced to if I don’t find a job that I am satisfied with.

 

 

Example nr. 2:

 

 

I have a good job that I am happy with. There are good chances to be promoted and get a better salary. I have also been happily married for 5 years now and we have a 3-year-old son. I do wish, however, that I had more friends. I used to have close friends, but a couple of them left the country and we can only stay in touch through social media. Others are just as busy as I am.  Sometimes I wish I had more time to practise my hobbies and go out more often. When I have more time, I will travel more often in order to get to know other cultures and perhaps learn a new language.

 

 

And with this we come to the end of another episode of Learn Arabic with Ease. I hope you enjoyed it and look forward to having you with me in upcoming episodes. Don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast. Thanks for being here and bye till next time!