What's your price?

The cost of winning is sometimes greater than losing.

I wrote about wealth in the last three posts.

A different take on Wealth: A wealthy life has multiple dimensions. Never view wealth solely through the lens of money.

Money in an enabler, not an end in itself: If money accumulation is an end in itself, not only are you playing the game wrong, but, in fact, you are the one being played.

The (misleading) optics of money: People see money or poverty, but are clueless about your wealth.

A reader sent me this story, and asked me to comment on it.

A man on a flight began conversing with a female passenger seated next to him. Very taken up with her, he propositioned her for a million dollars. She was mortified initially, but engaged with him by asking him why would he do that. He flattered her.

His puffery, combined with the possibility of so effortlessly and instantly becoming a millionaire, was not something she could shrug off easily. She agreed, on the condition that she never sees him again and they both never disclose this encounter to anyone.

Before they part, he tells her. “I don’t have a million dollars, but since you have agreed to spend a night with me, will, say, $500 do?”

She snapped back: “Get lost! How dare you. What do you think I am?”

He replied: “That has already been established ma’m. Now we’re just haggling over the price.”

Phew!! Since I was asked to comment, here are my three observations.

1) Money is neither good nor bad, it is just a sharp double-edged sword.

Money is a great enabler. With money, we eliminate a great deal of stress in our life as we don’t have to worry how our bills will be paid. We can offer opportunities to our children to pursue paths that suit their skills. We can do the things we dream of and create wonderful memories. We can help others and engage in philanthropy that change destinies. The benefits of possessing and spending money under good stewardship are simply innumerable.

However, if money becomes an end in itself, it possess a ravenous appetite for our moral destruction. Should money be the exclusive pursuit, it will systematically and meticulously chip away at every other aspect of your life. You end up prioritising that one thing at the expense of everything – your relationships, your dignity, your integrity, your peace.

2) Money is not the only bone of contention when it comes to values and integrity.

We are human (at least I am assuming that a human is reading this post). Everyone, and I mean, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US, suffers from an integrity deficit in at least one area of our life.

And it gets manifested in multiple ways; the ones that come to mind are:

• Relentless pursuit of money.

• Desperation for fame.

• Craving for status.

• Need for control.

• Lust for power.

• Hypocrisy.

• Infidelity.

• Gossip.

What is the chink in your armour? And what is the price it is demanding off you? Is it even worth it?

3) Do I have a price?

The above narration is purely fictitious, but the nagging questions are real:

Does my integrity have a price? At what bar will the desire for money/ control/ fame/ power/ validation take over my sense of integrity, loyalty, fidelity, dignity and commitment?

The answers I give from a place of comfort are very different from when I am in a position where I have to choose, when the battle is fierce in my mind. Life will throw up situations (most probably not as dramatic as the narration) that will cause an internal conflict. I hope I choose wisely.

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