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Authors: Queen Latifah
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tastefully, so it felt like a real
home. We had no money, but as I child I never once felt deprived.
Even today, I don’t live and die by how much money I have. An expensive pair of sneakers, the nicest car, the latest clothes—these
things are not necessities. Sure, I enjoy having money and I like to spend every now and then, but often we get caught up
in the excesses. Instead, we have to be appreciative of what we do have.
I can’t fathom why someone would blow his brains out over losses in the stock market. Greed makes no sense to me. That’s
someone who loves money more than life. I’ve been watching a lot of CNN lately, and you hear all these horror stories on the
news about what the recession is doing to families. One guy lost his job and all his savings on Wall Street. He had bills
up to his neck, and his house wasabout to go into foreclosure. And nobody knew. His response was to kill his wife and children,
then himself. That was a person who was so spiritually empty, so full of despair, that losing all the material things in life
made him think his only option was to annihilate himself and his whole family. He couldn’t see the positive things in his
life—even the fact that he had a family who loved him or the knowledge that everyone was healthy. He couldn’t feel the joy
of simply living another day. And a lot of people get like that.
During the tough times, you have to reach out and attach yourself to something beyond the material. For some, that might be
the Bible, the Torah, or the Koran. Or maybe you just need to read a self-help book or listen to some tape that gives you
positive affirmation. Whatever it is, it’s out there, and those words of hope are free.
For me, it’s also about looking at those who are less fortunate than you are. Sometimes you just have to change your perspective.
In
The Art of Happiness
, His Holiness the Dalai Lama talks about a man who was distraught because he made $40,000 a year and was convinced he didn’t
have enough money to make ends meet for his family. Then he met someone who had the same number of mouths to feed on just
$20,000. It completely changed the way he viewed his own situation. No matter how bad it gets, there’salways someone worse
off than you. Appreciating that fact makes you more thankful, no matter what your situation.
Enrich Your Soul
Giving back is another great way to change up the way you see things. Throughout my life I’ve found that whenever I’m going
through certain changes or I feel down about certain things, giving makes me feel better, despite my situation. It might be
writing a big check for a cause I care about or giving someone my time. There are a lot of causes that matter to me and many
more I want to be involved in.
It enriches me to know that my dollars may have gotten someone in Africa medication for HIV and prolonged a life or rescued
a child prostitute off the streets of Cambodia. Even just doing our annual toy drive for kids in our community brings such
joy to me, my mother, and Shakim. Knowing I’ve made a difference in some small way, I get so much more than I give. It’s almost
like a gift to myself.
Education is another cause that is extremely important to me. Through the Lancelot H. Owens Scholarship Foundation we started
in my brother’s name, my mother and I give out scholarships andother forms of financial support to inner-city kids so they
can go to college. But even if it’s not a full scholarship, we’ll give a needy child money for books or enough to pay for
lunches for a month. We give what we can. Kids are our future, and we don’t invest in them enough. Not equally, anyway. I
treasure the fact that when you give a child an education, you allow him or her the freedom to dream and to become an amazing
person, because now that child has the knowledge and ability to go out and learn more and create. That person you helped to
educate may come back
home. We had no money, but as I child I never once felt deprived.
Even today, I don’t live and die by how much money I have. An expensive pair of sneakers, the nicest car, the latest clothes—these
things are not necessities. Sure, I enjoy having money and I like to spend every now and then, but often we get caught up
in the excesses. Instead, we have to be appreciative of what we do have.
I can’t fathom why someone would blow his brains out over losses in the stock market. Greed makes no sense to me. That’s
someone who loves money more than life. I’ve been watching a lot of CNN lately, and you hear all these horror stories on the
news about what the recession is doing to families. One guy lost his job and all his savings on Wall Street. He had bills
up to his neck, and his house wasabout to go into foreclosure. And nobody knew. His response was to kill his wife and children,
then himself. That was a person who was so spiritually empty, so full of despair, that losing all the material things in life
made him think his only option was to annihilate himself and his whole family. He couldn’t see the positive things in his
life—even the fact that he had a family who loved him or the knowledge that everyone was healthy. He couldn’t feel the joy
of simply living another day. And a lot of people get like that.
During the tough times, you have to reach out and attach yourself to something beyond the material. For some, that might be
the Bible, the Torah, or the Koran. Or maybe you just need to read a self-help book or listen to some tape that gives you
positive affirmation. Whatever it is, it’s out there, and those words of hope are free.
For me, it’s also about looking at those who are less fortunate than you are. Sometimes you just have to change your perspective.
In
The Art of Happiness
, His Holiness the Dalai Lama talks about a man who was distraught because he made $40,000 a year and was convinced he didn’t
have enough money to make ends meet for his family. Then he met someone who had the same number of mouths to feed on just
$20,000. It completely changed the way he viewed his own situation. No matter how bad it gets, there’salways someone worse
off than you. Appreciating that fact makes you more thankful, no matter what your situation.
Enrich Your Soul
Giving back is another great way to change up the way you see things. Throughout my life I’ve found that whenever I’m going
through certain changes or I feel down about certain things, giving makes me feel better, despite my situation. It might be
writing a big check for a cause I care about or giving someone my time. There are a lot of causes that matter to me and many
more I want to be involved in.
It enriches me to know that my dollars may have gotten someone in Africa medication for HIV and prolonged a life or rescued
a child prostitute off the streets of Cambodia. Even just doing our annual toy drive for kids in our community brings such
joy to me, my mother, and Shakim. Knowing I’ve made a difference in some small way, I get so much more than I give. It’s almost
like a gift to myself.
Education is another cause that is extremely important to me. Through the Lancelot H. Owens Scholarship Foundation we started
in my brother’s name, my mother and I give out scholarships andother forms of financial support to inner-city kids so they
can go to college. But even if it’s not a full scholarship, we’ll give a needy child money for books or enough to pay for
lunches for a month. We give what we can. Kids are our future, and we don’t invest in them enough. Not equally, anyway. I
treasure the fact that when you give a child an education, you allow him or her the freedom to dream and to become an amazing
person, because now that child has the knowledge and ability to go out and learn more and create. That person you helped to
educate may come back
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