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.