Because of my disdain of wealth, shameless luxury and how it seems to affect people negatively I often reject books that seem to focus on how to attain it. I prefer to read books that can help me become a better person so that I can make some small positive difference to those around me.
Love, companionship, friendship, loyalty and self sacrifice our qualities that can produce the greatest riches, happiness and meaning to life. Where as many wealthy people are still unhappy despite owning everything.
I also believe in the ‘less is more’ principle for a number of reasons. We can actually improve our financial standing by owning less material clutter because these possessions require even more money to maintain them. The constant fear of losing these possessions forces us to spend money trying to protect them as well.
I also find it strange how so many billionaires that have more than enough money to retire instantly and live a very luxurious life a thousand times over are still frantically slaving for money or are now supposedly ‘giving back’ to the community through coaching and education but are making a killing doing it in this new found multi dollar industry of financial education.
Maybe there is something wrong with me but I am perfectly content if I can support myself with reasonable comfort, engage in simple sports and activities and travel to places within my means.
I don’t need to experience every extreme sport, expensive cruises, luxury vacations to feel that I am alive because I can experience extreme happiness in the simple and natural things that have always existed.
As much as I would love to see the whole world, I know that I would still not be satisfied because a short passing visit to the seven wonders of the world would not be enough. I would want to stay there for at least a year to fully experience being there instead of a passing Instagram selfie visit to add to my travel bucket list resume.
(I have actually experienced this with the Pandemic lock down where I was forced to discover my local surroundings after 30 years of geographical ignorance living here.)
If an opportunity would come to experience such luxury or an epic journey I would not reject it but it should not determine my life or be the basis for judging my self worth as a person..
Anyway going back to the theme of this blog about deciding which books to read I made a serious mistake. When I discovered that the two following best selling books are ‘must reads’ for personal development I had serious reservations;
Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
and now
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
Now I regret not discovering and reading these books earlier in my life because the riches that these books are really talking about are the riches that you can create and instill in yourself that are of far greater worth than the inevitable wealth you can create in time by applying the principles in these books.
Those principles will also help you to avoid the usual fear, greed and selfishness that are associated with gaining riches.
Because the focus is not on ‘the money’ but on your thoughts, mindset and attitude.
It may sound crazy to some but reading a book about money can actually make you a better person even if you very religiously orientated.
Scripture does not say
“money is the root of all evil”
it says
“THE LOVE of money is the root of all evil”
1 Timothy 6:6-12
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