Money Matters
I have been wanting to write about this for a very long time, but did not know what approach to take. I still am not very clear about the approach but I decided to get on with it anyway. It is something that affects us all and it is what the world runs on. Having little of it is a problem, having lots of it could be tragic and the irony is that it is hardly enough! Without further ado, ladies and gentlemen I would now like to address the elephant in the room — MONEY.
LET’S START FROM THE START
By its very definition, money is nothing more than a medium of exchange in the form of coins and banknotes. Of course now with the digital evolution, it is not limited in its form and shape but in theory that is all it is supposed to be, a medium of exchange. But can we really write it off so simply? I wish we could.
No matter how pragmatic and minimal one tends to sound, the fact is that the role of money cannot be downplayed. At its very basic level, it is required to be able to afford at least the basic necessities of life — food, clothing and shelter and these necessities can hardly be overlooked. The fun starts after this though.
IN SEARCH FOR SOMETHING BETTER
Having met the basic needs, the mind now looks for the next step. Change is the only constant after all and differentiation and competition are the drivers of contentment, domination and supremacy. We start improvising to make our conditions better. I for one am not against that at all. It is the right of every being to do whatever is in his hands to make his condition better. An upgrade is one’s right if not an entitlement.
The problem with the upgrade, however, is that it is hardly ever objective. As long as it is what one needs it seems fine. Any other reason for it seems unjustified. Would you agree with me? And if you do, then you must also recognise that there are all sorts of needs one has. Need for appreciation and need for acceptance for example are needs too in their own right. Sure, one may argue they are needs of an insecure person, but they are needs nevertheless. Now, if one decides to upgrade to fulfill this need, wouldn’t you say it is justified? The problem is where does one stop though? And that is where money comes back into the picture, can we ever have enough of it in order to meet our needs?
WHAT IS MONEY THEN
Doesn’t the answer then lie in sorting ourselves in the head first before charging into the world like mad bulls going after anything that comes forth? Growing up in a middle class business family in India, money has been the central theme of our lives and rightly so. All said and done philosophy and spirituality sound good only after a well fed stomach, under a shelter and with comfortable clothing. What good is it to a hungry man on the road who doesn’t even know where he is going to sleep at night. The problem is, in this race of life, money has become the only tangible factor to measure one’s success. The worth of a person has reduced to the brands he carries off and the size of his bank balance. Articulation, knowledge base, intelligence are all somehow secondary. The halogen of money is so powerful and central now that it blinds the eye to most other virtues.
Through today’s article at least, I only attempt to introduce this thought that just money isn’t it. I am not at the other end of the spectrum either where I’ll try to tell you to give up on your materialistic life ( honestly, I only find that approach dismissive and unambitious) but the key here is balance. As educated folks, it becomes our duty to embrace this thought process, because just knowing it isn’t helpful anymore. As important as it is, money cannot be the only driving factor in our lives. We have to work on emotional stability, meaningful engagement of our time and mind, giving, contributing in other ways apart from only financial contribution. As a developing economy, I guess the focus has always been on financial growth and hence we only come across financial success in most walks of our life. With the new generation involved in NGOs and non-profit work things are changing for sure but we have a long way to go!
WHY DO I WORK
I have asked myself this question a million times. I’m sure at some point in your life you have too or will eventually. I have come to terms with it too — it is for the money, period. There are those lucky few who actually do what they like for a living. The luckier ones start liking what they do and the unlucky ones go on with life cursing and regretting but to no good. While I am extremely grateful for the money I am able to earn, there are other things that bring me as much happiness, if not more. Playing with my son for example, writing articles, catching up with friends, playing squash is as much a joy as being able to afford all of these things are. Get the catch? If I do not have the minimum financial threshold to sustain my hobbies and interests then what good is anything anyway? Hence, I once again am clarifying that I am certainly not downplaying the role of money in our lives. I’m only trying to objectify it and convey that despite it being important, it cannot be the only priority.
WHAT IS FINANCIAL SUCCESS
And what is financial success after all? Is it a bank balance? If yes then what is the figure? Is it the car you drive? If yes then which one? Is it the house? If yes then how big? In a book I have been reading off late, The Psychology of Money, the author Morgan Housel, defines it as being the ability to wake up every morning and say “I can do whatever I want today”. When I read that, I was a bag of mixed feelings, all bad ones though. I was already in awe of the person who could have such a life, along with feeling bad for my situation. But it is so true — to be able to control what we do instead of being told what to do or being bound to do it, is the most liberating and satisfying feeling in the world. As we move on with life, why not design the life that is to come at least around this thought. Instead of only chasing money and becoming a slave to its demands, why not design our work lives in a way that we have the flexibility to do what we want to do as per our whims and fancies.
I intend to write more on this topic in the coming weeks because as I am writing, reading and researching, I am finding progressive ideas and thought processes which might help us pause and take a moment from the mindless almost self-destruction path that we are on. Your feedback and thoughts will help me know if I am in sync with you all.
I will leave you with this quote written by who else but me!
The less I had, the more I wanted,
The more I got, the more I wanted.
When was it ever enough?
Life is like a one man race — I am the winner and I am the loser!
