The Ten Struggles of the Rich

If you are a High Networth Individual living in Nigeria, then this post is for you.

I have noticed ten main causes of unhappiness among the rich in this part of the world. Particularly those who earned their status legitimately through hard work.

1. You will often have money and not find what to buy. This is a real struggle if you have taste. You will discover that the most basic standards of quality, thinking and service are absent here. Where present, they are rare and often hoarded by closed networks.

2. You will learn that true wealth is not money but people. No matter how lofty your ideas are, if you cannot find good people to execute your dreams; people you can trust, then you will be in sifia pains. Good people can afford to work for whomever they choose and there will always be an employer with deeper pockets or grander dreams than you.

3. You will struggle with relationships. God help you if you didn't have a tribe before becoming rich. You will wonder if people are with you for you or for your money.

4. You will grapple with loneliness. At some point, depending on how good you are at what you do, finding peers you can relate with in your specific set of circumstances may prove difficult.

5. Evolution will be hard for you. You've succeeded with a formula and fear changing it now.

6. You will often think about meaning. You worked hard for your wealth and so, you practiced delayed gratification for a long time. So now that you have the money, after the initial spending spree, you'll find you don't need or want a lot of stuff anymore. You want to do something meaningful with your wealth and wonder what it should be.

7. You will realise that the real currency in this part of the world is power not money. A lowly government official can determine your destiny, no matter how rich you are.

8. You will battle with time. You have so many competing priorities that discipline becomes an imperative, if you are to be productive. You will often prioritise anything and anyone that can save you time.

9. If you are famous too, privacy will be something you miss. You will long to visit the real world and experience it like others do. You resent the artificial cages your fame has limited you to, no matter how gilded they may be.

10. You will experience a crisis of faith. Money, power, pride and character rarely mix well. Chances are you'll have a destructive phase or two before landing on what really matters in life.