Dear Friends
I look out my window and see mountains and blue skies. I am blessed. How I got here?
The continued search for wealth and wisdom are interwoven. There is nuance in all of these things. My father was never a greedy man but enjoyed business, never cheated anyone and wanted to create opportunities. Together with my family the opportunities were created and that is how I got here. I have skin in the game.
The idea that the climate crisis is for governments and companies to sort out is the same. We have skin in the game, we have to create the opportunities and drive change.
Development and Sustainability must be a joint goal.
Anyway happy reading.
Nish
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
Taken from Psychology today
This has been a staple for years in management and HR circles and I first looked at this at A level. Now this is not a catch all scenario, but sits with me quite well. I do believe that work spaces should be the top of the pyramid, but the reality is that this is the case for very few people.
Covid and now the invasion of Ukraine have placed a strain on the bottom two sections of the pyramid. There should be no such thing as the working poor. I think capitalism done right can enable this for a majority of the people.
Using my father’s example he would be at Esteem Needs and was almost at Self Actualisation. He created the opportunities, and I am grateful enough to take them forward.
Ways to change Mauritius - Moving up the pyramid
The starting blocks move as generational wealth is compounded, someone pointed out that the chancellor or the minister of finance should never be a rich man. The understanding that comes from the reality of being poor should temper policy, in the same way understanding growth stimulates policy.
Economists through the ages have relied on rational decisions being made by individuals which is a dangerous assumption.
Personal finance is something which is not really taught at school. If the majority of the population became financially literate there would be a step change in society.
Understanding how money flows
Holding those who spend your money to account
Understanding the difference between wealth and money
Investing
There are two parts to the bargain. As an employer I pay what is a living wage (considerably more than the minimum), and the wages grow with the opportunity. Moving to the esteem level of Maslow’s pyramid should be the minimum aim, as for the top part of the pyramid, that remains an individual journey. I hope we can do it together.
Also that wealth and money are different things.
Song lyric
The O”Jays sang about Money based on the well known bible verse
"For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."
Building the conversation.
I write these, as an intellectual exercise, trying to understand the world, and it’s need to change. Adrock said once “I’d rather be a hypocrite than the same person forever.”
There is a need to change and a need to practice that change.
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About me
This is where I put annoying descriptors, but simply I like looking at problems, fixing them, and asking questions. Outside of this I love film, music and books. I can be found on twitter and instagram and linkedin.