So You Earned Another Million? A Homage to Poverty 

By Ange Fonce

Part 4

Now let us continue our journey on You Want To Be Rich with a warning... it may not be such a good idea. 

This is why I have been sharing with you about “poverty”... because...  

1... You will find it hard to get rich at all if you are afraid of poverty.

2... Poverty is not at all... bad?

3... You can be rich man... poor man... rich woman... poor woman and still have GREAT wealth of  life experience... or little... or  no wealth of life experience at all.

4... There is a "difference" between "wealth" and "richness."

The simple explanation for why you may prefer material poverty to material richness is that it allows you to appreciate money and material wealth! 

Yes... dear reader... if there is one thing for which the principle of declining material utility seems to have been invented for... it is for money... like drinking shots of  whisky... each additional bit of metal or piece of paper you get is worth less than the piece of metal and paper that preceded it... you become drunk on “richness” and "addicted" to money and your “reality” becomes greatly distorted. 

Just as fast as you accumulate “richness” it is an instant depreciating asset!

Poverty is just poverty... it is a “constant.”

Wealth is an asset that when “invested” into will grow.

If you are down to your last piece of metal that has a value of  .01... finding a  piece of paper on the street... that has a value of 5.0... you will consider yourself “rich”... and you pick it up immediately and head for the store. 

Now if you have many bits of metal and paper in the bank to the value of 1,000,000... you might graciously leave the value of 5.00 to someone who “needs” it more than you. 

This... explains why “wealthy” people so often and so readily give away money... its “value” is just not worth very much to them.

If you have bits of metal and paper in the bank to the value of 10,000,000... adding another 1,000,000 bits of metal and paper is just a matter of maths.... it does not change your life one bit. 

If you have 0 bits of metal and paper in the bank... the addition of 50,000 bits of metal and paper could make you "feel" rich... the addition of 1,000,000 bits of metal and paper could "change" everything.

In short... those bits of metal and paper assume a special importance when you do not have any... you want to become “rich.” 

When you have “wealth” on the other hand... those bits of metal and paper  do not mean very much to you... they have little or no “value.” 

The "experience" of wealth itself is the "value."

And as I pointed out in Part 3... being “rich” with out “wealth”... could leave you feeling empty... after all... money in the form of metal and paper does not mean anything… without the “wealth” of the experience!

Philosophers and poets have puzzled out this issue for centuries... money is a representation of  wealth... and wealth in the form of money is a form of condensed life experience... it measures the time and resources that have been invested... fructified and accumulated and now may be exchanged for other accumulations of time... imagination... and resources. 

A person may work all his life to build up some savings.... those savings are an expression of his life… at least its net economic value... each unit is a distillation of his hard work... self discipline and forbearance... when he has so much money that an extra unit no longer has any meaning or value to him... he begins to feel the ground go soft under his feet... he loses his footing… and his bearings... where is his "experience" of the "wealth" of his life? 

The Best Things In Life Are Free... 

Is the popular expression... and that is true... a kiss… a smile… the love of family and friends… ALL LIFE IS FREE... we as Humans have been very stupid by putting the “value”... a "promise" of bits of metal and paper on what is ALREADY FREE!

How can you put a monetary figure on what is already FREE?

Does not the autumn sun fall as warmly on the face of the Human Being who has a bit of paper with a value of 5... the same as a Human Being who has a bit of paper with the value of 1000 or the Human Being who has a bit of metal with the value of 0.01? 

And I have yet to meet the little boy or girl who goes and checks out their grandparents bank account before giving them a “hug”... unlike some adults I know. 

Money after all... is nothing more than a “promise.”

Until those bits of metal and paper are released from the "mint" that has produced those bits of metal and paper... that is exactly what they are... bits of "metal" and sheets of "paper."

Those bits of "metal" and "paper" do not become what is called "money" until they are released to banks... and then "money" is only a "promise to pay the bearer off"... money is nothing more than a "promise."

Now... you would be wise to "know" and "understand" what governments... banks and financial institutions do with that promise... they "change" it to suite their needs... not yours.

So... even on the sweetest things money casts its shadow... after you have enough money for food... clothing and shelter… what is the point of the rest? 

Is it not to win approval… to make yourself worthy of love and respect? 

Money gives you the “illusion”... a “promise” that you can have such things... IF you possess enough bits of metal and paper?

Is it not why a young man buys a fancy car... even when he cannot afford it... to get the girl? 

And that is also where the deception and disappointment begin... a woman who is attracted to the successful and moneyed man... soon discovers that money is not everything... and the man realises that what he really wanted was a woman who wanted him for more than just his money... and pity the poor man who works his entire life trying to earn enough money to win his fathers approval. 

He is likely to discover that... 

A) He never will.

B) He had it all along!

It is true that money cannot “buy” you love.

Because how can you “value” love by bits of metal and paper?

Love is its own VALUE!

And you do not have to be “rich” or “poor” to be “wealthy” in the value of LOVE!

A poor man and women can be wealthy in LOVE and RESPECT... while a rich man and woman could be seeking a lifetime for  LOVE and RESPECT! 

The principle of declining marginal utility comes into play here too... a little financial success may bring more respect and approval... yet more money success does not necessarily bring more respect and approval. 

