The Oz Next Door
Oh man, I took some HEAT heat after yesterday's post. Yes, some productive feedback, for sure. But the heat was hot. One particular criticism caught my eye:
"You throw around all these statistics, but there's literally not one person in my life who is struggling with credit card debt."
I'm sure you've seen The Wizard of Oz; it's a classic! My favorite scene in the movie is after 93 minutes of being made to believe Oz is so great and powerful, the curtain is pulled back to expose him as a fraud. It turns out he used smoke and mirrors to portray himself as this great and powerful wizard, when the truth was he was a frail old man.
This might come as a shock to some, but you probably have an Oz living next door to you. You probably have an Oz in the cubicle next to you at work. You probably have an Oz in your family. That fancy-looking couple at church? Possibly an Oz. The "rich" person you tend to get jealous of? Possibly an Oz.
In my work, I have the privilege of seeing behind the curtain of hundreds of households. The world sees what it sees, and in many cases, they see a great and powerful wizard. Unfortunately, what's really behind the curtain is a proverbial frail old man.
What appears to be wealth is really debt.
What appears to be freedom is really slavery.
What appears to be success is really destruction.
What appears to be wisdom is really tomfoolery.
What appears to be sturdy is really fragile.
I could tell you story after story after story of wealthy-looking people who appear to be the definition of success, but are on the brink of utter destruction.
I've witnessed so many tears from people who make $500,000+ per year, live in mansions, drive luxury vehicles, have a social media timeline full of exotic travel pictures, and have status in their community.
In many of these cases, credit cards aren't what directly propelled them into a financial spiral. Their car loans, lifestyle creep, and hefty mortgages did the initial damage. However, almost every one of these situations eventually results in brutal credit card debt. The credit cards become the symptoms of destruction, and the boat anchor that prevents the ship from ever floating again. They can always sell a car or a house, but there are only two ways out of credit card debt: grind it out or file for bankruptcy. It's the silent killer that's draining the hopes and dreams of an entire generation.
You absolutely know dozens of people who are deeply impacted by credit card debt; you just don't know which ones. They are hiding behind their curtains, hoping to maintain their appearance of being a great and powerful wizard.
Moral of the story: Never be jealous of the people around us. They might be an Oz. Instead, live with a posture of contentment and humility, pursue meaning, and never allow the desire for more to pollute your peace.
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