MONEY AND YOUR HEALTH (Wellness #Heart2Heart Talk: Article 1)

‘I had two options, either to commit suicide or to weather the storm’ Femi Otedola

Reading Femi Otedola’s ordeal on FORBES Africa, almost gave me a ‘heart attack’. Life was rosy for Femi Otedola until it took a sudden nose dive downwards leaving him billions in red. He had to start all over again.

Sometimes, we the ‘masses’ often talk about money as if it would solve all our problems, we also believe that we are not happy in life because we don’t have enough money, and we feed ourselves with thoughts that becloud our sense of reasoning, without understanding the bigger picture.

So, you want to be rich, are you able to withstand the rich man’s challenges?

Are you able to handle millions and billions without losing your senses?

A story was told about a young man in his 20’s who was doing fantastically well in Lagos. He was the talk of the town, although this young man had a regular 9–5 job, he was mega rich, he met all his targets , he was loved by his bosses and got double promotion .He bought a brand new car and after a night out ,laced with binge drinking , he decided to experiment on the 3rd main land bridge, he wanted to test how fast his new car could go, so he wanted to use the highest speed, and while doing so his car ‘flew’ into the river and he drowned.Perharps excessive alcohol consumption had a massive role to play in this unfortunate incident, but we cannot ignore the role having ‘excess money’ ,with a lack of comprehension and recklessness played in this case.

People always forget that there are different levels of intelligence and if you are found lacking in one, it could affect your outcome and future, no matter how rich you are.

So, you want to become a billionaire, what are your intentions?

Is it so you could go on a shopping spree and buy whatever you want, travel the world buy designer wears to show off on Instagram or help humanity?

You should also consider the effect money will have on your general well-being or mental health.

Are you ready with so many other things that come with it?

If you are a wife praying for your husband to be the richest man on earth. Can he withstand the pressure from the opposite sex? Will you cope when he starts having night meetings with investors and business partners?.

If you love cuddling up on the sofa to watch a movie every evening, you have to understand that may not happen because top executives have to work all day and sometimes do not come home until 12 mid night. Will you cope when he does not come home in a week because he is busy preparing a report for a project and he has to sleep in the Office; yes, some people have to sleep in the office for your information.

According to Forbes, in 2008, a shipment containing one million tons of diesel set to sail, heading for the shores of Nigeria. The owner of the vessel, Femi Otedola, Chairman of Forte Oil, a petroleum and power generation company.

‘I had about 93% of the diesel market on my fingertips. All of a sudden oil prices collapsed and I had over one million tons of diesel on the high seas & the price dropped from $146 to $34’ Femi Otedola

That was only the beginning of his problems. The naira was subsequently devalued and interest began to skyrocket. When the dust settled, Otedola had lost over $480million due to the plunge in oil prices, $258 million through the devaluation of the naira, a further $320 million due to accruing interest and then finally $160 million when stocks crashed.

Femi Otedola said ‘I had two options, either to commit suicide or to weather the storm’

Thankfully Femi Otedola did not commit suicide as he is still with us.

Others where not so lucky. I have read about a popular billionaire who died aged 44. On May 21, 2000, authorities said a popular business man Herbalife International Inc. founder and Chief Executive Mark Hughes, died of an accidental overdose after mixing alcohol with a “toxic level” of antidepressants. Scott Carrier, of the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office, said final autopsy results found that Hughes, 44, had ingested a toxic combination of alcohol and xxxxx, an antidepressant he was taking to help him sleep. His blood-alcohol level was measured at 0.21.

Today’s Lesson point

We have to understand the connection between money and our mental health and how each factor could affect us.

We have to appreciate the fact that becoming a billionaire will not solve all our problems. There are storms you have to weather to stay afloat.

As you work hard to become a better version of yourself, always remember to be grateful and BE CONTET WITH WHAT YOU HAVE.

If you need support for your mental health and wellbeing please seek medical intervention

Read my article on suicide prevention & 5 Ways to good mental health

©Adaku Efuribe 27.09.20

Good Health & Wellbeing coach

#AdakuEfuribe- ‘advocating for better healthcare systems, ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all, is my mission’