Make Love And Joy Your Currency

What is it you truly value? Is it Money or Love and Joy? How do you measure it? Money is easy, you see it in your bank balance. Love and Joy? It's intangible, yet through your happiness or the joy you bring to others and yourself, comes so many more things into your life.

Perceived Wealth

In our modern world, most perceive wealth as financial assets, money, houses, cars etc. For the more wealthy, it becomes such an addiction, that they continuously seek the means to acquire more, as though there is an unquenchable thirst for more. The cupboards are filled to the brim, yet it is not enough, they just have to build more cupboards to fill more to the brim. Yet what happiness do they have or more importantly what love and joy do they bring to others. They simply attract those craving for more money themselves, as they piggy back on their wealth as though it is their own. Like a cockroach nest they seek, they steal, they fight, they trample over each other, simply to build their nest egg bigger and bigger. Yet what joy and love have they achieved. Usually very little and for a limited few, while the rest around them serve them or wander outside the nest in misery.

My Personal Experience Of Wealth

When I was in my twenties, I participated, lived and worked in this money spinning world, as a merchant banker in the financial capital of London. Why? Because I was trained to think this was the right way to be. Although I was exposed to so many distasteful, undesirable and appalling behaviours, I have ever encountered, I stuck it out till it consumed me as well. I finally admitted to myself, it made absolutely no sense whatsoever. From the day I left the enclosed walls of the financial "City of London", within Greater London, I decided to change my whole concept of what was important in life. At the time it was confusing, disappointing and I felt I had let down myself and my family, walking away from such a lucrative lifestyle. But it had consumed me. I did not like what I had become. I then realised that my life destiny was mine to determine and not for others to judge. Money and wealth is not the all consuming factor of its own. It is simply a tool, which provides greater choices. The choice is to create something good for all or for a very select few or even worse just for yourself.

Who Benefits?

When it's simply for yourself only, you become totally isolated in your castle. No one benefits. When it's for a very select few, you will find the select few are generally there only for your wealth and certainly not for you. Very few benefits. When it's for the good of all, the pie has to be divided carefully and equally, but the benefit is exponential, as those who directly benefit, will benefit others in turn.

My Personal Experience Of Love And Joy

Over the next 10 -15 years I experienced many different avenues within the travel and care industries. The big difference was it wasn't about money, it was about people. It taught me so much more about myself, life and cultures, through a wide range of people from all walks of life, with differing values, concepts and ways of living. The world had finally opened up to me, far far away from the prison walls of the City Of London, which I had mistakenly been informed would be the Nirvana, when it actually was the pit hole of depravity.

My Personal Experience Of Combining Wealth, Love And Joy

Eventually, I concepted to combine the two, raise money by setting up charities for good causes. I learnt a lot on the way. I am proud to say I raised over 1.5 million GBP in 15 years, for two charities I set up. Both for services which had never been provided for before in the UK. The first was a charity, Off The Record Bath (which still exists), to provide free and confidential information and advice for teenagers away from the clutches of social workers, whose remits were very limiting. Teenagers could now confide in their personal problems with qualified counsellors without fear of recourse. It was such a success in Bath that we became the highest funded independent charity in the district. It was a blast and I learnt so much during my ten years as Financial Controller of the Charity. I then moved on and saw another gap and a dire need in the market. Weekly sports clubs for disabled children and adults, which had never existed before. Everyone takes for granted to go to a sports club of their choice, to enjoy, improve and learn their favourite sport. But this was completely unavailable to disabled children and adults, as there was no expertise, equipment, and participation with others due to their specific disability being impossible locally or even nationally. Only a very select few with innovative wealthy parents actually participated in any sport whatsoever nationwide. Through fundraising, I eventually set up, through my charity Ability Sports, 15 local clubs in the South West of England, providing a wide range of sports on a weekly basis and the National Disabled Football League. Each club had qualified coaches and provided specialist training to work with the disabled, which I funded. The net effect was overwhelming, so many parents came to us with no hope and within a short while saw their disabled child transform in confidence, which reverberated into their personal lives and aspirations. I met so many sports celebrities and other influential people in sport, beyond my wildest dreams. Some of them became participants themselves, mentors and advocates for the charity. It all came to an end when the first major financial crisis of 2009 hit the world. Money dried up everywhere and funding became impossible to keep the momentum going. It finally dawned on me after research that money doesn't just disappear. It is constantly being produced from nothing, through the banking systems. Money simply moves during crises, as that is why they are created. It moves from the majority to the minority that is all. The minority steal it from the majority. Party time for the majority is over, until the next wave of money is released from nothing. If you check there is a 20 year cycle to this process.

So What Is My Point Here?

First Category:- I value how many people I can change their lives for the better. Which in turn gives me great joy and a wealth of unforgettable experiences. Second Category:- I only value how much money I have stored, which gives me zero pleasure except seeing numbers on a screen going up. Now some people may say I'm crazy, but for sure they come from the second category. But then those I helped will remember me for life and some still find me years later and remind me how much fun they had at the time and how much they valued it, and I recall those moments with great joy. They come from the first category. The world is your oyster to make what you want of it. Choose wisely. Choose which category you want to experience. Remember even if you don't have a penny to your name, which I've also experienced many times, you can still make someone else's life better. It just takes love, heart, time and effort, that is all.