Get rich or die trying.
I know. That's trivial, right. Not something that anyone should want to live by. But it's not just a hip-hop reference to me and 50 Cent is not my role model. Neither do I view the phrase as a motto with the main goal being greed of material possessions. I never had a personal quote, but if I have to choose one this one is as good as any 'cause money is my biggest aim in the world.
Greed is looked down upon, so obviously the fact that I revolve my life around money and how I'm going to be successful in obtaining it in very, very large amounts makes me as selfish and superficial as possible. But money is not just money. Buying expensive shit with it is not it's only use.
Money is freedom. It plays a very big part, possibly even the only part, on how free you can really be. Yes this is the land of opportunity, 21 is the age of liberation, and you can do whatever you want when the right time comes. But how far can your freedom take you on $5? Or even $5,000? If that's all you got, you're not going anywhere and you're not doing anything. You have all the freedom in the world, but not enough money to do anything useful with it. You might as well be 12 again.
Real freedom would be deciding one day that I want to be eating a baguette in France and being there within 24 hours. Real freedom is going shopping and not being afraid to buy everything I like in every single color. Real freedom does not have to be only beneficial to me; real freedom is being able to drop a couple thousand on the less fortunate and not worry about how that'll effect my life and my financial standing. I can give freely, spend freely, and travel freely. However I choose to live, I can make it happen. I can afford to. I don't have to cut back and budget my dreams, goals, or desires.
There are so many things that wealthy people can do that, well, only wealthy people can do. Try to be homeless and decide you want to walk around naked in public. It's not happening. But if you have enough money to get yourself a place, you are free to walk around in the nude as much as you want in your own quarters. It's a step up when you're rich as fuck. I mean, Lady Gaga walks around with her ass hanging out and it's more than okay, it's a fashion statement that is often encouraged.
Money can't buy happiness? I can sort of stand by that. No, money will never buy you direct happiness. But if you have a shit load of money and you're not happy, truth is that you're spending it on the wrong fucking things. People aren't happy because they can't find love: If you're rich, dress yourself the fuck up and make yourself presentable inside and out, and you'll find it. People aren't happy because they can't make their dreams come true: If you're rich, what dream can't you make come true? Buy that boutique you've always wanted to own, go to school to be the brain surgeon you've always wanted to be, take acting classes. Money doesn't buy you happiness but it can buy you everything you need to make yourself happy. It's your own fault if you don't know how to take initiative and use your resources.
To be in poverty is as good as being in jail. Even to be part of the middle-class, you're confined to the regular 9 to 5, the 5-figure-salary that won't grant you many vacations, maybe you can't have the baby boy you've always wanted 'cause you can't afford a kid. Probably won't have your dream wedding. Probably won't have the house you always thought you'd grow old in. Probably won't see the sights the world has to offer. I don't know about you, but even thinking of living with such obstacles is painful. That's why for me it will always be "Get rich or die trying." It's equivalent to the old phrase, "Give me liberty, or give me death." If I can't have the freedom of roaming around the world, having the job of my dreams, or doing the things I want to do all because I'm too fucking poor, I'd rather die. And that's why I keep my eyes on the fucking prize. My eyes will always be on the money. My greed is purely for living a quality life that knows no boundaries or restrictions. It proves to be a goal difficult to accomplish. And impossible without money.
To put an end to my point and lengthy post, if you want to know who is really free; it's not the 21-year-olds who suddenly have more freedom and independence in the eyes of the law or the immigrants who fled their oppressive native country and are now in the so-called Land of Opportunity. It's the millionaires and (especially) the billionaires. For the filthy rich, there is no Land of Opportunity. Their bank account alone grants them a whole entire world of opportunity. They can go anywhere, do anything, buy anything, be anyone, and get away with everything. Anything that their heart so happens to desire. They can even get away with murder. Money and freedom go hand in hand. No money, no freedom. Even the slaves back in the day knew it.
Posted by fmonster