After long time, I am posting another blog. Recently, I read a book, "Soul of Money - Lynne Twist". It was wonderful book and big eye opener. In this book, she narrates lot of her stories while working with "Hunger Project". Her childhood heroine is Mother Teresa. She narrates her story how she met with her and how she was agitated when a couple didn't show respect to Mother Teresa. Lynne writes a letter about the incident to Mother and receives a reply from Mother in which Mother mildly admonishes Lynne. Here is the extract:
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The vicious cycle of poverty, she said, has been clearly articulated and is widely known. What is less obvious and goes almost completely unacknowledged is the vicious cycle of wealth. There is no recognition of the trap that wealth so often is, and of the suffering of the wealthy: the loneliness, the isolation, the hardening of the heart, the hunger and poverty of the soul that can come with the burden of wealth. She said that I had extended little of no compassion to the strong, the powerful, and the wealthy, while they need as much compassion as anyone else on earth.
“You must open your heart to them and become their student and their teacher,” she said in her letter. “Open your compassion and include them. This is an important part of your life’s work. Do not shut them out. The also are your work.”
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Lynne also mentiones three toxic myths about Money most of the people have: 1. There's not Enough 2. More is Better 3. That's the just the way it is.
Another quote worth repeating here is about a lady from Harlem told her in one of her fund raising event.
"To me, money is a lot like water. For some folks it rushes through their life like a raging river. Money comes through my life like a little trickle. "But I want to pass it on in a way that does the most good for the most folks. I see that as my right and as my responsibility. It's also my joy."
Read the book to see beautiful ways how we can contribute to this world and how we don't need to get attached with material comforts, etc.
Until next time,
Nagaraj
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