Raise your hand if you want to be rich.
Except for the two emo kids in the back, I’d like to bet that you raised your hand.
Who doesn’t want to be rich? Honestly.
Everyone wants to be able to buy that porsche, that rolex, or that phone.
The idea of working hard to get rich is encrypted into our DNA, it’s part of what makes us who we are.
But me personally, I don’t want to be rich.
This is why.
Why We Want To Be Rich
If you were to walk into a classroom right now and ask the children their dream jobs, you know what most of them would answer?
Doctor, lawyer, CEO.
Why these jobs in particular? I’m sure we all know.
Cheddar, bread, moolah, money.
These are all jobs known for high pay and high respect. And that’s exactly what we strive for.
We strive to get rich because we want to have status over those around us, and because it makes us feel important.
Most of those kids don’t pick doctor because they love scalpels, most of those kids don’t choose lawyer because they love debating, and most of those kids don’t even know what a CEO is.
But they have been programmed by their parents and by society to go for these 3 jobs, and these 3 jobs only.
Many are stressed because of their college majors. Not because they’re lazy, or because it’s hard, but because they don’t like those subjects.
They have to keep pushing though, only to continue by doing those same things for the next 50 years.
In turn you sacrifice your entire life to something you don’t even like.
The Difference Between Rich And Wealthy
Being rich may not be an option for everyone though, rather being an order.
Just remember this principle:
For those in poverty, it’s survival. For the middle class, it’s stability. For the privileged, it’s status.
Some people need to become rich to be able to drag their families out from tough situations, and I respect that.
But for the middle and privileged class though, there’s a point in which where you have to stop.
Sports cars, fancy dinners, designer brands, etc.
Do you really need these things? Do you really need to show your riches to everybody?
“It’s a representation of my hard work, I deserve this.”
Warren Buffett, the 6th richest man in the world, is widely regarded as the greatest investor ever.
Even so, he still lives in the same modest house he purchased in 1958 for $31,500 in Omaha, and he still eats meals like McDonalds every day.
If Warren Buffett doesn’t count as a deserving man for luxury, I don’t know who would be deserving.
But even though he’s deserving, it doesn’t mean he has to fulfill that.
People love to spend their money the moment they get some. They love indulging in mass consumerism.
You know what Warren Buffett does indulge in? Learning and reading.
Many are rich, I’d say millions are.
Only a select few however, are wealthy.
Money shouldn’t be a final destination, but rather an additional reward in your venture towards it.
A Misconception With Money
Proudly I used to express my goal of becoming an entrepreneur.
It sounds cool right?
But in recent times I have felt vindicated as to this goal. I don’t feel like it’s as big of an achievement as I once thought it was.
Money has become a decider in our daily lives.
If you have money, you’re successful, respect comes second.
And I think that’s a misconception we face.
At its core money is a made up concept.
Think about it, we’re working our asses off and we’re struggling all for some sheets of paper.
But something real, that we should focus more on is knowledge.
Money is important, yes, absolutely.
You should work for the stability of your family and descendants, 100%.
But there’s a point where the scale starts to tip excessively.
What I’m trying to convey is the importance for us to realize the difference between financial stability, and excessive wealth.
There comes a point where people don’t fight for food on their tables, or for rent, but for validation.
The real reason you want that lambo doesn’t stem from within, it comes from wanting to prove that you’ve made it.
Manipulation of the mind can only bring you so far, no matter how much you justify wanting to buy something.
Why I Don’t Want To Be Rich
“The goal isn’t to live forever, the goal is to create something that will.”
― Chuck Palahniuk
I’m not focused on becoming an ultra mega rich trillionaire, all I want to do is to learn, and to educate.
Impact > Income.
I want to build something that can last, which money can’t do.
Knowledge is permanent, like learning how to ride a bike. You always remember how to do it.
And to be wealthy is different than being rich.
This is why I don’t believe in rich Christians.
“If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.”
— Matthew 19:21
I don’t want to grow just myself in knowledge or in riches, but I want to be one that enriches my community.
Like a sponge who doesn’t just soak, but also releases.
Life shouldn’t all be about money.
Money is important, but it should only be a reward of knowledge.
There are many ways to accumulate wealth, but few that builds something alongside it.
Success shouldn’t be defined by money, like how the world has painted it to be.
Money defining success leads to problems with the world, like in Indonesia for example.
People are becoming government officials not for the growth of their communities, but for cash.
Situations like this have corrupted Indonesia so much, that even our vice-president is a nepo baby.
Success should be defined by purpose.
What have you done to the world that affects it?
Something that overreaches affecting your friends or family, but your country, or even the entire globe.
Wanting wealth isn’t evil, I too want wealth.
But sacrificing just for wealth is, and we should stop doing that.
And so, as a final footnote:
I don’t want to be rich, but I want to be remembered.
