Money Doesn't Grow On Trees - GBE2 Week #6

Money trees have been a popular celebration gift for a while now. My mother had one at her 75^th birthday and there was one at my parents’ 50^th anniversary. But, I think the origin of the money tree idea was the old saying “money doesn’t grow on trees”. I can’t swear on that, but it wouldn’t surprise me one bit.  

Actually, if you’re talking about our own paper money, that old saying is true. NONE of the paper in paper money comes from trees. All of those greenbacks are made of 75% cotton and 25% linen with some red and blue fiber strands added for the purpose of making counterfeiting more difficult. Now, I knew there was linen in our money, but I didn’t realize there was NO wood pulp at all in it. So, I’ve learned something as I’m writing this.

Back to money trees, though; I think they’re great ideas when you want to give a gift but aren’t really sure what would be appropriate (co-worker, boss, graduate, engagement party, etc.) Everyone can put their cash gift on the tree which can then be presented with flair to the recipient along with the appropriate party accoutrements and signed card. In fact, if you wanted to add a bit more suspense to the gift, set the tree inside a large box which will then be wrapped and decorated with a big bow. Everyone can use cash and they’d be able to apply it to exactly where it is needed.

Success - GBE2

Success is a word I haven't heard often in relation to myself in my life, I have to admit. Yet, I know that there are many things with which I have been successful as well as areas in which I have failed or fallen short. The hardest thing I've had to learn in my life is that having those areas of failure doesn't make ME a failure. I wasted too many years thinking that because I failed in something that it proved that I, too, was a failure. If you read my blog entry on expectations, you'll understand the origins of that.

One thing I was never taught, though, was that success means making a lot of money. Yet, there are those who do. There are plenty of people who manage their lives successfully with very little money in their lives. There are others who have more money than they know what to do with and still don't feel like they've achieved enough. 

I think the word "success" has been misused to the point where it has such a narrow definition in people's minds that they don't recognize success when it's right in front of them. Too many people believe that success is a financial goal, which it can be; but they fail to see that there are others who have succeeded even when the odds weren't in their favor materialistically. 

And, there is the key - materialism. It's nice to have flat screen TVs and nice cars and new clothes, etc. But, I fail to see how that alone is a sign of success. If you're in debt up to your eyeballs, just how successful are you? Aren't you merely presenting a false front to look good? A pretense of what you're not? 

How about single moms whose spouse has abandoned his duties, yet despite tough times and little money, the kids are clean, fed, well-mannered, law-abiding and educated? Tell me how that mother, that family, can ever be considered anything other than a success. 

Look at the actor Will Smith. He grew up in West Philadelphia, one of the most violent and dangerous ares of that city. Drug use and gang activity are rampant. School dropout rates are cataclysmic. Yet, his success isn't in the money he makes. His success is in the fact that he came out of that environment without being damaged by it. Or should I say, his mother's success was raising a son who wasn't drawn into life on the street, who rose above his surroundings to become a man who is loved and respected by his fans and his entertainment peers. 

That's success. It's more than money - far more than money. It's support, acceptance and self-image all rolled into one. If any one of those things is missing, it only pretends to be success.