Linda Seger is an international story coach, script and screenplay consultant. This is the story behind an inspirational quote in her book, What Our Mamas Taught Us.
“If the thing you don’t have is money, you’re way ahead of everyone else.”
By Mama Agnes Seger from Linda Seger’s book, What Our Mamas Taught Us
In the 1980s when I was starting my business, I was working so hard and I had so many stresses. I was envious of anyone who seemed to have a business that was going well and had money and was wearing nice clothes and had a good haircut. I complained once to my mother about my lack of money and how I was struggling and my mother said to me, “If the only thing you don’t have is money, you’re way ahead of everyone else.” I realized that I had good friends. I had a good education. I was living in a decent place although it stretched my finances. I had food on the table. I was a spiritual person and was a member of the Santa Monica Friends Meeting and was nurtured by my spiritual community. I had a car and I could get around and I did some lovely things – most of which were free. I thought about people I knew who lead unhappy lives and had few friends and had no adventures but who had plenty of money.
Throughout the years, I have often thought of this because it’s so easy to get caught up in a lack of money and when we are struggling or living on the edge. But this wise saying from my mother helped me understand that maybe things weren’t so bad because I had a whole lot of other things besides money.