My part time housemaid works in more than half a dozen homes doing various jobs like cooking, cleaning, dusting, etc.
Her husband is no more, and she has to care for her three children.
She starts her day at 7:30 AM and works until almost 9:00 PM in the evening, seven days a week, yet she won’t earn more than Rs 20,000 ($250) in a month.
I doubt if she would be saving anything for the future.
She has been working as a maid for the past 10 years, and yet she has no substantial advantage over a new maid.
After 20 to 30 years, if she worked as a maid, she would earn almost the same income after adjusting for inflation.
Due to her low income, she is able to send her children only to the government schools, where the quality of education is pathetic.
Hence, even her next generation would be working as maids or doing similar household work for a petty salary.
The same is the condition of millions of poor people who are working as labourers, guards etc.
Now, compare her life with the life of my children, who got their education in good private schools and are now working in corporates where they are earning 10 times more income than her with half the number of hours.
My children also worked hard, as much as we parents as my wife and I taught her daily since they were little children.
I am sure if my maid had been born in a rich family, she would have been doing as well or at least earning much more than what she is earning now with much lesser hard work.
Still, my children may not become millionaires in their lifetime despite working for over 35 years.
On the other hand, if you are born the child of a billionaire, such as Mukesh Amabani, you will inherit wealth worth billions, and you will remain rich till the end of the day, even if you don’t work for a minute.
Most people are rich not only because they work hard but also because they were born into a rich or middle-class family with supportive and caring parents.
It is difficult, but not impossible, to become wealthy if you are born in a poor family.
Most of the wealthiest people in the world, like Steve Jobs, Warren Buffet, and Bill Gates, are self-made billionaires.
However, they did not become rich only because of hard work, but because they are gifted with exceptional talent in their chosen area and were lucky to have started the right business at the right time.
They were also lucky to be born in a developed country. If they had been born in a country like Pakistan or Afganistan, they would never have been as rich.
Hence, luck is always an important factor in becoming rich.
However, since you have no control over your luck, the only practical way to overcome poverty is to identify your talent and work hard to become rich by acquiring the right knowledge and honing your skill.
Source of picture: Google Images
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