Secret Millionaire / The Middle Lane

[Tuumble]

In the UK there is a TV series called the Secret Millionaire where a wealthy person goes undercover into underprivileged areas and then after a period of time comes clean and hands over money for what he considers a deserving cause, person or project.

It seems that £30K is the usual amount that is given overall and it could be split several ways for repairs to a local facility, or help with a care centre or for person or family who are doing good in the community or becuase they deserve a break. It's quite emotional stuff on many levels.

First of all you have the successful person. Being one of those 'in the middle' of society that have a decent job and are doing OK, how should I react to him or her?

Some will be jealous of their success saying it is down to luck or a prosperous family whether they've earnt it or not. Others will applaud them because they had the drive and committment to be a success especially if they started with nothing.

Then there will be cynical people who think they are doing good to boost their ego or to make some personal gain and not doing it for the right reasons.

We also have those people who need care, or are out of work, living in poor conditions or being brought up in violent areas. People who feel trapped in their circumstances and can't see a way out. Despite any range of problems including one or all of the above there are the persons who still seem to love life and will do anything for anyone for nothing or a pittance because it is the right thing to do.

This show gets to me because I mostly sit in that middle band or middle lane. I may complain at the petty or the trivial purely because it annoys me and I think the World is out to get me. I may get fed up that I can't afford the latest gadget right away. I may get lazy or pig out on bad stuff or spend unnecessarily and then winge at the bank if they don't extend my overdraught.

How we drive in the middle lane can change. If we want it, I mean REALLY want it we can move to the fast lane and be a success. The same is true of pulling over to the slow lane and making a difference to those that need it, again not because it makes you feel good but because it is the right thing to do.

The middle lane is the place to worry about things that don't matter. If you stay there and drive straight you essentially don't move - you are mediocre. If you step up you can maybe fund a community project or step down to be hands on and get your hands dirty and help those that need it.

People who cruise in the middle lane tend to be unpopular as they are blocking the highway. Which way are you headed?

Last year at this time I was doing two jobs. By day I was a busy marketing executive at a leading Internet firm and before dawn I was cleaning in a supermarket.

I cleaned toilets, a wiped chip fat off the floor for a few extra quid to put food on the table for my family. I put myself in that position because I was reckless with my money. The thing is is that it taught me a lesson. It put me into contact with people I didn't normally mix with doing things I didn't normally do. I saw life at a different angle.

Twelve months ago I had very little spare money but I still managed to save £30 over 10 weeks to make a family a small Christmas hamper. There were a few small toys and sweets and groceries too. Nothing exotic but staple foods that would last into the new year.

I didn't have to do that but it felt right. Come Christmas Eve I delivered this box with my children to a less fortunate family nearby at the suggestion of the local church. They were tremondously greatful and if we played a small part in making the festive period better then I'm happy.

This was pretty small scale stuff though and I know I could probably do more as we all could. I'm not saying that we should give up everything and become a martyr for the sake of others but we should all at least look at what we can do, especially at this time of year.

What will you do tomorrow to bring a ray of sunshine into another person's life? Make a promise now to do something and tell us what you've done.

Make a difference...

[cdn2wheeler]

A small number of years ago I was doing pretty well financially. While I wasn't rolling in dough, I had enough to meet my needs and sock some away in various savings accounts and investments.

Friends of mine, however, had fallen on hard times. So I gave them a few bucks to help get them through the holidays.

The previous year, my wife (now ex) had sent a family a few hundred dollars in grocery store gift certificates anonymously. Turns out that the day the family received the gift cert's in the mail was the very day that the lady of the house realized she didn't have enough money to buy diapers for their newborn. To this day, she has no idea where the gift certs came from, and I'm happy to keep it that way.

Well, things are a little different now and my financial situation isn't nearly as rosy as it was a couple of years ago. But just tonight, to help a dear friend get her fledgling yoga business off the ground, I pledged to her that I'd pay for her to go to a recording studio so she could make audio instructional CDs. It's not much - a few hundred bucks at most, and frankly I could use the money myself - but it felt good and I have no doubt that I'll get payback somehow, from someone.

[Tuumble]

Originally Posted by cdn2wheeler

A small number of years ago I was doing pretty well financially. While I wasn't rolling in dough, I had enough to meet my needs and sock some away in various savings accounts and investments.

Friends of mine, however, had fallen on hard times. So I gave them a few bucks to help get them through the holidays.

The previous year, my wife (now ex) had sent a family a few hundred dollars in grocery store gift certificates anonymously. Turns out that the day the family received the gift cert's in the mail was the very day that the lady of the house realized she didn't have enough money to buy diapers for their newborn. To this day, she has no idea where the gift certs came from, and I'm happy to keep it that way.

Well, things are a little different now and my financial situation isn't nearly as rosy as it was a couple of years ago. But just tonight, to help a dear friend get her fledgling yoga business off the ground, I pledged to her that I'd pay for her to go to a recording studio so she could make audio instructional CDs. It's not much - a few hundred bucks at most, and frankly I could use the money myself - but it felt good and I have no doubt that I'll get payback somehow, from someone.

That's great - thanks for sharing.