Monday 20 May 2013

Get a Life, Then Money. Not Vice Versa

"Anyone who doesn't care about money is a mad man. In fact, a mad man will also cling with his cash". That was the argument of a customer at an ATM.

Why the statement, and is he right? I do not know what you will say but this is a paraphrase of what I said, and the reason for the response: "Money is not the most important thing in life, and why should we because of money neglect self- and mutual-respect? Why should we put our hope in money that takes up wing and fly away?"

Money really restricts value. Let me limit that statement to human value. Money restricts human value.

Who knows the price of a man? Money may qualify a man, but it cannot represent his true value. Neither its presence nor absence can.

Someone said "Learning first, earning later.", I cannot agree more. I will not be surprised if on further discussion that the customer earlier paraphrased will prove to be desperate and will rather have the money and leave out the lessons.

It is saddening how people place more value on things rather than on people who control things. People want money and may sacrifice relationship and trust to get it, never thinking that the money will not just flow by itself it will flow through the hands of men. Yes, they do not care, they will only get the money and proverbially "bite the hand that feeds them".

Nobody can get a lasting wealth like that.

Subterfuge may serve you well in politics for selfish ends, but no one is yet to thrive by it.

You may think life is unimportant without money, but if you neglect life and pursue money, you will discover that money is nothing without a life; and should you have money without life, you will find out that the porosity of your living will be magnified until you find death more appealing than life.

Money is not everything; life is all.

Mother Theresa found that a pursuit of life is worth her all and the satisfaction she found could never have been rivaled by the pleasure if she were to be the richest.

If the statement of our customer is to be taken seriously, and if it is true that "anyone who doesn't care about money is a mad man." then, there are probably no mad man; because we all care about money.

It is not about caring about money, but it is about misplaced priority. If you would rather have a quick money than influence your world positively, even at the prospect of making money doing so, you need to get a life.

I can tell you assuredly, if you don't have a purpose for living or why your company exists other than for your selfish ends, and you have that money, the world will be the worse for it.

There is a lesson to be learnt all the way from zero to being a hero, from empty pocket to a fat account and for every intermittent losses and being broke; but a person with a mindset like our customer's will neglect them.

If you neglect and pass over the hard lessons money teach, after your money is gone, or when you are done with what the money can get you, you are coming back to class!

If you get a life now, and money comes, you both will be friends; otherwise, it will find its way out, that is if it does not enslave you.

Care about money: how you get it and how you use it. Care about your life too: what makes it thrive and what stifles it.

Money can make your life thrive or stifle it. But if you do not have a life, you have no business seeking money.

Get a life. Find the kingdom. Live the life, then 'invest' the money on life.

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