If I Were a Rich Man or Women

The first time I saw Fiddler on the Roof is right after I got married.  For free entertainment (we were college kids) we would borrow DVD's from the library to watch for our date nights.   Now that Netflix, Disney+, and Hulu, there's no need for free library DVD rentals, hum...maybe I could save a few bucks if we reverted to the library...!  I'll have to think about that one.

I love this movie, it's an oldie but goodie.  You have to remember it was filmed in the 70's, and depicts the life of a Jewish Russian family and village in the early 1900's.  It teaches some hard lessons to kids, at least those who can sit through it.  My 8 year old sat through it and had some great questions afterward.  We were able to talk about freedom, history, culture, and religion.  It is a lovely story of tradition, and while tradition is great, but evolves.  Some see this evolution of tradition as great, others do not.

Tevye, the main charactor, and dad of the story, has a passion for his religion, his family, and his community.  In his "If I were a rich man" song,   I love his dancing in the barn with his beloved animals, his dibby dibby dum's.  Get up, raise your hands and dance while singing along the dibby dibby dum's.  Not only will you be in a better mood, you will want Tevye to be a rich man too!  Tevye also passionately sings in this song all the things he would do if he were rich: the service he would provide the Rabbi, the spiritual enlightenment he would obtain, and the double chin his wife would have (I mean...yes please!).  

Tevye's question to his God is:  "Lord who made the lion and the lamb, You decreed I should be what I am.  Would it spoil some vast eternal plan?  If I were a wealthy man."  In other words, if I were rich right now, would it make a big difference in my life I'm living?  I mean Tevye would have a fat wife, a happy rabbi, and more animals - all good things, so why not be rich now?  Why is he not rich?  Why are others rich, or inherit riches and most have to work to just get food on the table, let alone anything else?

Here's some statistics that may change your mind about instant wealth.  According to Wolf Street, 1 out of every 3 people that win the lottery end up declaring bankruptcy.  That's one third,  that's a little less than half.  That's a lot of people.  CNBC says that the 1/3 of these bankrupt lottery winners go broke 3 to 5 years after winning.  Other studies show that winning the lottery does not make you happier.  According to Jonnelle Marte from the Washington Post "Evidence shows that most people who make it to the top 1 percent of income earners usually don’t stay at the top for very long."  She says this in referring to those who won the $1.6 billion Powerball.  Basically, the lottery can make a person miserable.

If you don't have a plan with your money when you make $30,000, or even $80,000 - how would you know how to handle $1.6 billion?  If Tevye were given $1.6 billion, I'm sure his wife, rabbi and animals would be fat and happy, but would Tevye be the same man?  Would he still happily dance around his land delivering milk to his community?  I'm only thinking of this time of Tevye singing in the barn, not the entire movie (if you haven't seen it these people are asked to move because of their religion - I'm sure a billion dollars defiantly could have changed that).  Tevye is happy man with what he has.  His daughter is happy married to a poor Taylor, instead of the rich butcher that had been arranged.  I'm not indicating money keeps people from happiness, but it can ruin it if you aren't prepared.

So would being rich "spoil some vast eternal plan" or ruin the rest of your life?  Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, or on my insta.

Also, Fiddler on the Roof is on Netflix right now.  It's almost 3 hours long, you're welcome.

Road 2 More

We road tripped Crater Lake this past summer. Oregon has some of the most beautiful drives in the world, and this drive is the top of my list.  Imagine driving in a very thick forest that lined the two lane highway.  The pine trees rose as high as a Chicago high rise, or so it seems. We opened the windows and felt the coolness of the air rush through our fingers as our loaded van drives on.  The further we drive into this forest, the more dense the pine and shrubbery become.  The coverage of this forest is so thick, we couldn’t tell the small incline we were making as our car drove.  An hour or so into our forest journey, we encountered a clearing, where we could see just how far up had gone.  Eventually we made it to the entrance to Crater Lake National Park, still covered in pine.  Being Andrew’s (my husband) first time visiting the park, he asked where this supposed lake was.  Since I am the usual navigator, I took us in a wrong turn down into a campground, hoping we would get a glimpse of this mysterious lake.  Disturbed campers wondered who we were driving slowly and peering through their campsite in hopes we could see any patch of blue water down below. No such luck.

When we finally saw these magical blue waters shimmering between the tall pines, it was breathtaking. We stopped at all the little stops around the lake to get a different view of the crystal clear water down below. After a mile climb down the face of the volcano caldera, made it to our destination - the water. We swam in the refreshingly cold water. Our kids still frequent this memory, and the beauty being right next to the sparkling water. There is something so magical about Crater Lake, no wonder it is a National Park.

In your road of life, you find yourself in a dense forest (be it tropical or wooded, take your pick...), wondering "when the road with the high trees and dense foliage will cease and give you a break?"  Even though those mighty high trees are so beautiful at the start, tree...after tree...after tree becomes mundane, and burdensome. You become immune to the beauty that surrounds you. This journey also includes so many unexpected challenges, including twists, turns, backtracks, obstacles, and full-on roadblocks. Sometimes there is a fair bit of warning, but most times they just appear. You start to beg and plead with your creator for a clearing, a break, a unique purpose in this journey called life. You plead for a glimpse of those crystal blue waters to know you're almost there and you are on the right path.

Your road to life is yours. You may have people come and go, but truly you are the only one in this entire universe that has walked your distinct path. No one has a history that you have had. No on has had happen what has happened to you. No one has overcome what you have overcome. This journey is yours, its beautiful, distinct, and hard. You may think a person, that looks very successful has had it easy, or is walking on a path that looks to you to be very flat and without obstacles. I can guarantee if you were on that their path you would see a very different story of jumping hurtles, fighting off wolves and dodging bullets, you just cant see it from your path.

We all need a helping hand to help alleviate the stress and take the burden so we can see that road to more. Someone to chop down those trees so you get a peek at that beautiful blue water. I've been on your road before - felt defeated, felt alone, felt lost. Let me help chop down some trees and guide you past those threatening obstacles. Lets chase those beautiful vistas, and glimpses of wonderful things ahead. The road will forever be there - unless you are dead - so you may as well destroy the obstacles and enjoy those beautiful vistas along the way.

I'm a money coach talking all things money, planning ahead, investing, and business growing. Let me help you find your #road2more @road2more