This article came across CNN earlier this week. I don’t usually follow this kind of stuff, but being a finance major it was the type of thing that was discussed multiple times in class. Here is a guy worth billions of dollars, and the richest Sri-Lankan in the world. A man with a family, three children, and more money than he will ever need.

From the article, it appears he made $64 million from the scam. His life until age 65 will likely be spent behind bars due to a $64 million dollar insecurity. He didn’t need the money – it was yet another status symbol. The cost of his integrity was 1/200 of his net worth.

As I am growing, I’m learning that people have problems, no matter their status. Over the week I visited the Kauffman estate at Falling Water. As I walked around this priceless house, built on top of a waterfall on 5000 acres of land, all I could think about was I could be as happy as the man who amassed such a fortune. I’m sure he sat in his gorgeous estate and was miserable from time to time. It’s almost certain he faced stresses from family, work, and friends – just as I do.

Raj was the same way. I bet he had family issues, insecurities about his weight and status, and faced problems at work. I have the same. And I’m so far from the person I want to be that it’s not even funny. But, I’m trying. I’m starting to work to better myself, bit by bit, and I’ll improve. It’s comforting to know how available happiness is to me, yet sad to see how often I allow my thoughts to make me miserable.

I’m working to improve, and that journey is just beginning. This blog is a large part of that, as one of my recent goals is to write 1x a week (on the blog) and read 1 book a week. It will be a challenge, but one I’m willing to work at.