house of cards

We often hear about the house built on the rock versus the sand.

One can learn a lot about life by looking at today's economic conditions. Without getting too technical, the economy is in a mess because of one basic reason: people were investing in financial instruments that were either overpriced or worthless (click if you care). Essentially, people hung their hopes on these inherently worthless contracts, and when the bubble that was filling with too much air finally burst, the infrastructure made of air collapsed.

I bring this up because I think of how often I hang my hopes on thin air. I often catch myself guaging my happiness based on external factors. In other words, my level of happiness becomes a direct result of outside influences rather than inner peace. Yet I know that to have any sort of stability, I necessarily cannot rely on anything the world offers. Money cannot be my foundation, despite the idea that "money makes the world go 'round." Nor can my health, intelligence, friends, or even family. These things, while all good, should not be my foundation.

Let me anticipate a major objection here. One could rightly point out