In this world of obligations, people work hard to earn money and many having done so, after taking care of necessary obligations and bills, are interested in taking the money left over that they have earned and investing it in some way or another, to increase their income and thereby make larger their nest egg. The above goal certainly make sense and those that manage and handle money successfully can make their lives better for having done so, as material comforts, as well as the ability to pass on assets to family, friends, and organizations is certainly a worthy objective.
Unfortunately, the world that we live in, as stable as it may appear to be in a country such as America, isn't nearly as stable as perceived, nor is it stable in many nations around the world, so that, things that we have worked hard to achieve, things that we believe we have earned and that our ours, can be taken away from us, in the blink of an eye, through governmental oppression, natural disasters, unexpected health issues, bankruptcies of financial organizations, outright fraud, and the collapse of monetary systems. To go through such a thing, to suffer from such, is often devastating to most people, depending upon many other intrinsic and extrinsic factors, as it does serve notice that the foundations that we believe so firmly are solid, may not be as secure as we have previously imagined and believed.
The preceding certainly doesn’t mean that we shouldn't work hard, or that we shouldn’t make sound investments, and so forth, but instead is vivid proof that things as they are aren't necessarily things that we can count on, especially in times of trouble, or in times of turmoil. That, in itself, is rather disturbing, for the true test of any faith, the true test of anything that we believe in and firmly have faith in, is how it behaves, how it holds its value, in unexpected and unanticipated events. So that, if such, does rather poorly, and behaves as if its foundation is on shifting sands, a reasonable person, should conclude that a reliance on such a thing isn't logical or even sensible, because things that aren't going to stand up to trouble, are akin to fair weather friends, and in truth, we really need friends that stick with us, through the good times or bad, and though feast or famine.
This means, that we should probably spend more time, thinking about getting involved in activities, that cannot be taken away from us, no matter what may come, in which, many people, might conclude that there isn't anything of that sort around. This would be true, if we looked upon the world as strictly material, strictly filled with objects, but in actuality, the world consists of our interaction and influence that we have with others, which are not material, but consists of non-material things that break though the glass ceiling of materiality.
For in actuality, whether we have it or not in our hands, upon our demise, we cannot take it with us, though we can try to pass our material things onto others, but in that undiscovered country that we depart to, we live without it. However, there is a gift that we have left behind, intentionally or not, and this gift is the good advice, the good deeds, and the good actions, that we have taken and accomplished that have influenced people in positive ways, so that this has help to make them better people, and this is the gift that keeps on giving, this is in actuality, our legacy, and this is, in fact, our best investment, as its dividends compound and continue onward, without end.