I've always wanted to give away money. My mother will tell you that ever since I was a little kid living in poverty, I wanted to get rich and share my wealth with the poor people in my neighborhood.
Scarcity will give you a hunger for success that those who have everything given to them lack. If you already have everything you could ever want, where is the desire to push on to greater heights?
Growing up poor motivated me to do everything in my power to develop the skills necessary to give myself a better shot at making myself a better man.
If I Was The Richest Man In The World...
But yes, If I had almost limitless wealth, I'd use it to uplift those that need it the most. I wouldn't give to very many charities at all as I consider them a racket benefiting the middle-class people running them. No, I'd provide direct cash payments to the very poor, and incentives for people to do better in life.
One of the things I noticed as a child was that many in my area lacked a basic support system to survive and thrive. They were constantly hiding from the bill collectors and worrying about how to pay the landlord. I saw this with my mom, as men would impregnate her and then move on to the next girl leaving her to pay for raising the kids alone.
So ensuring that people didn't have a constant worry about keeping a roof over their head, paying utilities, and having food in the cupboard, would be the least that I would do.
Having their base needs met, I'd sponsor tutors for the kids while making sure they had the technology they needed to learn. Cash incentives would go to those kids (and their parents), who went the extra mile to improve their grades. Those who didn't, wouldn't get anymore than the basic stipend.
Imagine what they could do if they didn't have to worry about providing for the basics in life? There'd be time for personal development on a scale not imagined before. If your kid graduates high school, I'd pay for college and buy the parents a house.
Others would see the change in their friends and also want to participate. Part of my thoughts were drawn from my own life experiences, but also from articles I read about when a city built a brand-new school in a financially depressed area.
They spent all this money on a building, and then complained that the students didn't thrive. Of course they didn't, as their home life was in a shambles. Many existed in extreme poverty where some had heat and lights turned off and very little food at home. Others resorted to selling drugs in order to stave off eviction, thus the cycle continued unabated.
Thus, the money they blew on that new school, would have been better spent by being split in providing a base level of support for poor families. And I'd do it in such a way that I'd place the dignity of the person at the center of everything I did.
You Can't Take It With You...
No one wants to be poor and everyone would like to live a better life. So if I was the richest man in the world, I'd ask myself "What would Jesus do?" He wouldn't be wasting it on 100 million dollar yachts, he'd get down to helping those most in need live up to their full potential.
That's the type of legacy I'd like to leave behind. Leaving the world a little better than you found it, and providing fuel for many to realize their dreams.
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