The Message of Leadershipنموونە

TWO BLIND MEN

"Money is the barometer of a society's virtue."
-Ayn Rand

What do all men have in common? One thing is the love of money and dependence on it. This vice affects the rich as well as the poor. The rich are burdened by how to keep wealth and the poor are haunted by how to get wealth. To both groups, money can be a curse that plagues them all their lives and affects the way they see things.

How do we balance our spiritual lives with the needs of the material world? A rich man can be poor spiritually and a poor man can be rich in his inner being. What drives you? I know very few wealthy men who are truly “rich” and yet I know many poor folk who truly are independently wealthy in their soul.

I sat behind Ray Charles on a flight to California one day and was amazed to see how he traveled all alone and managed quite well, not just for a sightless person, but for any person at all. Sitting next to me was a very intelligent businessman who was not managing so well. He appeared to have it all materially, but seemed to be missing the spiritual insight to recognize his personal need of a Savior. Two blind men; one physically blind and the other spiritually sightless. Which would you rather be?

We live in a world of contrasts. I have noticed that money can cause a sort of blindness that is difficult to overcome for any man. It makes us self-reliant and creates an illusion of being self-sustaining. A wise leader knows that adequate funding does not make us successful any more than having eyes enables us to see. Blindness has many forms. How is your sight?

Essential Insight 30: Don’t let your love of money blind you to what is truly important or valuable. Money is only a tool—it doesn’t make you rich.