“Wealth is not about having a lot of money; it’s about having a lot of options.”
– Chris Rock
While money has its perks, perhaps the greatest things that can by afforded by it are time and freedom. Chris Rock, one of the great comedians of our time, did not initially grow up with a lot of options: coming from the working class Bedford-Stuyvesant area in Brooklyn, he grew up enduring racism-fueled bullying in his predominantly white high schools until he dropped out of school, and working a chain of menial jobs at fast food restaurants before getting handed his big break.
Taking the options best suited for him and working hard to foster his talent and career, he slowly rose up the ranks and caught more opportunities – but it wasn’t until the mid ‘90s that he became the nationally acclaimed comedian that he is today. If all he wanted was money, it’s unclear if he would have achieved such high status.
However, the opportunity to chase dream roles, expand the genre and to do the work that makes one happy – now that is true wealth.
