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Nobody wishes to go broke and remain so. However, one way or another way we become one, most of the time.

Becoming broke is like a flash stock market crash for lucky ones, but an excruciating economic recession for many.

Coming from a poor family of having almost zero income, I also have my share of experiences of being broke for quite long.

I walked to school barefoot most of the times.

During one of my high school summer vacations, I had to survive 3 days straight without food.

When I was hunting for jobs in Thimphu, I had to steal my host’s offering money for bus fare to reach the interview place.

They’re something I wish for no one. I have survived them and came thus far, though I still experience brief crashes.

Looking back, I have learned a lot from being broke. It shaped how I view things like money, life, hard work, luck, human needs or wants, and social status.

How I would view the World

When you are broke for a very long time, the world looks very different. Trust me on this. Everybody around you seems lucky except you.

Our confidence in life will be low. Every opportunity appears to slip away or avoid us altogether. Every day begins with insecurity and ends with fear of befalling uncertainties.

Sometimes, we wish if people around us could see the world through our lens so they know how it feels to be broke for the longest time.

Social circles and the sizes

In Kungfu Panda movie, how do Po’s master Shifu and friends treat him when he reports to Jade Palace after becoming the Dragon Warrior?

Do you remember that part of the movie?

You can relate to the experiences of Mr. Po with how your social circle will also treat you when you’re broke.

Your friends may not necessarily want your money. But how your lack of money impacts their lives will make you a less interested person to be around with.

They won’t love to be with a person who cannot go to night parties, join reunion dinners, or sometimes pay for lunch or chip in for birthday gifts.

They won’t feel comfortable talking about their holidays, promotions, and new cars with you when you cannot afford even a simple lunch out.

Marriage & Relationship

Money isn’t everything. But you can fulfill so many responsibilities if you have money. This also includes all the responsibilities of being a better half to your partner.

When you two decided to settle together, probably money wasn’t in the picture. You must have promised to be together through the thick and thin of life.

However, a few years down the line you will realize a responsible person is more lovable than a person who says love you every moment.

When you are broke and cannot provide basic things for the family, trust me, you’ll become less attractive in your partner’s eyes.

This is why the majority of marriages of high school lovers don’t last long. It’s not the love that keeps your living room warm, or kitchen fire burning. Love certainly doesn’t pay your bills.

Research shows 22% of divorces are caused by lack of money.

When life is harsh, keeping one’s love is really difficult though it is not something impossible.

Your partner will then get suggestions from friends and advices from parents for being with you – a lazy broke ass.

It’s how your partner will then start discovering greener grass on the other side of the fence.

Changes in our Status

Society thinks that you went broke because you’re a lazy person, which isn’t true in most of the cases. However, that is how society labels.

Blood is thicker than water. Yet not true when you are broke and down. I have seen parents mostly boasting about their successful children.

Have you come across parents bragging so much about their jobless and broke child? When you are broke, you aren’t only unsuccessful but also non-filial.

Your status in society is also determined by your value perceived by society. When society labels you unsuccessful, irresponsible, and unfilial, you have very low perceived value.

Person of low perceived value is insignificant. Therefore, when you are broke, you lose friends, parents don’t brag about you, and your partner gradually finds you less attractive.

Lessons of being Broke

I wish people like you go broke once, but not to the extent I was in. It’s only when you are broke, you realize what are your real priorities.

It’s also one of the moments to screen people based on the values they bring to your life.

When you are down at the bottom most, the only possible thing is to go up. So it makes you rekindle your hopes and value of time.

You feel so grateful even when someone talks to you and shares simple things. Once you get out of it, you realize the importance of gratefulness, kindness, generosity, and respect.

These lessons won’t make sense unless you experience them. So I hope you become flat broke once or twice.