In my previous job, I had made good money but had splurged it all on expensive gifts, fine dining, and other lifestyle goods.
And now, living in Mumbai was stressful due to high rent and my new job wasn't well-paying too.
That was for the first and only time in my life I was stressed, and anxious about#money. And it was years later I realized that it wasn't my small salary that was the problem.
Then what was ?
It was that I lived a queen-size life with my previous salary. I was 21, naive, made money but spent it all.
Today, I don't own an #Iphone or a luxurious car even though I can comfortably afford one. And why is that ?
Because I have learned my lesson i.e. to save and invest for the rainy day. And trust me in today's unpredictable world, rainy days exist more than ever.
In fact, last year I was able to leave my high-paying job at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and take charge of my own startup, all because I had saved enough. Today, I feel liberated because I just don't only work to make money but because my craft is my passion.
Wealth is a meaningless concept and has no absolute measure so why burn your fortune to just show off to someone, who perhaps doesn't care enough about you. The reality is everyone is too busy dealing with their own mess.
Needless to say, if you can afford and really want to spend on a passion, by all means, go ahead. Today, I spend $7 every day on coffee here in Cambridge because the coffee shop provides me with a productive and calming ecosystem. Guess, where am I writing this piece from?
But, the biggest goal in life shouldn't be to become a billionaire or a #millionaire but to attain freedom.
Freedom from chains of wealth.
And freedom of wealth comes when you have saved enough so if you move to Mumbai or Cambridge, you welcome the city with open arms and an open heart.
If you are interested in learning about GGI's MBA Scholar program, you can learn here.
Author- Shatakshi Sharma, Cofounder Global Governance Initiative, Ex- BCG, Advisor, Tony Blair Institute
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