The Cost of Peace and Happiness + Free Wallpaper

How much is peace worth?

“La paz no tiene precio,” peace is priceless. A friend said this to me several years go. Today the phrase is swirling in my mind, assaulting me from every angle as I realize that I have sold my peace in exchange for security. A lot of us do this. Society is built on this idea.

They tell us that mental peace is not possible or necessary. That suffering is necessary, that suffering has worth and merit as long as it buys financial security.

I am working as a teacher. Every day feels like a struggle, a burden that I cannot lift. Every day I go home knowing I have done a lot, but never enough. I get in bed and pull up the covers thinking about how my mental health doesn’t matter. Test scores matter. I do what I can daily to stay afloat, but I am never ahead.

I can never be good enough because my worth is relative to the performance of someone else.

“It would be nice to have a job where I’m judged on how well I do,” a coworker said to me. This is valid. The worth of a human being isn’t dependent upon the actions of another, or even the actions of the person themselves. The worth of a human being is inherent.

But not in education. In education the idea that our worth is dependent on the performance of our students is so accepted and ingrained that it is never questioned. “So how do you like it here?” my team lead asked. “I like working close to home, I love the kids, I love the grade level…but I feel that admin is micromanaging. When we’re in lesson planning meetings I feel uncomfortable, like they’re watching us and judging us.”

“They are,” she said and then added, “they take notes on everything we do and say.”

I’ve entered a dystopian fiction novel. I’m in the Hunger Games, baby, compete or die. Conform or you will certainly hear about it later. There are so many things I do just to ensure that I don’t get in trouble. They are not necessary or beneficial to my students. But I do them to keep from being hassled. Every day I feel afraid of repercussions for doing something I did not know was a problem, violating some code of that’s just how we do things here.

So what is peace worth? Is financial stability worth this much stress? Would it be better to minimize my spending and live in an unconventional way so that I can need less income and escape a toxic atmosphere? How much is actually necessary? Can I get away from lifestyle inflation, living simply and needing little?

I find myself attracted to that style of life. I have read that there is a point of diminishing returns when it comes to income and happiness. None of the articles agreed on the specific amount. Perhaps it’s relative to each person.

How much money can buy peace and happiness?

I thought it might bring some joy to have this image converted to a phone wallpaper! Click below to download.

I hope you love it! Please don’t forget to share this post if you do!