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HomeOpinionHelping the Poor: A Meaningful Purpose in Life

Helping the Poor: A Meaningful Purpose in Life

Like many a human who has reached a certain age, I’ve spent a lot of my adult life going to weddings. And last month for me was filled with wedding celebrations and parties. 
    
And going to these recent lavish events, most of the guests, I have obviously noticed, were sporting high-status brands of clothes, shoes, jewelries and bags – and a new set of luxury goods after another event! Surely, while wearing luxury brands boosted their perceived status, I found, amongst them, the lack of any serious conversation. It seemed like they’re just all up to impressing people around them, whom, I am certain, they don’t even like to begin with.
    
This I firmly believe: flaunting luxury goods in order to show off is such a waste of money. Money as a resource can be meaningfully spent or converted to something of its worth, like something that needs more attention. 
    
To the affluent, conspicuous luxury consumption – donning branded clothes, riding luxury car – truly is something normal. But to the underprivileged, money spent to these luxurious possessions can mean a lot to them. Out there, one can be shopping for an expensive school bag while another is struggling to go to school.
    
Life doesn’t start or end with expensive belongings. I think for most people spending money for expensive things mainly as a matter of showing off isn’t an intelligent move, especially for educated people, who know how the world is moving financially. This is money that can be used later when need arises, or more even to help other people who are in dire need.
    
I do hope that people will start to realize that expensive material things don’t add real value to life, thus spending too much on a mere wedding outfit is unnecessary extravagance. People need to think beyond their comfortable zone and walk away from such situations that are really beyond their means. Say, think about decades of problems like poverty. 
    
For the influential and people in power, you can be an enabler to other people for them to have a bright future. Hand out scholarships. Fund their business. Build infrastructure and developing products that makes things better for them. Let us use our influence, fame and power to create something good. Financially competent people helping financially incompetent people is such a bright idea. Remember: what is so little to the well-off people can really mean so much to the impoverished. 
    
Also remember: there is no band-aid solution to deep problems like poverty. So don’t just help them. Guide them. I personally enjoy working with individuals who want to run their own businesses. It is relatively easy to finance existing businesses. While I show individuals how to do this, I tend to think that I am helping them to create their own program to help others. 
    
Remember, everything worth achieving is a process that takes time. Helping the poor may be just small thing, but it is like slowly planting seeds, and we will be enjoying its fruits someday. Because by helping the poor generally improves society and makes it functional. And this kind of value system can eventually lead to a positive change. To a better country. And to a better world. 
    
Let’s not lose hope. I urge everyone to have a meaningful purpose in life.

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