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Are you Prosperous or just Rich ?

	A while ago, I was at a party and as usual, one gentleman, who I met for the first time, asked me whether the building he lived in was lucky or not. Generally, I hate such conversations during my non-working hours but I humored him as I have especially strong views on this particular building.

	I pointed out to him, that the people who lived in this particular building were not only wealthy, but also prosperous, and those who had moved out, continued being rich, but not necessarily prosperous.

	He looked confused and thought the loud music had contorted my words. Shouting above the din, “isn’t wealth and prosperity the same thing?” I sagely shook my head at him.

	No, it is not. “Well, what the difference”, he asked.

	Well, “wealth is a number, money in the bank, while prosperity is the capacity to enjoy that wealth.”

	It took a while before he got my point. The thing is, there is a fine line that separates wealth from prosperity. This particular gentleman belongs to a prominent Indian family that openly squabbles over the family inheritance after the loss of their father. It is an open spat, and the press has made the whole scenario pretty ugly. In addition, the now deceased father, was very ill for the last several years of his life.

	No amount of money was able to make his physical condition enjoyable. So was he prosperous, or just wealthy. My answer, he was rich but by no means prosperous.

	In comparison, look at the case of my driver. He is a simpleton, who smiles through the day, for no particular reason. One evening, driving back from the airport, we were discussing how he had settled into his new home, a shanty not more that a 100 square feet in all. He was thrilled that finally he had a room to himself which he did not have to share with anybody, and his wife a 3 year old son were living with him. He had just got his sister married and for the moment, had every kind of happiness he desired.

	Except for one thing, he said. In order that his life be perfect, all he needed was a colour TV. I was amazed. He lived in a slum, had to fight for water, sleep in excruciating Mumbai summer heat, on a stone floor, and all he wanted was a colour TV?

	I promptly organized to give him an old TV set that was not being used and truly, he felt his life was perfect. It then struck me, that this mans life was perfect. He had all he wanted, and to my mind, he may not be conventionally rich but he was definitely prosperous.

	Do you agree? Post your views to info@sherrymerchant.com

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