People can’t chose in which circumstances they were born but the future is indeed a chosen path. Thank goodness this is the case. Let me explain.
I was born in a family with tradition in Brazil who belongs to the Brazilian upper class. Although I enjoyed growing up with the many amenities my parents were able to provide, I must admit that the overall environment in which I spend most of my time as a kid has handicapped me until recently.
First and foremost: Golf was a great sport to learn and master but the implications of trying to be a competitive golfer in a country without a history for the sport were pretty negative. I took a big hit in school for a dream that wasn’t reasonably attainable which eventually resulted in me leaving the country for an opportunity under the sun in the United States.
I grew up with the ambition to own luxury cars. That’s a big problem, I’ve come to learn. A BMW X1 costs significant more than a Honda CRV, providing less value for your buck costing 20K more MSRP, without taking into account cost of ownership. For what? A symbol? Come on man.
Third, my philosophy of work growing up was based on hard and smart work in order to maximize income growth. The former isn’t necessary bad but the former without an understanding and value for money and investing is futile. It took me a long time to realize that frugality is a variable in personal finance.
I was once told by an old man to sleep with 7 girls a week for 10 straight years in my youth. Stop for a minute and think about this for a minute. The value of having a caring person on your side taking care of you in worth much more than having dozens of other ones for a night or two.
Having multiple houses, building your million by age 40, luxury here, luxury there… women and alcohol everywhere without any concern for a God’s law is simply suicide. I’m glad that I woke up from these ideals overtime.
It took me a while, I must add. Unlearning bad behavior just doesn’t happen overnight. I’m going to make a bold statement. To some degree, growing up in wealth can handicap a kid if he (or she) doesn’t make an attempt to unlearn behaviors
“When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.” 1 Corinthians 13:11.
I’m glad that God showed me the way to His path. Not everything that seem or feels good is good for you. The value of walking with God is priceless.
If God can make the crooked straight and the rough roads smooth as we learn in Luke 3:5, He can help you to become a better person if you repent and ask.
I did and he helped me. If you ask with the right motives to advance His kingdom, you shall receive. “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” James 4:3.
Be with God and flee from earthly pleasures. It’s worth the effort. Blessings to you all.