Poverty In Spirit, Wealth Of Life (Part 3)

‘US$300,000,000’

That was the value of one of the businesses that I founded. It was not a figment of my imagination but the conclusion of one of the top institutions in the world.

That 9-figure sum of money had popped out of a written report by a group of professionals. Based on this figure, a global  bank would underwrite our worth as it endeavored to take our company  public on  NASDAQ.

We were advised that it would be just a start. With the credibility of a listed vehicle and a sizable war chest, we were in a great position to improve the bottomlines and grow the company.

I was within logical range of becoming a BILLIONAIRE!

Imagine with me, I could have big houses, big cars, and big wives…and all the luxuries of the modern world.

In fact, we were beginning to experience the high life, running pre-listing road shows in New York and Boston and hopnobbing with the rich and famous. Swiss bankers called upon us and we were wined and dined in some of the top places in the world…

They said that success is relative. The more successes you have, the more relatives you will have.

So, before you start calling me to borrow money, please note that it would not be possible. In fact, you may find me pleading with you to extend a cheap loan to me.

The Initial Public Offer did not materialize.The economic crisis caused a cascading effect on the industry that we were in and our business was severely hit.

If  you ask me, was I excited about potentially having a lot of money, the answer would be No. Was I sad that I missed the opportunity, the answer would also be No.

My lifestyle did not and would not change. I have always maintained that the person who live a simple life will live a rich life.

Please don’t get me wrong. I have nothing against money. A wise person once said, “Money cannot guarantee happiness. However, without money, I guarantee you will be unhappy.

“It may not buy you happiness but it certainly can make life more comfortable and buy you the misery you prefer.”

Another wisecrack, “If you cannot buy happiness, it’s probably because you don’t know where to ‘shop’ for it.”

Money means nothing unless we do something with it. It is a medium to exchange for something of value.

Money may not be the most important thing in life. On the other hand, with money, we can do many important things in life.

Socrates once said, “If a man is proud of his wealth, he should not be praised until it is known how he employs it.”

Sadly, many people do not know how to make meaningful use of money.

If we don’t know what to do with money, we can’t be truly rich. If we don’t know what to contribute to in our life, we will never be totally motivated to create lasting wealth.

I do not want to be like the person who spent the best years of his life to make money and then spent all his money to try and recover the lost years in his life.

The person who craves for too little wealth is as pitiful as the person who is obsessed about possessing  more wealth. The question that begs to be answered is, ‘What do I want to do with wealth?’

According to my friend, Robert Kiyosaki, ‘Wealth is the number of days you can survive forward if you stop working tomorrow.’

To me, wealth is more than just about staying alive. It’s about having a life. It is not about maintaining a  life but about giving your life to a worthwhile cause.

I’m sure you have  heard of the poor man with lots of money – the same guy who had money but nothing of lasting value.

The root word of ‘wealth‘ is an archaic English word, ‘wela’ which means well-being and ‘th’ refers to ‘condition’.

Wealth in essence refers to the condition of well-being. It is a state of the body, soul and spirit.

Wealth also includes  physical, emotional, social, spiritual and environmental well-being. It also embraces positive values that help to make the world a better home.

Being wealthy is to have the resources to fulfill the calling that our Creator has for us. It is a tool to help us and the people around us live a meaningful, exciting and fulfilling life.

Henry David Thoreau phrased it aptly, ‘Wealth is the ability to fully experience life.’ If I may add, it is also the capacity to help others live a full life.

It is too myopic to measure wealth in monetary terms. It is just as important to be rich in action, service, and contribution to society.

Go4It!

I hope this message will find a place in your heart.

By the way, I have also recorded other reflections.

Visit my Inspiration blog at http://liewinspiration.wordpress.com/

For my opinions on current affairs, please visit my Transformation blog at http://hsrpatrickliew.wordpress.com/

Please read them and continue to teach me.

Life is FUNtastic!