What does Goddess of Wealth, Laxmi, want from us?

Wealth and money is a funny thing: When we don’t have it, we crave it and worry about it.  When we have it, we don’t use it wisely.  When we leave it behind, others fight over it.

So, what does Goddess Laxmi expects of people when she blesses them with wealth.  She expects people to appreciate her blessings and use the wealth wisely.  Only in doing so people can derive positive benefits of happiness and bliss from it.

In some ways, people are custodians of her blessings.  People need to use the wealth entrusted to them to help other less fortunate human beings, the environment, the Mother Earth, the planet.

Most people don’t realize that wealth is a two edged sword.  If you don’t use it wisely, it can also make people utterly miserable.  Multiple homes, cars, yachts, planes and even private islands don’t really make people happy.  They think they are, but are they? Really?  How many wealthy people do we know who are utterly miserable!

Most really wealthy people don’t use even a fraction of their wealth in their own lifetime.  It happens because they have been unable to recognize the custodianship nature of the wealth and a purpose for it.  So, it remains unused and unfulfilled.

I recently read that a former chief minister in an Indian state spent over $60 Million dollars on his daughter’s wedding that included over 50,000 guests and many days of celebrations.  Does this kind of excessive behavior serves any meaning purpose other than ego fulfillment?  I cannot conceive of one.

They end up leaving it behind for their children, whose relationships often get entangled and strained because of it and the inheritance issues.

Does it mean people should not aspire wealth? No, they should.  But they must also recognize that great, or even not so great, wealth comes with the responsibility to use it wisely and purposefully.  Only then it can make people happy.

Real happiness does not come from accumulating stuff, objects and trophies for the ego.  It comes from basic things like good health, a purposeful life, and positive relationships.  

So, whatever we have, we should treat it with respect, be grateful for it, and use it wisely.