I watched a recent jackpot in a part of the United States where the winner was given a whopping 800 million dollars. I don’t play jackpots and can’t be expecting such an amount of money from that source, but I know some people who do. But when I heard that sum, I began to wonder what that amount would do for me at this level. It could either be my key to a lifetime of bliss or very well be the ruination of me. Either of the two depends on how my mind is prepared to receive it.
Life is in stages, lived age by age, level by level, maturity by maturity, and so on. The level of mental preparedness of each stage differs, and so are the desires and preferences that come with it.
So, like building blocks, wealth is acquired in layers, and each layer requires new skills, experience, and mindset to cope with. The maturity and the readiness of the mind to welcome each stage determines how the wealth is sustained and how it grows from one layer to the other. I have made some financial mistakes in life due to my age, my level, or poor mental disposition at that given time. I know many of you can relate.
Many young people have near visions and poor financial habits. Having so much money at a certain age may upset the equilibrium of their mind and make them lose their innocence, indulge in addictions, and expose them to different ills that they’re less prepared to handle.
The same applies to providing so much for a child’s needs and giving them financial freedom at a very early stage. Provision of any kind should be age-appropriate. Children should not be given all they want because their parents can afford it. Possessions and wealth are managed, instead they become destructive. That is why some young inheritors make unfortunate choices and waste their inheritance on poor/ inefficient financial management.
Children are to be seen and heard as well. Some parents believe only in the former and buy their children things that are beyond their age. The latest phones, the latest gadgets, the posh lifestyle, and all that money are left to play with are good but maybe unhealthy for them if not well managed, given their age.
Lifestyle pattern begins from early childhood. While it’s good for parents to give their children every advantage in life, knowing what to give at a particular age and stage in their life is the essence of this essay.
The maturity of the mind plays a pivotal role in shaping one’s financial outcome. Having a resilient, responsible, and well-adjusted attitude to money defines the layers of wealth and the compatibility of each layer with the attending disposition of mind.
✍️ Amara Ann Unachukwu
