by NeuroticAxis
What is it about money that
unleashes the inner beast in us? Is it its ability to enable us acquire more
meaningless possessions that make us lose our heads? Or is it a way of
flaunting your status in life that turns even the nicest person into
money-hungry monsters?It is so discomfiting to see how mighty humans have been brought low by just a mere slip of printed paper. Granted, money is vital for our existence, but not to the extent that we allow our lives to revolve around it. For example, during the 1998 World Economy Recession, headlines about CEOs and bosses jumping to their deaths were abound with disturbing frequency. It truly boggles the mind that there actually are people who would "sacrifice" their lives just because they cannot afford the newest gadget offered to the upscale market of wealthy, rich businessmen. If you think it sounds impressive that money is to die for (pun intended), think again. For centuries, people have been committing petty crimes like breaking into houses, purse snatching and stealing from blind folks to the more profitable kind like staging bank robberies. Why? All because they cannot resist the tempting lure of money.
We often hear lip service being paid about how health and happiness is better than wealth but truly, when we are forced to choose, who could turn down the offer of, say, RM 2 million, to leading a life suffused with happiness, laughter and well-being but roughing it out in poverty. Most of us are under the misconception that money can buy happiness and health. The ugly truth is, happiness and health are eerily similar to money in the sense that we have to work hard for it. Nothing ever comes easy in life and do not ever be fooled into thinking that being rich automatically gives you the right to seize all the good things in life. What money can do, though, and very well at that too, is offer false security. A well-off person might think, I am rich; therefore I am smart, happy, and fit because I have mountains of the magic paper. Well, hate to burst his/her bubble, but being rich has nothing to do with who you are. Money is just a means to live life better, and more comfortably. This kind of artificial protection is extremely dangerous as it may lead to the person setting ridiculously high expectations from life just because they are (say it with me) LOADED. And when life is more than likely to fail to live up to his/her expectations, s/he whines that life is unfair just because the Discman s/he coveted for ages has been sold to another fool who is willing to pay hundreds of ringgit for it. Welcome to the real world, honey. Sooner or later, you have to snap out of your self-induced fantasy and realize that you are powerless to command life to indulge in your every
whim.
The age-old phrases "nothing
comes for free" and "the best things in life are free" may seem
contradictory at first. The former implies that money will get you anything
whereas the latter suggest that, well, the best things in life are free. So
which one should we hold true then? Why not both? The sad fact is, NOTHING
comes for free in life, not anymore. Heck, even the time I spent using to
type this may have h*ll of a price to pay later when I sit for my PMR since
I should be studying. In this context, it does not mean that money can get
me anything. When we say nothing comes for free, it simply means that
nothing can be achieved with just a snap of your fingers and a loudly issued
command. Hard work and toil, as well as effort, have to be put in before one
can reap the fruits of one's labour. And that makes it all the more
valuable, when compared to any fancy piece of equipment that is purchased
with papers of various colours."The best things in life are free". There is not a truer phrase uttered. A smile from a loved one, praise on work well done, birds singing in the sky, flowers blooming everywhere, all of these are free. The little little things that get our heart all warm and gushy are mostly free, for feelings and emotions can never ever be bought over with money. Unfortunately, most people cannot recognize the truth in that saying and are too caught up in the race to the top of the corporate ladder that they often tend to take things for granted. Stop for a breather and notice your surroundings. Take note of the clear blue sky and vivid colour of the flowers in full bloom instead of slavering over another mega project that is worth millions. Mother Nature will not wait for you, but the thick folder lying on your desk will. These gifts bestowed upon humans may not exist in years to come, since we are so intent on destroying everything we could get our grubby hands on for a little bit of bl**dy money.
Well, chew on this for a while. One day, there might not be anything left for us to spend our revered money on seeing as we are determined to exploit every single revenue of money-making and wipe out life as we know it in our one-track mission to accumulate more and more money. At that time, what is the use of money, except as fire starters?