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HOW WEALTHY ARE YOU?

One of the ancient Greek fathers Plato alleged “He, who is rich in coin, may often be in want of necessary food”. This can be understood explicitly when subjected to the seat of wisdom. The question to ponder in this phenomenon is how can someone who is rich in coin being considered wealthy as a matter of fact has it in great abundance and yet perish with hunger.

The fable of Midas is a story from Greek methodology that tells the tale of a king named Midas who wished that everything he touched would turn to Gold. The god Dionysus granted his wish, but Midas soon realized that this gift was actually a curse. He turned everything he touched into gold, including his food and drink, which made it impossible for him to eat or drink. He also turned his beloved daughter into gold.

Realizing the gravity of his mistake, Midas begged Dionysus to take back his gift. Midas was instructed to bathe in the river Pactolus to wash away the curse. Midas did as he was told and the curse was lifted.  From then on, Midas was a changed man, valuing the things that mattered in life like love, family and the simple pleasure of life.

Solon from the Greek background goes on to say “No bound to riches has been fixed for man”. This is to say, we have the liberal environment to the acquisition of riches. And for that matter, there is the natural art of making money and mere acquisition of coin expressing two different things.

Money from the Ancient Greek background was explained as a measure that equates things by making them commensurable; simply engendering the purpose or the state to which one can consider himself wealthy. Is to be a wealthy, the acquisition of the paper notes or coins saved? Or the state of mind one finds himself? This article tries to elucidate between this dichotomy from the above story told.

Why do most people especially tertiary students prefer stuffs that will sustain their lives on campus to the accumulation of money for future use? Could it be that the money won’t be enough to defray their expenditure or do they eat money and add water to it as food? Definitely, No.

It will interest you people feel elated and satisfied when they are assured of what will sustain them and later bring satisfaction and excitement to them than handling a paper notes and being recognized as a wealthy person.

The concept of riches can certainly be seen as a state of mind, as it is often defined by our perception and attitudes towards wealth and abundance. For some, riches may be defined purely in terms of material possession like the fable of Midas and financial wealth, whilst for others, it may be defined broadly in terms of personal fulfillment, spiritual richness and a sense of purpose in life.

In this sense, one’s mindset and perspective can play a significant role in determining whether or not they feel rich regardless of their financial situation. For example, someone who has a positive outlook on life, a strong sense of gratitude, and a focus on the things that truly matters to him/her may feel rich even if he/she does not have a lot of material wealth.

On the other hand, someone who is constantly focused on accumulating more possessions and measuring their success purely in terms of financial gain may never feel truly rich, no matter how much money they have. Even with that, what is the next stage after the zenith of achievements if not household management and retail trade? This culminates to the affirmation that in order for exchange to be just, it is necessary that the value of exchange may be equivalent, and in order that the exchange may be equivalent there must be a common measure of value.

In a spiritual spectrum, the Acts of the Apostles described ascetism in the early chapters whereby some Christians pooled their property together. You may know the veritable story of Ananias and Sapphira who were heavenly action struck dead for their untruthfulness. This instills the fact that being ascetic can be considered a spiritual richness. In what sense? In the sense that, practising strict self-denial as a measure of personal and spiritual discipline, standing for the truth and confining yourself to an order in itself is richness. Because that is who you are what you want to be and have come to be.

Ultimately, the concept of riches is subjective and can vary widely depending on one’s individual values, beliefs, and life experiences. While money and material possessions can certainly contribute to a sense of richness, true wealth and abundance are often found in the intangible things that money cannot buy, such as love, relationships, personal growth, and a sense of purpose and meanings in life.

It brings forth the need to cogitate how rich you are!

In as much we cannot rely solely on our material possession for survival, we must be encouraged to stimulate the intangible to live a wealthy life. Also it could also be testified from the fable of Midas as a warning against greed and the dangers of valuing material possessions above all else. Fascinatingly, the fable is taking flesh in our various communities. We may not get the chance to revert out gift when its going awkwardly, ergo it is necessary and important to be content, share your richness with others to achieve our ultimate goal on earth.

BY: MR. GRAVES

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