Money Doesn't Change You
If there was anything my father loved more than football, it was his newspapers; to us, they were just convenient liners for kitchen shelves and drawers, but to him they represented a tangible and precious connection to the world. One Saturday, a fruit vendor was selling some juicy mangoes in our neighbourhood and we wanted a taste. Since my siblings and I didn’t have any money on us, we came up with the brilliant idea of selling some of our father’s old newspapers to satisfy our mango-craving.
When our parents came home, we happily shared the mangoes with them. Curious, they asked us where these juicy fruits had come from, and we told them what we’d done; the joy and good spirits of that day quickly turned into tears. Even though they too had partaken and enjoyed the spoils of our ill-gotten gains, we were roundly scolded, and soundly beaten not only for the theft, but for our audacity to touch things that didn’t belong to us. Yes, dear reader, while charity begins at home, so does corruption.
An employee takes a ream of paper home during back-to-school season, what’s the big deal? Most people don’t see it as stealing because, in their mind, it’s their due – a perk to which they are entitled. However, this small act of dishonesty can breed larger forms of corruption as temptations, desperation, opportunities, and pressures increase.
I once heard of a supervisor at a 5-star hotel who lost her UGX 3 million-per-month job for stealing a UGX 800 roll of toilet paper. Typically, security checks were done for all staff at the end of the day, but managers were exempt; the focus was always on the cleaners and housekeepers. On this particular day, everyone was checked, and the manager was found with the hotel toilet roll and promptly fired. What was she thinking? The same question could be posed to the public servants that ask for small-small “facilitation fees” (kitu kidogo) to do the work they’re already being paid to do.
By itself, money is a tool meant to help us fulfil our needs, or attain our goals. It's neither good nor evil, however, it does shine a light on who we are at our core. In truth, money doesn’t change you, it simply amplifies your already existing mindset, habits, and character traits. Regardless of moral code or financial disposition, to anyone with money – operating in a lack mindset, with terrible spending habits, expensive tastes, no self-discipline, and high sense of entitlement – all the money in the world will never be enough. In fact, this is why some recipients of retirement benefits and people who unexpectedly come into money face the “windfall effect” – quickly burning through it within a couple of years.
The best preparation for wealth isn’t just a higher pay, a promotion, or a lottery win. It is developing the right mindset, habits and values you want made known when the money finally comes.
Looking to change your money mindset and habits for the better? Order your copy of “Are You Good with Money?"
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