I found this information on the internet and thought it was priceless. Many people spend their energy chasing rainbows, only to find that time and the intrinsic quality of life has passed them by. The information below is a good example of “the reality of wealth.”
In 1923, eight of the wealthiest people in the world met together for a conference. Their combined wealth was estimated to exceeded the wealth of the United States government. These men certainly knew how to make a living and accumulate wealth, but let's examine what happened to them 25 years later: Charles Schwab, President of the largest steel company, lived on borrowed capital for five years before he died bankrupt. President of the largest gas company, Howard Hubson, went insane. One of the greatest commodity traders, Arthur Cutton, died insolvent. Richard Whitney, President of the New York Stock Exchange, was sent to jail. Albert Fall, a member of the President's Cabinet was pardoned from jail to go home and die in peace. The greatest "bear" on Wall Street, Jessie Livermore, committed suicide. Ivar Krueger, President of the world's greatest monopoly, committed suicide. President of the Bank of International Settlement, Leon Fraser, committed suicide. Money doesn’t buy happiness.
These men were so busy making money that they forgot how to make a life! Money in itself isn't evil, it provides food for the hungry, medicine for the sick, and clothes for the needy. Money is the most commonly used medium of exchange and a necessity of life, but how much money is enough?
There are many people who are so engrossed in their professional lives that they neglect their family, health and social responsibilities. If asked why they do this they often reply, ‘they are doing it for their family.’
In some ways our education system has failed us. Many of the things learned in school are not practical in the real world. It’s important to teach our children how to make a good living, by developing the skills to create a successful life.
If our children are sleeping when we leave home in the morning and sleeping when we come home at night, we are missing the essence of life. Twenty years later, we'll turn back and they will be gone. David O. McKay said it best, “No other success can compensate for failure in the home.”
Without water, a ship cannot move. The ship needs water to sail, but if water gets into the ship it could face many problems. What was once a means of living for the ship could become the means of destruction. Similarly we live in a time where earning is a necessity, but let not the obsession of the almighty dollar overpower our hearts or our common sense, for what was once a means of living could become a means of destruction.
Linda Sumner Urza, One Fine Day
