Page 48 - #letter to son

#SangamNiti MIDDAY WARMTH
I was taken aback by the second option. But he patiently explained that
if I wanted to progress in life – complete my Chartered Accountancy
degree in this case – I must forget that I have comfort cash. Otherwise,
I would lean on money in ways that it could make me dependent on it –
and the job – forever. So I decided to do something bold. And, over the
years, this decision has shaped my perspective of money.

I ensured a free hand in giving my ‘surplus’ to bridge anybody’s ‘deficit’.
Whoever wanted money could come and take it. So my cash was used
in circumstances where peers had to pay for their tuition fees, or for
boarding and lodging, or for meeting petty expenses. I had a savings
bank account in Corporation Bank and I still remember one of my
juniors shouting in glee, “Sangam bhai ka account hain na Corporation
Bank mein. Toh kya chinta hain? Corporation Bank zindabad.” (Why
worry, Sangam sir has an account in Corporation Bank!).

The ‘surplus’ changed my view of the world and its view of me and it
was then that I realised the real compounding effect of money. It was
not in stashing it in a deposit and earning interest. No sir. It was in
benefitting others. In turn, it helped me create an unparalleled people
ecosystem and an army of well-wishers who became lifelong loyalists.
How can one compare the value of these enduring relationships with a
3.5 percent bank interest? How could I not buy into their tough times
and ease their distress as much as possible?

However, it was not that I did not value money – or my worth.

I remember in my youth I was called for a temp assignment for a week
in my former home décor company. After the successful completion of
the job, I billed them for eight thousand rupees. Imagine this was more
than my monthly salary when I worked there. My boss teasingly said
that I had become ‘very expensive’. I countered that yes, I valued my
services and my worth.

In another situation, I worked in an organisation for about seven days
and had to quit because of circumstances that were old-world and unfit
for someone who was all for change. Despite this however, I billed them

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