All Indians are philosophers! It is there in our blood. Any situation, any place, any time, we can easily summon some aspect of philosophy. When it comes to money, when you have it you are rich, when you don’t have it you are a philosopher!
We have a tendency to run down money and look down upon people who pursue money with a passion. We think talking about money is ugly and as much as whispering about money in the company of relatives is a sin. This creates an ambivalent attitude in us and in our children. Should we pursue money or not? Is money good or bad?
Money is empowerment. It is perhaps one of the most direct forms of empowerment. Money may or not buy you happiness but, money offers you choices. It creates more possibilities in front of you. In life, we may have miseries. Isn’t it better to cry sitting in an air-conditioned car rather than the local transport bus? Money need not be the end all of life and we don’t have to give up our values in pursuing it. But there is no need to run it down and make it seem ugly if one is pursuing the accumulation of wealth in an honest manner. The more resources you have, the better off you are. A healthy bank balance gives a different kind of confidence. If the healthy bank balance has come out of your work or entrepreneurship, the greater the confidence.
If there is one way you can empower people around you, including your son, daughter, spouse, it is to encourage them to find their financial freedom. Leave the glorification of poverty to the movies and to the politician. Standing on one’s feet financially enhances a person’s self-esteem. Financial freedom is the gateway to all other kinds of freedom.