Why Do Rich People Still Work When They Have Enough For More Than a Lifetime?

Hello! Just wanted to drop in and say this: I do work. I know what weekends are. I know where money comes from (not from trees, but from working). I know where the power button of my laptop is located. I know how to use e-mail with proper etiquette.

You know how I do it? I wake up every morning before the sun rises, which is even before Old Cook rises, and then power through my routine: a prayer, no breakfast, a quick shower, a lengthy beauty regimen, dress up, and into the waiting car. After that, it is a mad dash to finish all the things that need to be done.

I will not bore you with the details, but let’s just say that if you start early, earlier than the sun and Old Cook, you will finish everything before it hits its highest point. And then, you can take it easy. I prefer sandwiches (no bread) followed by light shopping with easy company or maybe Netflix.

Also, I want to make it clear that I have ears, a set of two that work perfectly. So, if you were the Not Rich Ladies, giggling about how “...that Si-si Coo is probably doing this for fun. She doesn’t need the money, so she’ll be okay no matter what! Tee-hee,” I would like to say to you: No.

It is an outrageous misconception that the Truly Rich Lady does not need to work or does not love working when, in fact, it is the reverse.

When I was in sixth grade, I was cast as the fairy queen Titania in our school production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream (it is because I was naturally regal and ethereal). I worked very hard to memorize the many lines (“Methought I was enamoured of an ass”) and master my face so that I could express a range of emotions other than dazed. This paid off with standing ovations every night from my parents and associated relatives.

Then, in seventh grade, I was cast as Lead Scenery Filler/ background mover in Twelfth Night. Of course, I was taken aback! What about my body of work? But instead of sulking or throwing a diva fit, I filled the scenery and moved the props to the best of my abilities and arm strength. I wasn’t in the limelight, but the collective success of the play was enough to make me happy.

Today, it remains the same. No matter how small or large the task, I do the work.

It is because the Truly Rich Lady recognizes the need for and the joy of work. I work because, uh, I actually have to. It falls upon the Truly Rich Lady to grow the Truly Rich Fortune, and that will not happen if all I do is cash the dividends and play around.

Beneath this perfect veil of easygoing joy (on other Truly Rich Ladies, it is a veil of terror) are long-term goals, the direction of multiple income streams, a complex budget that must not be broken, and more. All of that requires hard work. 

I also work because it contributes to my joy. Let me tell you a secret: Play becomes boring when it is the be all and end all of your day. Without the grit of working, say, 12-hour days, five times a week, the partying, shopping, sailing, and general loafing around in white-sand paradises become monotonous. You will become sick of it.

The truth is this: The happiness derived from leisure comes from knowing the challenges of its opposite, which is working. Think about that the next time you dream of doing nothing forever.

And also I do love my job (whatever it is—I won't tell)! I find myself very lucky to first, have a job, second, have a job in a field that interests me, and finally, have a job that allows me to do the other things that I love, which maybe involves baking.

So excuse me, Not Rich Lady, whom I believe just began working at this hour of noon, I do and truly work. In fact, I have already finished the difficult parts of the day and now am on to the lighter, more joyous tasks like choosing the perfect rug to go with my new painting. So I have to run now and work. Very busy. Goodbye.