Читать книгу Money Mammoth - Ted Klontz - Страница 21

This is the story of James and Alex, both of whom grew up in wealthy families. Both have more money at their disposal than they could spend in a lifetime. Both are surrounded by conspicuous luxury, and they have had the best education that money can buy. They eat the finest foods; they wear the finest clothes, and they run in the most elite social circles. They are financially set for life. In terms of material possessions, they have it all. Their wealth is not only profound, it is generational. Both come from families that have been wealthy for generations. Even though they come from similar places, they are very different people.

James is a spoiled brat. His life consists of parties late into the night and sleeping in almost every day. He doesn't do anything productive. He doesn't work. He mistreats service providers. In fact, he can be downright cruel. Even though his parents have given him everything he wants, he resents them. He drinks too much; he eats too much, and he gambles incessantly. Inside, he feels bad about himself. He feels lost, purposeless, depressed.

Alex, in contrast, lives a very different life. He wakes up early each morning, and spends much of the day strategizing how he can leverage the financial gifts he has been given in ways that are consistent with his and his family's basic value of making the world a better place. He feels a sense of responsibility to be a good shepherd of the gifts he has been given. He is interested in knowing how he can increase his wealth so that he can do even more good things. He exercises rigorously to keep himself in peak physical condition. He is a practitioner of meditation and yoga. Though he didn't have to, he joined the military service, risking life and limb for his family and his country. He has spent years forgoing all of the pleasures that his family's money could have provided for him in an effort to make a name for himself and enhance the family legacy. He hopes to gain prominence as an officer and return home to enter politics. He is deeply connected to his family history. He appreciates what his parents, grandparents, and great grandparents have done for him and his family. In fact, he knows all about each of them: how they each made a living, what they worked at, and what they accomplished. He is driven to elevate his family's wealth and its status, and to pass this legacy down to his own children and grandchildren as he helps make the world a better place.

These two young men come from similar wealth, but have developed into very different people. Both were given every opportunity. One is passionate, appreciative, and ambitious. The other is depressed, resentful, and purposeless. It is human nature to seek pleasure and avoid pain. So it's easy to understand why someone like James, who has everything, might sit back and enjoy it.

So this begs the question: Why would an incredible rich young man, someone who has more money than he could ever need, someone who is living in the lap of luxury and comfort—why would he join the military, forego comfort and pleasure, risk his life, and be so utterly focused on growing his family's wealth and status?