Charles: On Wealth and Investments
I think when people are so pumped and ready to be rich, it’s good that they talk to people who have been there and done that. They’d probably learn a thing or two. I know money is one of the greatest tool ever, it can buy you things and a whole lot more. But there are some common traps that men fall into when it comes to wealth and investments. Allow my good friend Charles, a businessman and quite a learned man when it comes to investing and entrepreneurship, to tell you about his own lessons about this topic:
“Don’t tell me where your priorities are. Show me where you spend your money and I’ll tell you what they are.” - James W. Frick.
Making investment in the stock market was my passion for a season of time. I was able to quadruple my money in a year span by investing in the Philippine market. My time, passion and goals were mainly devoted on money. My goal was to earn millions of pesos and live a luxurious and pleasurable lifestyle. There seems nothing wrong with the passion or goal that was inside my mind – my heart measures my success on how much money I made. The more digits on the pass book the more handsome I thought I was. I was happy if more money came in but vise versa, if less money came in, I felt terrible. After a while crisis came, most of my investments were wiped out because of the sub-prime recession in the United States. My life was shaken, goals were not met, relationships were broken, and my self-esteem was at the lowest point. My passion in life started to fade. I was too dependent on wealth and attaching every area of my success to money. I learned 3 major points in making faith investments.
1. NEVER DEPEND ON WEALTH – Life’s passion should be attached to a source that last a lifetime.
There is something else terribly unfair, and it troubles everyone on earth. God may give you everything you want—money, property, and wealth. Then God doesn’t let you enjoy it, and someone you don’t even know gets it all. That’s senseless and terribly unfair! [Ecclesiastes 6:1-2]
2. VALUE TIME MORE THAN MONEY.- Success doesn’t come overnight, it takes time and hardwork.
Remember, you can earn more money, but when time is spent it is gone forever- Zig Ziglar.
Everything on earth has its own time and its own season. [Ecclesiastes 3: 1]
3. INVEST ON RELATIONSHIPS
You are better off to have a friend than to be all alone, because then you will get more enjoyment out of what you earn. [Ecclesiastes 4:9]
Investing with a purpose gave me significant value in life. It believe it will lead me to where I want to be in the future. I know money cannot satisfy my greed. But because of crisis and my greediness as well, it brought me to my knees and was able to find a lasting source of that would give me joy and peace in life.
It says in Proverbs 3:5
trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
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Charles Sy is a 29 year old entrepreneur and business owner of Cotton Depot Textile Ventures.
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Holding on to 2 Competing Values: You Cannot (on Money and God)
Doc Bu: On Joy And Confidence
Comments
charles sy, cotton depot, Eccelsiastes 4:9, Ecclesiastes 3: 1, Ecclesiastes 6:1-2, investments, James W. Frick, Money, value, wealth, Zig Ziglar