And too much financial success can backfire... the financially successful man or woman may find themselves the object of envy... resentment and opportunism... there spouse is only theirs as long as the money holds out… their so called “friends” only see them as a rich mark… and their own mother and father may look down on them... they have become “obsessed with money”... they say!

This phenomenon... the declining marginal utility of money... also works in reverse. 

A bit of metal or paper lost brings more pain than the pleasure of another one gained... a person with  1,000,000 bits of metal and paper will welcome another 1,000,000 bits of metal and paper... yet it probably will not have much effect on their life or their well being. 

Imagine instead that he or she  loses their 1,000,000 bits of metal and paper net worth! 

Now... we have material for a tragedy... they have to give up their house... their car... their “lifestyle"... they become depressed and impossible to live with... their spouse leaves them... their so called “friends” dessert them... and they end up sleeping in a homeless shelter... they have become “worthless”... they are “poor.”

Yet... what about the "wealth" and "value" of themselves?

With these thoughts in mind... let us take up the second major decision you must make in life. 

You have already seen how gaining “riches” may make it harder for you to do what you want... now we will look at how more “riches” can keep you from living where you really want to be... we are going to begin at the end. 

So... you do not want to sleep under a bridge or in a homeless shelter... so you want to be sure you have a Plan B that works for you in case you go broke.

I already explained that one of my main joys in life has been building things as part of how I “invest” my time... the aforementioned gypsy wagon in Part 3... plus lots more... in particular... I have enjoyed building up the houses in which my family has lived... this was a past time with a rich reward… especially early in life... when I had no choice... there is a powerful sense of achievement in creating with your own hands an idea that has become reality... and you can say...

“I did that!”

Later in life... when I had acquired a lot more metal and paper... I could hire real professionals... and I had to share my building projects with architects... contractors... plumbers... electricians… and even decorators. 

This proved to be a major disappointment. 

Why?.

The result being... I lived in a house that I did not design.... I had not created it... I went along with the professionals… and it was THEIR house... not my own... I did not LOVE what had been built... there was no ME in it. 

One of the hazards of “riches”  that is rarely discussed is the pernicious way it draws you away from the things you really like... and LOVE doing.

When you acquire lots of metal and paper... you are tempted to “trade up”... keep up with the Joneses.. move out of the old neighbourhood and into a new one... and the new one is a lot more expensive... everything costs more... not just the house...  the insurance... the upkeep... the furniture… heating... cooling… everything costs more bits of metal and paper... and has become a lot more complicated.

The big house... which you saw as the trophy for your financial success... your “richness” in bits of metal and paper... can turn out to be the booby prize... you never saw coming... a “black hole” that swallows your bits of metal and paper at a prejidious rate...

Now... you are trapped in the “money” cycle... and you cannot get off!

Just think... how many “millionaire” mansions are sitting there... empty... serving no purpose at all... and how many MILLIONS of “homeless” people there are!

Is that a wise use of metal and paper... while the “wealth” of people is “wasted.”

Does that make “sense” to you?

More to come... Slave To The Money System A Homage to Poverty.

Thank you and may you enjoy a Prosperous and Dynamic day!
 
Yours Sincerely

Ange is an  Author... Speaker... and Dynamic Peak Performance Personal Development Consultant... and Humanistic Counselling Psychologist who works with men and women on line and real world who desire to "personally develop" themselves and their "relationships" to become Dynamic Lifers... "creators" of their own life and wealth!


Recommended Reading...



So You Want To Be Rich? Pay Homage To Poverty First

By Ange Fonce

Part 3

Continuing on from last weeks article with our series on How to Get Rich.

In the last article... Being Rich Is Not The Same As Building A Quality Life Of Wealth

I pointed out that often a person gets rich and finds he or she is no longer doing what they like doing... as an example... I mentioned a chef who likes cooking... his restaurant is packed every night. 

So... he opens a chain of restaurants... now... he is really ...


Continue reading ...

 


Being Rich Is Not The Same As Building A Quality Life Of Wealth

By Ange Fonce

Part 2

You will recall from my last article... So You Want To Be Rich? Learn To Love Being Poor First!  

That the first secret is that you cannot fear poverty... or you will never take the risks you need to take if you are to acquire large sums of money . 

You will also recall that there are only three important decisions in life... 

What you do… 

Where you do it… 

With whom you do it. 

Now let us explore the first quest...

Continue reading …



So You Want To Be Rich? Learn To Love Being Poor First! 

By Ange Fonce

Part 1... Stories From The Past.

You may think I am joking... I am not. 

The point is you cannot be afraid of poverty... when you want to build the life you want to live. 

A DYNAMIC LIFE!

Because if you are going to grow “wealth” you are going to have to take risks... you may start a business, for example... deciding to be in a relationship... any form of “investment” involves risk.

Typically, you make money by going "all...

Continue reading ...



Join today and become one of the Tribe... a DYNAMIC Lifer... and if you ever want to"social share" or "forward to a friend" a writing... please go ahead... and let them know they can receive their own writings via e mail by directly subscribing to The Tribe of Dynamic Lifers The DYNAMIC Express Magazine... I am sure they will "appreciate your consideration" of them.  

Dynamic Life Development Systems

Personal Development Academy