i have very rich goals. i was fortunate enough to have been raised in a household where for the better part of my formative years my parents were very well off. it’s not to say i lived in a perfect world, far from it. i was the youngest of 3 and my parents divorced shortly after i moved away. in a way i was the glue holding their completely unstable marriage together, but i was able to learn a lot during that time.
my dad has been very successful in what he does, although i’m not exactly sure what he does but he works in finance and was able to afford me almost any opportunity i wanted. he always told me “you need to work hard so you can maintain this lifestyle you’re so accustomed to” and it was enough motivation to push me through school and to get a good job, but it always felt so fake.
i’ve come to realize, it’s not about money that will make me happy with any lifestyle, not money itself at least. rather it’s being surrounded by fulfilling “things”. people who are filled with life, love, and joy. money itself cannot provide those things, and anyone who tells you it will is lying to you. money however, can make it easier to focus on those things that bring you joy. focus on those relationships and allow them to flourish and grow.
when people ask the question of bill gates, elon musk, jeff bezos - "don't they have enough money?" or "they're so greedy, they need to give more away" i often just do not care. but then it occurred to me. they obviously have more money than they could ever spend, but for them it's not about money. it's about doing what they love and are passionate about. and sure, they could probably stand to pay more money in taxes for the betterment of the rest of society, but who should possibly stand in their way and tell them that are greedy for pursuing their passions. if that's the case, then i sure as hell hope to be greedy as i pursue my passions and selfish in that i want to focus on keeping myself happy first and foremost.
so in short, do i want to be rich? yes, but not because i want to buy fancy materialistic things or become an asshole rich guy... but because i want to be able to focus on what makes me feel fulfilled and the people i love in my life. and only for money may making that reality a bit easier, do i want to be rich.