Selling the soul

Whenever you hear the words, “Everybody has a price.” Watch. – A transaction is about to take place. Have you ever wondered every time you hear somebody say, “Well business is business” you have this sneaky suspicion like something that is unethical is about to happen? Perhaps I am a little paranoid, but in my years of doing business and providing leadership training, I see something is going on.

I came across an article sometime ago which to my regret could not remember who wrote it that caught my attention. The article is entitled: “The subtle art of selling your soul.” It says: “Most of us have known of people who have sold out, give in to greed and self-absorption, blind ambition, hubris, moral corruption. In doing so, they have thrown integrity out the window, destroy relationships, and living dejected lives today. Even if you do not personally know of someone who has done all these, I am sure you have heard of headlines at any given day featuring an athlete, business leader, political leaders, pastors who have. So how does a person get there? How does one end up compromising and finding himself in trouble?

Power is intoxicating. Money is tempting. Success can get into a person’s head and make the person think he or she is bigger than life. A little flirting here, a little compromise there – the small sins begin to add up, and these create duplicity of character that confuses the person. If this happens, then who we are no longer line up with who we want to be. And that creates a lot of tension and affects the soul. What happens subtly will hit us suddenly. There is always a potential tension between who you are and who you should want to be. Identity is essential.”

Technology has something to do with this. Social media has enabled many to create a persona that is not in sync with the person. Technology has also created a more significant divide. It has enriched young people and young companies with wealth that far surpassed many country’s economies. Monopolies in search engines and revenues, mobile social platform, and online commerce and as a result has contributed to another kind of “divide” among the social classes:

1.  The Have’s.

2.  The Have not’s.

3.  The have-not-paid-for-what-they-have.

4.  And the pretending Have’s but don’t.

Some young people want to become billionaires as soon as possible and then retire at age 30. Others dream of having private jets; fancy cars, luxury homes and are willing to do anything to have it. Rare it is for me to find the precious gems of those who say they would want to use their resources so they can contribute to the betterment of country and society.

The young seem to have an air of invincibility and immortality that permeates their being. And then something, someone, some news from places we do not expect shocks us to reality and hit us to the core. The older I get, the more hospital visits I have to make and the more funerals I have to attend. External factors like the death of a popular figure we adore, the demise of an “idol” who entertained us through the big-screen or through the radio, CD’s etc.; the closure of a revered business establishment we admired and then the truth hits and jolts us. Then we realize that there is a finality to this world.

Another sobering fact I have witnessed is that whatever ego, properties, wealth, investments portfolio built over the years at the cost of one’s soul will be divided, sub-divided, contested, competed by those who survive us. And the “entitled” few who received less would cuss and curse the departed even while he or she is lying down peacefully in the grave or perhaps “rolling in it” as the saying goes.

Ever wondered why the wisest and the wealthiest man who ever walked on earth King Solomon declared, “Meaningless…meaningless…everything is meaningless…a chasing after the wind…!” There must be something there for us to learn.

I wish the rich would not sell their soul in accumulating wealth and would display the maturity to focus on blessing others and making this country a better place. The good news is that there are people like these. They are quiet, they do not want the spotlight, but they are doing good things. I know of a 27-year-old brilliant businessman running a successful large-scale enterprise. He wanted me to mentor him not to help him improve his business but to keep him grounded so that the wealth he creates would not destroy him. He does not want to sell his soul. There are business people I know who are quietly helping schools build decent, clean and functioning toilets so that the students do not have to suffer. There are people who would donate the money to charity instead of spending it for their birthday parties. These are the quiet ones. And these are the ones that would not sell their souls but are being channels of blessings to others. Hope that you and I belong to these.

(Attend two exciting and inspiring days of leadership training with Francis Kong. His highly acclaimed Level Up Leadership seminar-workshop will have its last run for the year this Sept. 10-11 at Makati Diamond Residences (near Greenbelt 1). For registration or inquiries contact April at +63928-559-1798 or register online at www.levelupleadership.ph)