I have seen children in parts of the world living in poverty with no food, no clothes and they cannot afford to go to school. People living in poverty are extremely mobile because they have almost nothing to their name and are able to move everything they own from one shelter to another. Many may even be homeless.
When I migrated to New Zealand, I found out that many people are ‘poor‘. Despite the government’s financial assistance through Work & Income which give benefits (from housing, unemployment, childcare, sickness and more), some people are still ‘poor’. Some are poor and struggle to put food on the table and yet can afford to have a big television and Skytv.
People can be ‘rich’ yet poor. Rich in assets and poor in cash. Some people are poor because they spend everything they have quickly. When their budget runs out, they cannot afford to pay their rent or food until the next benefit or pay cheque comes in.
ANZ’s survey in 2012 revealed that New Zealanders were saving around 2 to 3 per cent of their take-home pay whereas Australians were saving 9 per cent and many in Asia were saving 12 per cent. There is little wonder why there are many ‘poor’ people in New Zealand (and around the world).
Everyone knows that New Zealand is a developed country but not many know that almost 305,000 (that’s 28% of) New Zealand children spend their childhoods living in poverty. These children live in cold, damp, over-crowded houses, they do not have warm clothing, their shoes are worn, and many days they go hungry. A life of poverty can lead to poor performances at school, not getting a good job, having poor health and falling into a life of crime.
Is being ‘poor’ a choice?
As a young child, living in poverty definitely isn’t.
However, those who are ‘poor’ have made a mental decision to accept their situation and have chosen to stay there. They may not even mentally ‘know’ they have chosen to live the way they do, week after week to wait for the day the money (benefit or pay cheque) comes in and then spend it on ‘wants’ rather than ‘needs’ only to be broke again before the week is up.
Most rich people were not born rich. They made a choice to make a difference and work hard, be it from young or a break through any stage of their lives with determination and goals.
A decision not to change is a decision to remain the same.
Being born poor is not a choice but to stay poor is a choice !
What are your views?
Empty pockets never held anyone back. Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that.
~Norman Vincent Peale
via The Daily Post – Mind the Gap
– The distance between idea and execution can be a source of frustration or of inspiration.
littlegirlstory 