In a conversation with one of my mentors, the word GREED came up in our discussion. He said something that was so touching. He said and I quote “GREED is not WEALTH, there’s too many greedy people around, taking advantage of ignorance and vulnerable souls – promising skyrocketing strategies to wealth, high returns on their investments – and in the end hurting and disappointing these people – because they make the process look so easy with their well-tailored marketing and sales pitches – which is NOT. The process isn’t easy, and that is why financial awareness and financial literacy education is so VERY important NOW and going forward.”

In a modern age filled with infinite possibilities and opportunities, GREED is inevitable. GREED is one of the greatest cause for all the sufferings in the world.

So how can we learn to be satisfied and content with our life, and not succumb to greed?

A possible solution.

Without viewing greed,there will be no wisdom of contentment. We gain wisdom, learn and grow from greed. But the problem with greed is, very few people are capable of growing out of it. It’s like an addiction. It doesn’t matter what greed it is, it could be greed in delicious food(gluttony), greed in pleasure of the flesh(lust), or greed in worldly materials. There are many kinds of greed in our daily lives.

Now, how can we stop all this greed? There actually is a way.

Now, imagine today is your final day on earth, your life will end tomorrow, you have 24 hours left to live as a human.

Be honest, would you still be greedy if you knew your end is near?

Greed stems from an expectation, an expectation that tomorrow will still come, and you still have time left to gain more, and more, and more. But when that expectation is gone, greed disappears.

Be honest, most people on their death bed don’t really want much. They just finish their final days, and may only hope for things like indulging in the simplest pleasures, like spending time with loved ones, enjoying your last meal, gazing at the furthest horizon at the beach. Think about it…

Have you ever met a person who still craves for more money, worldly materials or experiences when he/she is near deathbed?

Nope, death humbles us all, because it is a wake up call, it reminds us that nothing in life is permanent.

On this note, as business people and social change agents, the basic building blocks of a good business are not based on greed, they are based on serving and solving problems for other people.

If your business is offering a product or service that you believe can truly help another person, you would be doing them a huge disservice by not selling it to them.

You would also be doing a disservice to yourself and others in your company, by selling your product or service at such a low price that the business loses money, and has to shut down, or the people at the business can’t afford to work there or feed their families and plan for their futures.

So yes, you can make money with a business without being greedy. A good business will sell their services and products at a fair price that allows their customers to get what they desire, while using profits to reinvest in the business and make the offering better so it can serve even more customers, while providing quality benefits and work environment for the employees, while creating new desirable jobs.

GREED is NOT and should NOT be part of your WEALTH building principles.

Be ethical and help make the world a better place for all.