What’s the root of all evil? Money, right? Wrong!
You’d be amazed how many people think being rich will make
their lives worse, like they won’t be judged for who they are but for their
money. So even though they want to be rich, they shirk it at the same time.
This subtle yet profound fear keeps people from the truth:
it’s good to be rich! Not just for the lifestyle, but because in the end, being
rich makes us into better people.
I can hear someone screaming, “What about the rich jerk
who doesn’t tip even though the service was great? How’s money made him a
better person?” Here’s a clue: whoever you are, money will make you
more of that. If you are a kind, generous person who attracted
like-minded people before being rich, you’ll continue to do so after because
now you’ll be able to be evenmore generous on a larger scale.
It’s our duty to become rich if we can. We have an
obligation to grow to our greatest potential, developing the character that can
achieve and care about other people at the same time. This is
the growth that will ultimately make us into better people.
So what is the root of all evil? It’s not stacks of paper. Fear is
at the root of our thoughts that tell us becoming rich will make things worse and
take us away from being loved, accepted, and well-thought of.
If we don’t accept that being rich can be a good thing for
ourselves and for others, fear and doubt creates envy. Envy says, “I can’t have
that, and I resent those that do.” Acceptance of what you really want says, “I can have
that, and I will be a better person because of it.”
So instead of secretly despising rich people, we should
affirm them, even if they’re frickin jerks. We’re not affirming who they are as
people—we’re affirming the idea that it’s okay to be rich. You can make a
choice not to be selfish, arrogant, and thoughtless. Fear and envy negate
thoughts of wealth and result in feelings and actions that take you away from
it, even when you’re not aware of it.
Here’s a simple exercise in overcoming fear. Think of
something that you’ve always wanted to do but never got around to, and just do
it (Don’t break any laws, though!). Even if you end up not wanting to do it
again, at least you know instead of just holding back for whatever reason.
You’ve broken through something, and other breakthroughs become easier. It’s
the only way we’ll ever grow.
This is not just about being rich, although that is one of
the goals. This is about growing ourselves to become bigger than the obstacles
we’ll face in life. The more wonder we experience andchallenges
we face, the more we expand to be able to take in more; the good and the bad;
the money and the problems that come with it. In the end, striving
toward becoming rich can only serve you, and if you choose it, serve others as
well. How’s that a bad thing?
