Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, famously said, ‘Before anything, preparation is the key to success.’ In the last edition, we read how Angela bailed out Alvina – whose husband, Nigel, was recuperating in the hospital – from her financial troubles as she didn’t have any medical insurance to fall back upon. Prevention is better than cure, both for your physical and financial health. Today, let’s find out how to be truly prepared to face the financial ups and downs in our lives through Sophia’s awe-inspiring story.

Money Mantra # 8

Grow your money plant and enjoy the fruits for life; but you need to nurture them till they attain adequate strength to bear good fruits.

 Ting! Sophia’s mobile phone chimed.

She picked up the phone after a few seconds as she was buried deep in work. Her internship in the marketing function of the large conglomerate meant a lot to her, and she didn’t want to leave any stone unturned in winning a full-time job at the company. Sophia yearned to build a stellar career in marketing.

Checking the message in a preoccupied state of mind, Sophia hurriedly returned to her work.

‘But wait! What was that?’

She checked the message again. Yes! It was what she thought it was.

Sophia had just turned a Millionaire!

One of her life’s goals was accomplished. She was a millionaire at the age of 23.

Sophia couldn’t help but think of that day, many years ago, when she stormed into her grandpa’s house, crying dejectedly.

‘I will never be able to learn gardening. No matter which plant I tend to, they all wilt and die,’ Sophia cried hoarsely.

Her grandpa helped her calm down. A keen gardener, he wanted to teach her granddaughter how to grow plants and herbs of different varieties.

‘Calm down, dear. Today, I will tell you a secret about expert gardening.’

Little Sophia beamed up instantly. ‘Then I would also become as good as you? Would I win gardening competitions as you do?’

Grandpa chuckled and lovingly said, ‘Oh, my little angel, you’d be a thousand times better than me.’

Then he became serious and looked around to ensure no one else was listening. Sophia was thrilled to be a part of a secret.

‘Patience, discipline and perseverance,’ he said in a conspiratory manner.

Little Sophia was bewildered. She didn’t understand a word, and vehemently expressed so.

Her grandpa took her to the garden and asked her, ‘Sophie, can you tell me what is the difference between the small plants and the big trees?’

Sophia thought for a few moments and said, ‘We only tend to the plants and not the trees. We pluck fruits from the trees.’

‘Bravo!’ Grandpa patted her back joyfully, making Sophia immensely happy.

‘You are right. We need to tend to the plants until they grow big enough to take care of themselves. We can’t expect plants to blossom flowers and grow fruits when they are young, so we need to keep looking after them till they grow big and strong.’

‘Like I will become one day,’ Sophia flexed her imaginary muscles.

‘That you will, my dear. Now, like you need to be given meals on time so that you grow strong and mighty, these plants also need timely nutrition in the form of water and manure. And like you need to be groomed to stay hygienic and healthy, the plants also need pruning and weeding.’

That summer, Sophia grew five healthy plants. Her love for gardening blossomed just as the little plants tended by her, and she soon got to know a great deal about the plant species; thanks to her beloved grandpa.

Her grandpa also taught her something very valuable; the secret to growing one’s own money-bearing plant.

He taught Sophia to start saving and investing little-by-little each month from her pocket money in mutual funds through SIPs (Systematic Investment Plans).

With the same patience, determination and perseverance she displayed in gardening, Sophia started to nurture her financial portfolio. Her grandpa kept guiding and encouraging her. Initially, it was difficult for Sophia to cut down her expenses and save money each month. But she soon learned to differentiate between her needs and wants and increased her SIP investment marginally. Her grandpa rewarded her with a ‘top-up’ in her portfolio, which soared the portfolio significantly.

Like her garden, Sophia meticulously grew her portfolio with a goal to be a millionaire before she turned 25 years. She achieved her goal two years earlier!

Ting! Her phone chimed again. It was a message from her bank. Her stipend was credited.

Sophia knew that her colleagues would stop working at that very moment to celebrate the salary or stipend credit; there will be hardly any work done for the rest of the day. They will make plans to spend the money on movies, eating out and other indulgences. They will blow it up and wait for the next month’s salary or stipend to survive.

Thankfully, she was not bound to work for a living. Sophia loved her work, and that is why, after making a mental note to ‘top-up’ her portfolio with a major chunk from her stipend, she again dove into her work, smiling contently.

By Dr. Celso Fernandes

Stay tuned for the Ninth Money Mantra to be featured in the next edition.
How did you like the story? Write to us at navemarg@gmail.com to share your thoughts.
Celso Fernandes, Goa’s financial doctor, can be reached at +91-9422058741.