In the course of a few months all those things did change. But they were fretful about different things. I was amazed. I concluded then that our level of happiness tends to be stable over time. It depends very little on our circumstances.
Most people assume that more money provides more happiness.
With great pride I showed her the refrigerator-freezer, the dishwasher, the washer and dryer, the electric stove with timer controls, and the disposal unit in the kitchen sink. She admired everything extravagantly and then sat watching me prepare dinner. I thought about it carefully, weighing the merits of each appliance, and finally decided that the refrigerator was the one I really couldn't do without. Happiness comes more from an attitude of gratitude than from unrelenting abundance. Happiness comes from a choice to be grateful.