Plain Truth: Why you shouldn’t let money define your self-worth

I heard the most interesting view of 2020 the other day. The narrator set up a scenario where two people each had Sh100,000 at the beginning of the year. One worked silently and now has Sh135,000. The other went on holidays and now has Sh35,000 and proof of a good life in form of photographs. One of these people just seems like they are moving forward but the other actually is moving forward.

When I heard it, I thought there couldn’t be a clearer depiction of the year that has been. The Covid-19 pandemic saw scores lose their livelihood in form of job or business loss. Interestingly though, even amidst this gloom, we didn’t stop keeping up with the Karanjas. Even as we were stuck indoors in fear and uncertainty those first months, there was still a constant supply of photographs online, posters competing to see who was being more productive, who was getting the most work done, baked the best cake and who had successfully launched an online business?

Savings

Even now that we are beginning to figure things out, a lot of situations are still about money. I was perplexed the other day when in a money and investments Facebook group I am in, people got into a competition on who saved the most amount of money this year.  What perplexed me was how they felt the need to share screenshots of their bank balances.

 For a lot of people, life is just one big chase of the money. We have lots of people waking up to go to a job they do not like, to serve customers they do not enjoy serving because there is money at the end of every month.

The love of money, of material things, is hardwired in our modern reality. Even when our forefathers were hunters and gatherers, the worth of a man was measured in his wealth and social status. The man who was the best hunter, the one who could best provide both food and protection for his offspring, is the one that women swooned over. It’s the same today.

Money is a big part of our lives, it is a basis on which people judge others. It is the basis on which you will be judged. How much money you have made or you haven’t should never, however, be the basis on which you judge yourself. Don’t beat yourself up because you weren’t able to reach your financial goals in 2020 or because someone else seems to have had it easier.

Becoming wealthy is not a vain ambition

That said, there is a difference between not letting money be your benchmark and having a negative attitude towards it. So I will tell you this: money is not evil. Wanting to accumulate wealth is not a vain ambition. From my experiences, life here today is much easier when you have some money to spend in your pocket.

 There are a lot of things that money can do for you. It will help you put a decent roof over the heads of those you love. It will help you access efficient medical services, it will get you a good education, and it will afford you a safe neighbourhood. In these ways, it will give you peace of mind. And if you derive happiness from helping others, then you can do much more when you have some money to spare than when you’re broke.

So, pursue wealth, there should be no shame in that.  But don’t let another person’s success be your benchmark.