A Lesson from "The Gospel of Wealth"

Get RICH, amass as much as you can, hook or crook, beat or kill, wealth is the subsidiary requirement of life, without which we cant buy what we want, we cant buy what we need, we cant live the way we choose to live - so many think this way. Idolizing rich people, competing with neighbors in the materialistic world buying swanky things seen on advertisements, luxury is the new Savior of the hour. But this is such a wrong way of wasting life.

If everyone of us gets so selfish then 90% of humanity will have the same amount of Wealth the rest of the 10% will have amassed. This is actually the current situation. Nobody gives nobody, nobody shares wealth with nobody. The sufferers will continue to slog and the rich will continue to amass and rule and suddenly one day the world will end, its all over, nobody has actually ever lived or served the purpose.

What a lame blog you must be thinking already. Why should anyone give anybody? We work hard, we earn why give it away? Then you should know that giving to the needy gets you returns 10 times, or even more - but it may not be wealth for wealth in return. You may get paid in happiness, in prosperity, in health, in success, in peace, in death and many more. Everything we do, we see, we think, we make of has its own Value. We are what what we think.

AB De Villiers who plays for RCB gave away 50% of his earnings in the IPL to charity, Sudha Murthy runs a 900 Crore Philanthropy venture called Infosys Foundations across the country helping many underprivileged and socially challenged families and children, to this list there are many like Ratan Tata, JRD, Narayan Murthy of course, Steve jobs, Roosevelt, Bill Gates, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mangela, Henry Ford and there is one man who stands out of all even to this day is Andrew Carnegie. But why did they had to help others? Just because they "HAD" money? Even if they had money, were they in such distress that they felt they had to do something to this world with their money? Give it a thought. What has helping other people, valuing others' disability, others' weakness has got something to do with them?

Do I mean that if you want to be happy the only way is to help the needy? I am saying its one of the ways and not just that, its our primary responsibility as humans. We should value each other, respect, be compassionate, and be helpful. Give what you can, may be a shoulder to someone alone, a pat to someone working hard and sincere, bring on a smile in the other persons' face whom you think is sad, cheer somebody's day, not just wealth, there are a zillion things you can do to make the world a better place. Thats what differentiates the good from the great.

There is a book from this world's biggest Philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie and its called "The Gospel of Wealth". Andrew Carnegie was very poor, he had hardly any money and worked as a telegrapher when he moved to the US more than a century ago. In 1901 this man had wealth of 480$ USD MILLION, and imagine what wealth it might be in that time. Even today, if a person had just 10 million he stands to be in the RICH community. But what did Carnegie do with all that he had? HE dedicated his life to GIVING THAT MONEY AWAY. He CONTRIBUTED to the society by building colleges, hospitals, dams, museums, animal protection centers and hundreds of many more.

Giving is everybodys responsibility. If you dont give you dont get. Give whatever you can dear friends. I want you guys to spend 3 more minutes on this boring blog and read through below what Mr. Carnegie had to say

This is the picture of Andrew Carnegie who believed in using his fortune for others and doing more than making money. He wrote:

I propose to take an income no greater than $50,000 per annum! Beyond this I need ever earn, make no effort to increase my fortune, but spend the surplus each year for benevolent purposes! Let us cast aside business forever, except for others. Let us settle in Oxford and I shall get a thorough education, making the acquaintance of literary men. I figure that this will take three years active work. I shall pay especial attention to speaking in public. We can settle in London and I can purchase a controlling interest in some newspaper or live review and give the general management of it attention, taking part in public matters, especially those connected with education and improvement of the poorer classes. Man must have no idol and the amassing of wealth is one of the worst species of idolatry! No idol is more debasing than the worship of money! Whatever I engage in I must push inordinately; therefore should I be careful to choose that life which will be the most elevating in its character. To continue much longer overwhelmed by business cares and with most of my thoughts wholly upon the way to make more money in the shortest time, must degrade me beyond hope of permanent recovery. I will resign business at thirty-five, but during these ensuing two years I wish to spend the afternoons in receiving instruction and in reading systematically!

I hope we all learn the power of giving which is equal to the Art of Living and the art of happiness... C'mon, lets make this world a better place to live...