What is wealth? I've often pondered over this question. Often questioned myself, about the use and the need for large amounts of income and wealth. Because, as I've learnt in the last few years, large amounts of wealth is not needed to live a fulfilling, comfortable life. But yes, maybe it is needed to live a more 'luxurious' life. Don't know how? Keep reading.
Large amounts of wealth can be used to buy a bag that costs over $1000 on average. And I'm not talking about a large, sturdy bag that can hold and protect things inside it. I'm talking about a small delicate thing that carries your phone, credit cards and maybe some cosmetics. Sometimes a diaper or two if you have a baby and thought about it before buying the bag.
Large amounts of wealth can be used to buy a bag that costs over $1000 on average. And I'm not talking about a large, sturdy bag that can hold and protect things inside it. I'm talking about a small delicate thing that carries your phone, credit cards and maybe some cosmetics. Sometimes a diaper or two if you have a baby and thought about it before buying the bag.
Large amounts of wealth can be spent on buying gold and diamonds. Now most of you know it, these are 'valuables' that do not provide, in value, anything more than decoration to the human body, directly. Beyond that, you could argue it is good 'investment' - and we will talk about this later.
Large amounts of wealth can be used to buy designer clothes that need to be dry-cleaned for $50 after every use.
Large amounts of wealth can be used to buy expensive, fast racing-cars that you will drive at peak hour to work.
Large amounts of wealth can be used to buy all the toys your child points at in the store.
Large amounts of wealth will help you open a mini apparel and accessories store in your walk in closet, with things you don't care about anymore, and won't sell to anyone.
Large amounts of wealth can make you make sure everyone knows you are the wealthiest of them all.
Large amounts of wealth can be flushed down the toilet after you wipe your ass with it.
Clearly, wealth can help you live a luxurious life. A wasteful luxurious life, to be precise. Because if you need to show you have enough wealth to not care about it, you will have to start showing you don't care about it, and the best way, in my opinion, is using anything upwards of a $10 bill to spit out your gum in. No?
I have no problem with people spending their money the way they like it. Different things give different people happiness and it's perfectly okay to find happiness in a small bag embellished with 2 letters, or maybe 1, or sometimes 3.
But how can you do it on planet earth, surrounded by so much poverty, so many people who you know could use that money to buy a year's worth of food supplies. How do you live 'luxuriously' right in front of the maid who has been requesting an advance of $100 for her daughter's school fee? How do you go about buying your children all those ridiculously over-sized toys while your distant relative is trying to put money together for a simple scooter to go to work everyday. How do you ignore everything? How?
Isn't there luxury in freedom? Isn't there luxury in education? Isn't there luxury in helping someone live a better, less painful life?
Why don't we show our wealth by educating the hundred girls who could use the money we spend on one daughter's 'Big Fat Destination Wedding?'
If it's perfectly okay to blow up $100,000 on hosting a wedding, then you should definitely not feel ashamed to declare that you are instead going to use that money for charity. No need to act humble. No need to be discreet. Say it to everyone, flaunt it like you flaunt your wealth. For it's way better than treating 100 varieties of dishes to a 1000 well-to-do people. Believe you me, you will definitely look like you are rich and don't care about your wealth. And it will take a long time for another 'wealthy' person to match your deed. After all, bad habits die hard - it will take a lot of effort for them to stop wasting their wealth in the name of luxury. And until then, you will be a star in your social (and business) circle. Try it!
And this song. I couldn't stop myself from posting here ;)
