“How can they say my life is not a success? Have I not for more than sixty years got enough to eat and escaped being eaten?” – Logan P. Smith
“How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because some day in life you will have been all of these.” – George Washington Carver
Now despite my occasional soapbox about some political topic, this blog is supposed to be for Pepperdine students and those thinking of becoming Pepperdine students. So let’s cut to the chase, its all about the money right? The good grades, the homework, the reading, the networking, all the hard work…..its all for payday right? Weren’t you told at a young age, “study hard and someday you’ll get a good job”….a good “paying” job that is. When you are in school your measure of success is a grade on a report card. So it only goes to reason that when you translate your efforts into a paying job that the size of your new report card, ie your paycheck, should be your new measure of victory and success. Don’t you want to show your friends that brand new car? What about having your parents over to that big house? Shouldn’t all the people you’ve known be able to see how successful you are? Well that takes money so go get your Pepperdine degree and go get some big bucks!
A wise man once told me, “Son (because this wise man was my dad) if all you want is money, its not hard to get it”. At the time I didn’t understand him. OK Dad, if money is so easy to get then where are all my new toys you should be buying for me about now? But the older I get, the more I understand my Dads advice. If money is all that matters to you its really is not very hard to get it. Any matter of unscrupulous under-handed uncouth and un-a lot of things activity will make you plenty of cold hard cash. Frankly, an education is a waste of your time if money is your only goal. Most of the richest people in the world don’t have an education to thank for it. Taking the time to learn things so that you can get a job working for someone else? Come on now, that’s not even logical. More of my Dad’s advice, “you’ll never get rich working for someone else”. So if all you want is money, then go sacrifice whatever else gets in your way and make all the money you want.
But wealth in and of itself is a pathetic goal. Once you have enough money to buy the food you need to be healthy, the shelter you need to be safe, and the clothes you need to not get arrested at Burger King, any money beyond that is really only for ultimately selfish pursuits. Furthermore, accumulating wealth is a pointless endeavor; you cannot take it with you and the government will probably just end up taking it from you. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with spending money on things you enjoy, but is that really all there is to life? Is a part of your identity based on your annual income and tax bracket? And what did you do to earn that money? Do you enjoy that good paying job or does the size of the paycheck just barely keep the gun from your head?
As the possible future or maybe current Pepperdine student, wealth cannot be your primary goal unless you are A) not too bright or B) hopelessly delusional. Sure, many alum do quite well for themselves financially (hey you’ve got to make some money, those student loans don’t go away unless you’re dead!). But you’re better than that. You want the place you spend 40+ hours a week to be something that matters. The money in your wallet, the knowledge in your brain, none of it means much if you keep it to yourself.
The education you can get at Pepperdine will better you as a person (if you stay awake in class). But simply passing your classes with a good GPA is not the meaning of success. Using your degree to land a six figure salary is not the meaning of success. The meaning of success is to become a better person and then use your super powers to help other people be better as well. Maybe you do that through public service in government or through social outreach or any number of careers. But have that as your goal. Don’t worry about resume builders and benefits packages, fair weather friends and the VIP treatment. Worry about what you’re using the time of your life for; make it something meaningful and important. Leave behind a legacy of people you helped. Or make money your life…… and be the richest man in the cemetery.
