Shaquille O’Neal grabbed the headlines when he said, ‘We ain’t rich, I’m rich’: Shaq wants his kids to work their own way. He believes in working hard for your money, even for his six children. “You got to have bachelor’s or master’s [degree], and then, if you want me to invest in one of your companies, you [are] going to have to present it to me. … Bring it to me, and I’ll let you know. I’m not giving you nothing,” he added.
Mr. O’Neal was a dominant basketball player during his NBA career. He earned over $200 million as a NBA superstar, and now, as a sportscaster, businessman, endorser and an actor, he has amassed an estimated net worth of $400 million. Despite all his wealth, he didn’t want his children to feel entitled and want them to know the value of earning and be proud of what they work for.
Rich, what does the word really mean? My parents were both teachers. During most of my growing-up years, my family lived in houses that were partially subsidized by the school my father worked for. When we were at Mountain View College, the school had their own hydro-electric plant and water system, so cheap utilities were a bonus to their employees. We had showers, flush toilets, a refrigerator, and an electric stove. For years, our family did not own a car and relied on public transportation.
My father was excellent in budgeting and never believed in getting into debt to buy something we needed. In the Philippines, people told us we were lucky because we had money. When we visited many of our friends and relatives, although they had adequate food on their tables, they did not have the home amenities like ours. By today’s standard in America, my family would be considered as poor, but then we never felt that way when I was growing up. Compared to those around us, we were well off.
In college and medical school, I had the privilege of being on a full scholarship with a living allowance. In my third year of medical school, I got acquainted with some underclassmen, Greg, Ely, and Ric. The four of us came together and rented our own apartment. Later, we rented another apartment that was larger and closer to our school, UERMMMC College of Medicine and hired a relative of Greg to cook, do the laundry and upkeep of the apartment. Ate Pasing, as we called her, was the best helper you could have. She was the complete package. She did budgeting, shopping, cooking, housecleaning and laundry. We had no problem with her what so ever and we did not have to tell her what to do. All I could say is, she very well took care of us.
After we moved other members joined us: Danton, Cesar, Ed and later Mads. Some of our members brought from their homes beds, a refrigerator, a stove, an air conditioner unit and furniture and we ended up with a fully furnished apartment with no extra expense. Some guys had their own cars, and I had a Suzuki motorcycle for transportation.
It was during this time, being exposed to other folks who were from families who were more materially blessed, did I realize the concept of who was rich or poor was a matter of perception. You could go to the slams of Manila and see people living in abject property and feel that you are rich, or visit the opulent homes of Forbes Park in Manila realized how poor you are. I have met several individuals who served their churches as missionaries to third world countries and came home feeling how more blessed and richer they actually were.
In college, one subject I enjoyed was on Eastern Religions under Dr. Sydney Earl Allen Jr. at Philippine Union College (now Adventist University of the Philippines). I remember one of the four noble truths of Buddhism called Samudaya: There is a cause of suffering. Suffering is due to attachment. It is the desire to have and control things. It can take many forms: craving of sensual pleasures; the desire for material things; the desire for fame; the desire to avoid unpleasant sensations like fear, anger, or jealousy.
For Christians, the good book says, “He told the people, “Be careful to guard yourselves from every kind of greed. Life is not about having a lot of material possessions.” Luke 12:15. Another advice from the Solomon wisest man that ever lived, “Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don’t have. Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless, like chasing the wind.” Ecclesiastes 6:9.
Have you been to a garage and estate sale? You will fine things for sale priced pennies to a dollar. Some who are settling dead persons’ estate sometimes give away things for free. Yes, many times we get a sense of security and pride by surrounding ourselves with material things. The happiness materialism dimension refers to the belief that possessions and their acquisition bring happiness to people’s lives. An example of capturing happiness materialism is “I believe I would be happier if I could afford to buy more things”. After hanging on to these things for a while, the initial gratifications wear off and they end up as bargains in garage sales.
Studies confirm it. Buying material things doesn’t make us happy. The pursuit and purchase of physical possessions will never fully satisfy our desire for happiness. It may cause temporary joy for some, but the happiness found in buying new items rarely lasts longer than a few days. Just observed giving children a new toy that they want. They get excited after they get it and for a few days they play with it. Then, after a week, it would be just lying around, no longer getting their attention. As adults, we are not much different.
So do religions or philosophies put a premium on poverty? Robert Kiyosaki, author of best seller book Rich Dad, Poor Dad said, “The love of money is the root of all evil.” And “The Lack of money is the root of all evil.”
I have seen many rich and benevolent people who have done so much for others and live exemplary lives. Being rich and famous is not wrong. However, making that a primary pursuit in life is wrong. “Don’t wear yourself out to get rich; stop giving you attention to it.” Proverbs 23:4.
From a Christian perspective, we should not make fame and fortune a primary pursuit in life. Rather, we should make glorifying God our primary goal. Getting rich by glorifying God makes us channels of blessings to the world. There is a lot more one could do for others if you have the means, but one who is in dire poverty may not have that privilege.
Well, I hope by now you realize; “Are you rich or are you poor?” is the wrong question to ask. It should be; “Are you happy and contented?”
