Living a life of luxury is a common answer you would get if you asked a majority of the people on the street what their ideal life would look like. Flying private jets, eating the most delicious food there is, and traveling to destinations a majority of regular folks can only dream about — living a life of luxury is very attractive to those who do not live it, but also very addictive to those who do. Interestingly enough, soon after you have experienced what it really means to be rich and famous, you easily get accustomed to the perks it brings and try to look for new ways to satisfy your inner hunger, which is, ironically enough, insatiable. And oftentimes, on their voracious quest for more, it is easy for some people to make a few wrong turns and end up feeling miserable and unhappy. Let us take a look at some perks, but also perils, that come with living a life of opulence and prosperity.
You can use your power to make a positive change
Wealth is a powerful tool in the hands of the right person, a tool that can transform other people’s lives and make them better, provide encouragement for those struggling in the most desperate of times, and create chances and opportunities for those who never had any. Once you have money in abundance, what seemed to be unreachable is now a matter of choice, and all the issues that once seemed troublesome can now be resolved if you only use your power and influence and aim it in the right direction. Not only can you help make a positive change, but you can also feel better about yourself and proud about your achievements.
But it can also result in self-destruction
When you are wealthy, it seems as if the world’s your oyster and you can do as you please. However, once you know you can have anything you wish for in a blink of an eye, things start to lose their appeal, and soon you find yourself wondering what is the point of being rich when nothing excites you anymore. That is probably the reason why we can see so many celebrities having issues with alcohol use, abusing drugs, and engaging in reckless activities that often put their lives at risk. However, some who go through these difficult periods are able to bounce back and get help, opting for inpatient rehabilitation programs to recover and combat their addiction. They realize they are not as invincible as they thought they were and begin to understand that their wealth can’t pull them out of every trouble they get into.
You have so many opportunities
Imagine if money weren’t an issue and you did not have to work for another day in your life. You probably would not sit in your office, but rather use the time and money you have to do something that you truly love. If presented with an opportunity, many of us would not think twice about traveling to a remote country or trying all the things we could not, because we lacked either time or money. That is what it is like to be a rich person — you get the chance to hop into your private jet and pick the next exotic destination to visit or meet other famous rich people and celebrities and chit-chat — all because you have made a name for yourself.
But you can easily get bored
Once you reach the status of a wealthy person, you can easily make all of your dreams come true and you have the chance to be whoever and do whatever you want. However, having everything you want is not going to make you happy, and soon you will begin to understand that all the things you did and everything you sacrificed was because you had a goal, something to strive for. Once you have everything in plenitude, you realize that there are fewer things to aspire to and that you are stripped off of your ambitions. You are not exactly sure who your real friends are and even if you are, there is no way of knowing whether they are in it, because of you and your personality or because of your money and all the doors that are opened simply because they know you, using you merely as a tool for their own success.
Opulence is, therefore, a double-edged sword, and depending on the person you are, it can either make you or break you. It is often said as a measure of precaution to be careful what you wish for, and we could not agree more. A comfortable bed, a roof over your head, food in the fridge, and some money in the pocket — a life of moderation and gratefulness can be far more enriching than one of luxury and one of the reasons why we want more is because of other people, not because we truly, sincerely want them. That is something you should think about next time you wish for things you cannot or do not have — chances are, you probably do not even need them.
