Greetings from Cuba!
With travel being one of my many passions, I have had the opportunity to visit many parts of the world, and one of the things that I have noticed during my travels is how people view money and their relationship with it.
I have found that in many developing countries most folks are happy with where they stand with money. On the flip side, it appears that many people in more developed countries seem to be chasing money for status; though this is just an observation, not a judgement, as I am part of this same group. Overall, what interests me the most is how we all view money differently and what our relationship with it is.
In my case for example, I have made several investments with friends. Some of these ventures have worked in my favor and I ended up making money. Other times, I’ve ended up losing money, sometimes a large amount in a single investment! When the outcome was losing money, though upsetting, my reaction was: “oh well.” While of course I’m sad to have lost the money, it was an investment, lest move on- much like the stock market.
Once, when the same friend I entered into an investment with asked to borrow a couple hundred dollars because he was short on cash at that moment, I lent him the money. I was out with him a few weeks later and reminded him of it. He laughed it off…after all I had few thousands in business deals with him and never questioned or asked about it, and here I was worrying about a couple hundred. I explained that in my opinion, a business deal was a business deal and that borrowing money was personal. Perhaps that explains my relationship with money.
In developing countries maybe, most folks view money simply as a means to an end: it provides food, clothing and shelter. Maybe these folks also have some left over to enjoy life, but as long as they have enough to cover the necessities, they’re satisfied.
In developed countries, we chase the money to show status and power. In the United States, we show wealth by how many luxuries we own or how comfortably we can afford to live. Which is better, I don’t know; I guess it depends on your relationship with money. Maybe Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs needs be different.
I ponder what else I have a different relationship with? What else do you have a different relationship with?
“The goal isn’t more money. The goal is living life on your terms.”– Chris Brogan
Have a great weekend
Vijay