There’s plenty of money out there. They print more every day. But this ticket, there’s only 5 of them in the whole world, and that’s all there’s ever going to be. Only a dummy would give this up for something as common as money. Are you a dummy?
– Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
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This is my favorite part of the movie, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Charlie, on his third try, manages to buy a chocolate bar with a golden ticket inside. Only five children in the whole world will find a ticket and gain entrance to Willie Wonka’s private candy factory.
It’s a dream come true. Charlie finds a ticket. But on his way out of the candy store, someone offers him $500 for his ticket. Charlie is dirt poor. By the time he gets home with his ticket, he has made a difficult decision: his family needs the money more than he needs a trip to a chocolate factory.
But his grandfather looks at him:
“There’s plenty of money out there. They print more every day. But this ticket, there’s only 5 of them in the whole world, and that’s all there’s ever going to be. Only a dummy would give this up for something as common as money. Are you a dummy?”
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What’s your view of money? Do you realize how common it is? What are you willing to give up for it?
What’s your golden ticket? What limited edition thing (dream, opportunity, lifestyle, gift, the list goes on and on and on) are you about to give up, just so that you’ll have more money?
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Turns out, by keeping the ticket, Charlie ends up owning the entire factory. That sounds a heck of a lot better than $500. If you give up your golden ticket, what are you actually giving up? What are you gaining?
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We all give up certain things for money. Part of that is a necessary exchange. If we want to have a place to live, clothes to wear, food to eat, then most of us have to give up our time and work for money. But sometimes we start to really like the extra stuff that money can give us. So we start leaving more and more stuff at it’s altar.
Man, thanks for posting. Something I needed to remember.
I think this is something we all need to to be reminded of every day.
There is a sticky-note on my computer monitor that says, “Income is renewable. Time is not.”
I need to look at it every day.
Great post, Shawn.
Nice quote Jason. I like. I know what you mean about needing to look at it everyday.
What I have realized is that the decision to keep your golden ticket and forfeit potential money is not a one time decision. Instead it is a constant challenge based on choices we make everyday. The question becomes am I willing to consistantly make choices that create a golden ticket culture in my life, or am I settling for the comforts that money can buy?? Lots to learn from Charlie and his grandfather.
The Golden Ticket Culture…sounds like the title to a very good book Ryan.