Dave Ramsey
Dear Dave,
My husband and I are 38 years old. We’re completely debt-free, we each have great jobs with honest, conscientious companies, and we’re doing very well financially. We tithe regularly to our church, and we try to give wisely to civic groups and non-profit organizations in the area. We don’t talk a lot about this kind of stuff, because we’ve found it sometimes causes others to treat us differently. Believe me, we both understand how incredibly blessed we’ve been. We always try to give God the credit, and not brag as if we did it all ourselves. Do you think there’s a better way we could be handling our situation?
Amanda
Dear Amanda,
When you start building wealth and achieving some of your goals, you discover pretty quickly there’s a very small group of people you can celebrate with. It sounds like you’ve learned this already.
Lots of times there are friends, and even family members, you can’t celebrate with because it comes off as bragging – even if you’re just happy you’ve reached a milestone. So, you learn to keep stuff private and not even share the good things. Still, if you have a nice car or a beautiful home, these things can indicate you’re successful. Even if they’re a small percentage of your financial world, it will sometimes generate feelings of jealousy or envy in other people.
Jealousy is, “I want what you have.” Envy is, “I don’t think I can have what you do, so I don’t want you to have it either.” These are two really bad spirits, and they’re loose in our country today like never before. Part of the price of making smart decisions, and being wise with your money, is that some people don’t like it when you win or understand why you win. And they don’t think it’s fair that they’re not winning, too.
The truth is, you guys have every right to enjoy the fruits of your labor. You’ve earned it. You’re generous, successful people, and you’re under no obligation to explain your income, net worth or the fact that you’re winning.
And you’re not obligated to be ashamed of it, either.
Dave
