Spiritual Investment: Don't Give Up & Do Good

"Don't give up and do good," says the taxi-driver, Mr. Kindness. He worked as a senior manager in a big hotel for many years but when Hong Kong encountered SARS in 2003, the management had to close or down-size the business and he lost his job. It was then quite impossible to find another job as the whole economy of Hong Kong was collapsing at that time. He was in his 40s and this made it even more difficult to get any job. Age discrimination in Hong Kong was and is still very serious despite we have certain anti-discrimination legislation. On the day when Hong Kong reported more than 40 cases of SARS, I remember I told my friends overseas that I felt Hong Kong had no tomorrow! But Mr. Kindness didn't give up. He made the best use of his small amount of severance pay to start another occupation in driving taxi. Now, he is doing fine. You may ask why I am writing about him. My main purpose here is to point out that apart from financial investments, you must invest in spiritual wealth without which our life can be meaningless. Now let me tell you the whole story:

I was desperate after waiting almost an hour for a taxi

I pulled several heavy items from my mini-storage in Sheung Wan tonight and tried very hard to take them home. The trolley that I used could hardly help and the only way was to get a taxi. But I was extremely unlucky! Firstly, many cabs were occupied or their drivers stuck up a sign of "NO SERVICE". A few were for hire but you know what? When the drivers saw me with my luggage, they refused to stop to pick me up. They pretended they didn't notice me calling and waving at them. This is damn-like Hong Kong! People in Hong Kong can be very cruel even when you are going to pay for your taxi. But the worst was yet to happen. There were some latecomers behind me and obviously they were looking for a taxi too. In order to win their turn, they scattered around me and stood on three different spots of the road to catch their taxi. Of course, they got ahead of me; I had no way to defend myself because I was carrying my big luggage.

I was saved when I felt absolutely hopeless

When the sky was falling and I lost faith in humanity, suddenly a taxi stopped on the other side of the road. I ran to it and to my greatest surprise, the taxi-driver came out from his seat and helped me to pull the big luggage into the trunk! Of course, he is Mr. Kindness and I immediately gave him my sincerest thanks. I am not trying to bad-mouth taxi-drivers in Hong Kong but I have never seen nor heard about a taxi-driver helping you with luggage in Hong Kong! They might offer such help at an extra fee if you are a foreigner, a tourist waiting at the airport but never inside the city!

Don't give up & do Good

I told Mr. Kindness exactly what I have just told you about how bad taxi-drivers have treated me. "I always try to help others and this makes me happy," says Mr. Kindness. He then told me the story about his ups and downs since the terrible SARS experience in 2003. "I learnt the lesson that we can always have a better life if we don't give up and be good to others," says Mr. Kindness. I must say I am still very moved. If I had similar misfortune like his in 2003, I might probably have become a very bitter and angry guy and could have gone mad. Now, he is managing well and his children are attending universities. Now the value of his taxi has gained a lot from that in 2003 and his income is also rising as more tourists from Mainland China are coming to Hong Kong. He enjoys his time everyday and if he can, he will help others, do good and will always help his passengers. That makes him happy.

Spiritual Wealth

Mr. Kindness has found his spiritual wealth and many investors may not have. If you don't give up and do good, I am sure you will gain financially and spiritually. I sincerely hope you will think about this story and try to derive your own lesson for forming your investment strategies in financial and spiritual wealth.