As a nation we have done pretty well for ourselves. We are the richest country in the world. The power of our military is unchallenged
globally. Our cultural influences span
the earth to introduce others to our value system and the products that
commercialize our lives. Through fits
and starts our democracy grows and strengthens over time. Yet, with all of these blessings we seem
always strive for more. Is this drive
for extra necessary?
Driving through America’s suburbs one is most often
welcomed by ever increasing sizes of homes as the newly affluent purchase
square footage to demonstrate that they can live in a large house too. Our food purchasing patterns are well
reflected in the super-size mentality of food chains where individual serving
sizes are more than enough to feed four people in most other countries of the
world. Our cars are big, our houses are
large shells on small plots, and our diabetes rates are growing with the size
of our servings. Will we come to the
point where we can realize that size does not matter as much as substance?
The old arguments of wealth redistribution are as stale as
the two day left-overs of our jumbo serving sizes we could not finish. This paper is not meant to advocate a
redistribution of wealth, or even greater foreign aid, but rather a personal
recognition on the part of individuals that maybe after a personally satisfying
level of wealth accumulation it may be worth moving beyond the gathering mode
and into the offering mentality. This
philosophy relies upon individual choice and continues to reward hard
work. What it also rewards, in a
non-monetary way, is the idea that there is more to life than just the size of
our wallets, houses, cars and meals. It
rewards the willingness to offer the unused portion of our wealth to those who
may not be as blessed as we have been in our lives.
Some will argue that all I am advocating is philanthropy,
which already exists. To a degree their
argument would be correct, but yet it would not capture the true point of my
advocacy. I am saying that for each of
us there is a certain point after which we just do not need more. For some this point will be higher than
others. No one can tell me where this
point is for myself and I have no right to tell someone else where it is for
them. Yet, when each of us, in our own
time, reaches this point, what is left no longer serves a purpose in our
lives. Every new dollar after a certain
amount is just not needed for ourselves or our children. Every extra square foot on our homes is
merely just more space to have to clean and pay for. Why not just stop at a certain point and say,
for the rest of my career I will now work for others. I may not even have to work as hard as I did
to earn enough for myself, but now that I have gathered that amount, whatever
more work I do will be for the benefit of humanity. It is a personal choice and a powerful
message, isn’t it?
There are people out there who already follow this philosophy. There are others who never will. I merely advocate that each of us look into
ourselves and our needs in life. We then
use a few personal financial calculators to measure how to meet those
needs. Once we know what we will need,
throw in a little extra for the unforeseen, and start stocking that away, we
can begin to put a portion of our lives toward the common good. This can be done in whatever way we
personally see fit, whether it be through donations to non-governmental
organizations, religious institutions, or even through voluntary work on causes
in which we believe. However we can
help, in whatever quantity we can, will be appreciated by the recipients of
this effort on their behalf.
Our wealth and what we do with it is a personal choice. I am advocating that we all, individually, or
with friends and family, sit down to make that choice. When we run the numbers and realize at what
level we will be more than set for life, we will be released from much of the
stress of always earning more and striving for bigger and better than what we
need. The remainder of our efforts from
that point can be put toward improvement in our lives and the lives of those in
all of our communities. I ask you to run
the numbers and decide what amount of wealth you will need in life. From there I ask you to eat what you need and
ask the restaurants where you dine to cut the serving sizes you leave on the
plate. I also ask you to look at the
size of your home to measure the space you use and the space that feels empty
to you. If there is excess in your life
then do with it what you will. I imagine
we can all find this excess. Let us put
it to good use.
No comments:
Post a Comment