Money is not the be all and end all of life, says Sarba. An exclusive for Different Truths.
On a bright summer day a few years ago, with thousands of thoughts crowding one’s mind, the constant pings on WhatsApp, I looked out of the car window, thinking whether my life was good, whether I had achieved much and above all, what did I genuinely want from life?
At a distance, I saw a bright red Gulmohar tree, dancing in joy. I realised that some things in life, that are free, fill one’s drab days with colours.
Think about it, that extra chutney after the Golgappa, that sweet cuddle from a little child, the warm snuggle from a cute pet, the cold drops of a sudden downpour, the azure winds of the summer evenings are all free, yet they are so beautiful.
In my tiny life, I have had thousands of lectures from seemingly well-off people, who brag about the importance of money.
In my tiny life, I have had thousands of lectures from seemingly well-off people, who brag about the importance of money. “Invest money, let it grow exponentially for you,” they say haughtily.
I too have a dedicated and loyal relationship with money. I like to save money and have calculated money in spreadsheets, to keep money aside for a rainy day, or an unprecedented emergency.
Money also snatches the inbuilt belief of power in each of us. We feel that if we do not have money, we are powerless.
Yet, in the end, I have realised that even if I have money in my account, the quest for more money never ends. It only makes one miserable. Money also snatches the inbuilt belief of power in each of us. We feel that if we do not have money, we are powerless.
I would like to have the audacity to declare that each one of us, yes ordinary people like you and me are extraordinarily powerful.
I would like to have the audacity to declare that each one of us, yes ordinary people like you and me are extraordinarily powerful.
We have the power of loving relationships that make our boring lives extraordinarily beautiful. No form of money can negate it.
If you have less money, but lots of silly people around you who love you beyond limits, please remember that you are eternally powerful.
… while money gives a sense of security and ensures comfort in the face of economic adversity, the power of love from people around us makes us capable of facing life, right into her eye
That also does not mean that you spend all your money recklessly. What I mean to say is that while money gives a sense of security and ensures comfort in the face of economic adversity, the power of love from people around us makes us capable of facing life, right into her eye, no matter what happens.
I know, I may sound impractical, but please take a moment to count the number of times, money without any loving relationship gave you joy and then count the number of times, moments of love made your life livable.
I am sure the latter will make you smile brightly, just like the bright Gulmohar tree of the summer days.
So, keep loving and keep living, accept money as an entity not as your identity.
Visuals by Different Truths
Sarba Roy is a bohemian spirit, an InfoSec professional, a passionate advocate for women’s empowerment, writer, bibliophile, speaker, mentor and folk artist. She has had the privilege of traveling across 20 odd countries and believes that the world is her family. She wants her story to be of a small-town girl from India from a humble background who was nurtured with values, empowered by education, and inspired by a dream to positively impact the world.
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