The word for today is "satisfaction"

[Kitosdad]

In the money-mad world of today satisfaction is mostly measured by the amount of money one earns or makes.

But financial gain cannot compete with the satisfaction that comes from creating, with one own hands, something that will outlast the ravages of time and weather.

The satisfaction that the person feels about a wall that he/she has built themselves.
The satisfaction one feels having built a bird-feeding tray for the garden, and seeing it visited by a multitude of birds all day long.
The satisfaction of building a birds nesting box, and seeing it being inhabited by a family of blue-xyz.
The satisfaction of seeing growth springing from seed which one has planted and watered.
The satisfaction of watching your children grow into fine, decent adults.

Yes, there are many, many things that money can bring into your life, but satisfaction requires no vast fortune. Just love and tenderness and an assurance that you will always be there, whenever you are needed, and these feeling being given in return
are certain to fill your life with SATISFACTION.
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Keep it simple ... Keep it interesting.

[Infin1ty]

Thank you for such a wonderful post, Bill. I entirely agree with you that money isn't everything though we can't live without it in some ways. Many people believe that they will be pleasant once they arrive at some specific goal they set for themselves, but only to find out that they will never be happy if they don't appreciate for what they already have.

P.S. There's one thing I never doubt is that English people are very good at writting, and I like your "the word for today" very much, please keep it up.
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Please feel free to correct me if you find any mistakes in my posts.

[Gray]

I am trying to translate a song in my mother tongue which, too, revolves around similar thoughts --

The feeling of achievement is in mind and not somewhere else. Even eyes filled with dreams cannot see the world as it is.
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First lesson - English, not english. I, not i. ~A student of English