The main reason why most people work is to earn money. With the money you can take care of essential needs like paying for rent and food. But depending on which country you live in, work may have a very different meaning.

In Vietnam where this picture has been taken, there is a very small amount of unemployed people (2,4% in 2015 and 2016). The communistic government is doing pretty well in giving jobs to everyone, even if the job itself might be unnecessary.

So you could end up in restaurant where there are more employees than costumers. One waitress will take your order, the next waiter will bring the food, another waitress will bring the bill and the last one will give you back your change.

Do the vietnamese really work just to earn money? Or does the government also wants to keep their citizens busy to prevent them from doing something else?

In Germany people do not only work to get money either. They work to have a certain kind of prestige. They want to be able to afford a certain kind of lifestyle.

Maybe some of them are doing their job because they really like what they are doing or because they see a lot of sense in their work – but that seems to be really rare. It seems like most Germans even do not care to much about having enough money to eat – because compared to their salaries they spend a very little amount on food.

Germans rather spend their money on luxury goods like a nice car. But does it make sense to eat low quality food and have a high quality car?

Why do you work?

Because you love your job? Because you want to make a lot of money? Because it gives you the ability to take care of your essential needs? Because you want to gain prestige? Because you find a greater sense in doing your work?

This picture has been taken in DaLat, Vietnam in October 2015.

For some people happiness might be money and consumption.

For others it is to love and to be loved.

For someone else it could be success and prestige.

For you it may be your family.

For me happiness is traveling.

For the lady on the picture it is obviously smoking a cigar.

But why is it sometimes so hard to be happy even when we have everything we wanted?

Sometimes we reach for a big thing in our life and expect that to make us happy – like a new house or a new job.

So we have to see poorness or terrible things happening to get reminded of how happy we are already.

Sometimes we have to be reminded how small things can be happiness – like smoking a cigar.

This picture has been taken in Havana, Cuba.