I sometimes wonder what I would do with a million dollars. Quickly thereafter, my fantasy million turns into 100 million and my daydream twists and turns through various offerings, charitable donations, family contributions, and other good deeds a substantial windfall could perpetuate. Typically, after all the deeds are done, my windfall, paired down to a livable 20 million or so, I go about spending a certain percentage to “get by,” reserving the bulk for investments. This daydream, as it is, gets to the heart of a philosophy I have considered for the last few days: If money wasn’t an issue, what would you be? Better yet, who would you be? Care to play along?
I’m not asking what you would do with an enormous windfall. That’s easy and exactly what I previously outlined. That’s the game we all play when the local lottery exceeds some unfathomable amount and your loved one calls you up with the notion that you should buy a ticket. Somebody’s got to win, right? Might as well be you. Given the opportunity, most lottery winners would allocate resources to help the less fortunate, take care of family members, start a charity, etc. While our specific philanthropic tidings may differ, the fact remains that in a lottery style windfall, most feel like their problems would immediately vanish and their new found wealth would last a lifetime. Unfortunately, historic accounts suggest otherwise.
There are a select few, however, that come into this kind of financial supremacy through other means. Pro athletes, Hollywood stars and starlets, inventors, entrepreneurs, etc. all earn immense salaries for their efforts. Whether or not they are worthy of such lofty earnings is a topic for an entirely different blog. But the point is simply this: what you do with money and who you become if money isn’t a factor are decidedly different points to consider and the reason why I am writing this blog.
Setting aside the factors that enrich the masses, it is easy to correlate having money and having happiness when the two, at times, are polar opposites. We all do it. What is not so easy is the art of identifying who you would be outside of the barriers of money. Look at it this way, in the movie Forrest Gump, when Forrest Gump receives dividends from his Apple stock, he mows a football field. He later recounts the story to a bystander while awaiting a city bus like this: “Lieutenant Dan got me invested in some kind of fruit company. So then I got a call from him, saying we don't have to worry about money no more. And I said, that's good! One less thing.”
One less thing! From this vantage point, money is merely a tool to allow one’s passions to surface. Shiny cars, sprawling mansions, shopping bags full of overpriced boutique-style clothing, watches, and myriad other items that lose their luster quicker than a boy band amidst a sea of fickle tweeners are not passions, they are possessions. They do not foster personal growth; they inhibit it. While passions and possessions can overlap, many times, trying to find happiness in monetary possessions is just not possible. Forrest Gump mowed a field. Money allowed him his passion whether exciting in theory or not.
So who would you be if money was not a factor? What makes you tick? What would be your passion, your set point, your inner workings? Evangelism, spending time with children, working with your hands, participating in athletic pursuits, gaining knowledge, traveling abroad, earning degrees, unearthing relics, teaching, philosophizing, etc. Me, I think I’d take in the beauty of Earth’s pristine environments, relishing every ounce of God’s magnificent landscapes by touching, tasting, hearing, and inhaling every iota imaginable. Then I’d return home to Kentucky to “mow a field,” walk a trail, or something similar because that’s where I feel most at ease. As long as my family was with me in all of my pursuits, I couldn’t imagine anything else money could provide. In proper perspective, I’ve all ready won the lottery. That other daydream pales in comparison. Just a thought!
I’m not asking what you would do with an enormous windfall. That’s easy and exactly what I previously outlined. That’s the game we all play when the local lottery exceeds some unfathomable amount and your loved one calls you up with the notion that you should buy a ticket. Somebody’s got to win, right? Might as well be you. Given the opportunity, most lottery winners would allocate resources to help the less fortunate, take care of family members, start a charity, etc. While our specific philanthropic tidings may differ, the fact remains that in a lottery style windfall, most feel like their problems would immediately vanish and their new found wealth would last a lifetime. Unfortunately, historic accounts suggest otherwise.
There are a select few, however, that come into this kind of financial supremacy through other means. Pro athletes, Hollywood stars and starlets, inventors, entrepreneurs, etc. all earn immense salaries for their efforts. Whether or not they are worthy of such lofty earnings is a topic for an entirely different blog. But the point is simply this: what you do with money and who you become if money isn’t a factor are decidedly different points to consider and the reason why I am writing this blog.
Setting aside the factors that enrich the masses, it is easy to correlate having money and having happiness when the two, at times, are polar opposites. We all do it. What is not so easy is the art of identifying who you would be outside of the barriers of money. Look at it this way, in the movie Forrest Gump, when Forrest Gump receives dividends from his Apple stock, he mows a football field. He later recounts the story to a bystander while awaiting a city bus like this: “Lieutenant Dan got me invested in some kind of fruit company. So then I got a call from him, saying we don't have to worry about money no more. And I said, that's good! One less thing.”
One less thing! From this vantage point, money is merely a tool to allow one’s passions to surface. Shiny cars, sprawling mansions, shopping bags full of overpriced boutique-style clothing, watches, and myriad other items that lose their luster quicker than a boy band amidst a sea of fickle tweeners are not passions, they are possessions. They do not foster personal growth; they inhibit it. While passions and possessions can overlap, many times, trying to find happiness in monetary possessions is just not possible. Forrest Gump mowed a field. Money allowed him his passion whether exciting in theory or not.
So who would you be if money was not a factor? What makes you tick? What would be your passion, your set point, your inner workings? Evangelism, spending time with children, working with your hands, participating in athletic pursuits, gaining knowledge, traveling abroad, earning degrees, unearthing relics, teaching, philosophizing, etc. Me, I think I’d take in the beauty of Earth’s pristine environments, relishing every ounce of God’s magnificent landscapes by touching, tasting, hearing, and inhaling every iota imaginable. Then I’d return home to Kentucky to “mow a field,” walk a trail, or something similar because that’s where I feel most at ease. As long as my family was with me in all of my pursuits, I couldn’t imagine anything else money could provide. In proper perspective, I’ve all ready won the lottery. That other daydream pales in comparison. Just a thought!
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