Shinae's Story
"Money, money, money. Must be funny." (Money, Money, Money, ABBA)
Shinado-you-know-why-she-s-passionate-about-moneye and her younger sister were mainly raised by their grandparents. For the most part, Shinae had a good and "normal" childhood, but there was one thing that set Shinae apart from her other suburban friends. Growing up, her family sometimes visited the food banks and relied on welfare cheques. They didn't have a lot of money growing up.
From when she was young until now, Shinae is passionate about money and how it works. I know it's taboo to say you're passionate about money, but this is the truth about Shinae. As a nine-year-old, she was incredibly interested in keeping up with gas prices. Imagine asking a little kid if she had fun in school. She replies, "Yeah, I played tag at recess, and we made an igloo with marshmallows." Then she comments, "By the way, isn't it nice that the gas prices have gone down?" This interest in money hasn't changed.
Perhaps you can help us understand what exactly is about money Shinae is passionate about.
It doesn't seem like Shinae wants to hoard money in fear of not having enough. When her grandparents gave her spending money as a kid, she always returned the leftover change instead of keeping it. When she got a job and started making her own money in high school, Shinae liked to spend money on something worthwhile. Going to Subway with her cousins when she can make a sandwich at home is not worthwhile. Going mini-golfing with them is. Shinae seems responsible rather than stingy and anxious.
Often, people who love money are depicted as rapacious and selfish, such as Ebeneezer Scrouge, Jeff Bezos, and that person in your life who's obsessed with wealth. I knew this one person who created a scheme to upsell bubblegum to kids in her elementary school. (It's hard for me to esteem this young entrepreneurship talent when the person grew up to be manipulative and narcissistic.) However, Shinae is not like that. Sure, she'd love to win a lottery, and she has fun business ideas. But she doesn't have malicious and greedy intentions around prosperity.
At the same time, Shinae admits that money occupies her everyday thoughts. It drives her decision-making and helps her discern what to do and what not to do. Should she go for dinner today? What kind of covid hobbies should she try? Is there anything she can do to make money? Currently, she's building her cleaning business while staying employed elsewhere. All in all, Shinae loves every aspect of money: how it works in society, business, investments, personal planning, and more.
Have you figured out why Shinae has this passion? Hopefully, it's not due to greed (as I tried to convince you in this blog), but what if it is? Should she take courses in economics and entrepreneurship to learn more about money? Is this passion for money the tip of the iceberg for something else, something bigger?
I think the lesson here is that you don't have to have everything figured out. We all have to start somewhere in figuring out our passions and how we can work towards them. So if you feel like you're at an awkward, unknown, or taboo place, you're not alone. Just start and see where life takes you. Maybe you'll end up being a millionaire.
To contact Shinae and learn more about this story, follow @shinaegorsalitz on Instagram.
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