The Dangers of Excessive Obsession with Money

“If we are born poor, it is not our fault, but if we die poor, it is!”…… Bill Gates

History is replete with people who ignored being obsessed with money and they paid dearly for it. Many ruined their health in their quest for wealth. Some ruined their homes and families. Some cut corners and were caught by the long arm of the law. They ended up in jails, stigmatized and disgraced for life. Some lost their minds and the will to live then eventually committing suicide. The question to ask when you consider these disastrous consequences is “was it all worth it?” Obviously not! The fact of life which many people choose to ignore to their own peril is that a successful life rests on six pillars. These are the pillars that provide balance, support and all-round strength. If any of these pillars falls out of place or out of sync with the rest, a situation of imbalance occurs. If this happens, no matter how strong the other pillars may be, the individual involved will not enjoy a balanced life. For your life to be successful therefore, it must have the full support of your own pillars of:

Physical disposition: This involves good health and physical wellbeing without which you can not pursue any worthwhile venture. “The first wealth is health.” You must be in sound physical health before you can make meaningful contributions to your welfare and that of society.

Mental disposition: This represents your mental health, wisdom, knowledge and self-worth. Those who have “lost their marbles” can not expect to be useful members of society. An organized society usually puts mentally unfit people away in asylums to prevent them from causing harm to themselves or others.

Financial disposition: This is what some people at times pursue so single-mindedly that they neglect the others. The pursuit of businesses, careers and quest for worldly possessions which make for comfortable living define your financial disposition. Mindless quest for financial wellbeing has led many a man to disgrace and in extreme cases total destruction.

Social disposition: Man is a social animal. He likes to associate or be associated with. He likes to follow or be followed. This is what defines his social responsibility to his community. Society prospers and progresses when the individual members play their roles responsibly. If and when you become anti-social, you become a menace to society. The first thing society does in this circumstance is to put you away. Our prisons and remand homes exist primarily for this purpose.

Family disposition: The family is the nuclear unit that makes up society. When family values start to decay, the society runs into increasing problems of cohesion and security. Our homes, our loved ones and our families serve as legitimate reasons for our continued existence, welfare and wellbeing. If you can not find comfort in your own home, there may be very few other places on earth, if any, where you can find comfort. The family is that important and we should treat it as such.

Spiritual disposition: This represents your value system and beliefs. What you believe in and revere is the ultimate arbiter and moderator of all your actions and or inaction. This is the spiritual. Even if consciously or unconsciously, as a human being, your spiritual disposition plays a role in your welfare and wellbeing. Bestiality sets in when you lose your spiritual direction and become dangerous to yourself and to society.

It is your duty to ensure that all these pillars are strong and in perfect harmony if you want to live a meaningful life. If by your deliberate actions and or inactions one or more of them is neglected, your life will experience a major deficiency which can only be rectified by focusing attention on and re-erecting the missing pillar or pillars. Those who ignored this advice in the past paid a heavy price at the end of the day.