“What God cannot do does not exist” was the song I sang when I had the job offer. It paid twice what I earned, 500k was no small money from where I was standing and it sure felt good to receive it monthly. I immediately moved to a more comfortable apartment at Federal quarters, my taste buds no longer longed for eru from “mami eru’s” joint; it wanted something that tasted classy and air-conditioned. My whole being craved for an upliftment. The taxi was no longer my level; a nice red blade ride was definitely my next bus stop and with the enticing loan the bank was cajoling me to take this was definitely a go get it. A girl cannot come and kill herself, let her enjoy the good things of life. It has been a year already but for some reason, the money has never really been enough, I have a 25million loan to repay in 7years, a car that needs more maintenance than my make-up kit, a super expensive apartment that is burning my pocket. I need constant overdraft to survive till the end of the month and sometimes small loans here and there to handle other emergencies. While constantly reciting “God no go shame me” in a bid to console myself through my current financial predicament, I came across this quote which has got me thinking…”Wealth Consist not in having great possessions but in having few wants”–Epictetus.
How did my wants and desires outgrow my income in no time? My name is Naomi, this is my story.
Like Naomi, Many of us face this situation every day. If we take a survey to find out the richest person on earth, the measuring rod of many people will be how many cars they own, houses, companies, and probably the number of wives. This is what many persons consider as wealth. This is why many successful young people purchase cars and big houses to ensure that they are not left out on the list of the most wealthy. But wealth is not just possessing property. However, wealth means different things to different people. There is no constant level that is set which you must reach for people to call you wealthy; it’s an inner feeling. The definition of wealth uses the word ‘abundance’: for you, a million could be an abundance of money, but for another person, it could be their basic monthly spend. Epictetus says ‘Wealth consists not in having great possessions’ probably because anyone can find another person who has something more or better than them. How would you ever feel content? You satisfy one want, you would be content for a day or two and then another wants creeps in and your consumerist mind will want to satisfy that as well. When does this end? Therefore, being wealthy is a mindset. If we curb our excesses, feel content, and work on our wants we gradually move to acquire wealth that will last.
Photo by: Nick-Noel unsplash
Great one
Nice
very inspiring