What Is Your Destiny?

In Ann Rand's Atlas Shrugged, Francisco d'Anconia overheard someone comment that he was the typical product of money and money was the root of all evil. He responded by saying, "Have you ever asked what is the root of money? Money is a tool of exchange, which can't exist unless there are goods produced and men able to produce them. Money is the material shape of the principle that men who wish to deal with one another by trade and give value for value."

"Have you ever looked for the root of production? Take a look at an electric generator and dare yourself that it was created by the muscular effort of unthinking brutes. Try to grow a seed of wheat without the knowledge left to you by men who had to discover it for the first time. Try to obtain your food my means of nothing but physical motions - and you'll learn that man's mind is the root of all the goods produced and all of the wealth that has ever existed on earth."

There are very vocal critics and champions of Ms. Rand's philosophy and, in a 1200 page book like Atlas Shrugged; one can use the words to portray either side of the argument. She basically says that money facilitates trade and wealth is a product of the mind. So, while I cherry picked a few quotes, I did so not with intent to dismiss the corruption, deception, greed and appalling behavior that penetrated society in the past few years. Instead, I did so because she hits upon some critical thinking about being in a work force, as well as in life itself.

Do you find yourself, as Pop Evil currently sings, "going 100 in a 55, and I don't know why I'm still alive." If so, you might be missing the big picture. What type of person will you be, or are you, in the work force? How have you prepared to live your life? Have you critically addressed your values? Do you have your priorities in the correct order? Rand's Francisco d'Anconia character went on to say, "Money will not purchase happiness for the man who has no concept of what he wants: money will not give him a code of values, if he's evaded the knowledge of what to value, and it will not provide him with a purpose, if he's evaded the choice of what to seek. Money will not buy intelligence for the fool, or admiration for the coward, or respect for the incompetent."

The lure of money can change the way many people approach life. As the events of the past few years have shown, that lure is sometimes for the good, sometimes for the bad as when greed overtakes rationality. But, if your belief system and values are well thought out, strong and pure then you have a blueprint to follow for a life that can eschew the evil portion of greed's siren song.

Mahatma Gandhi put it best when he said, "Your beliefs become your thoughts. Your thoughts become your words. Your words become your actions. Your actions become your habits. Your habits become your values. Your values become your destiny."

For me, it is hard to envision a better philosophy of life to follow. So, what is your destiny?