Is greed a problem for us? Greed is defined as an inordinate desire to have more than is needed. The answer is likely an easy one for most of us. Of course we aren’t greedy. We don’t have an “inordinate desire” to have more than we need; we just need a little bit more. Greed is something for the upper class to watch out for. Right?

According to the Social Security Administration, 58.5% of America earn less than $35,000 a year. 34.5% earn between $35,000 and $100,000. Only 6.9% earn $100,000 or more. Then, of course, we’re all familiar with the 1%. We love to talk about the 1%. The International Business Times reported the results of an Oxfam Study that said by 2016, the richest 1% will have more than 99% of the wealth. That is incredible. Kevin Short from the Huffington Post says that 73.4% of Americans make less than $50,000 a year which is pennies for that 1%. I don’t think I am alone in wanting the rich people to help us out a bit. They have most of the money and don’t seem to help people by sharing it – that sounds like greed to me. Shouldn’t they be obligated to help people in need when they have more than they need? Think of all the good things you or I would do with that kind of money. We would be generous if we had that sort of wealth because we know what it is like to be without it. Some of you may be agreeing with me and some may be getting angry. Let me share one more statistic and we will move on. Annalyn Censky from CNNMoney reported on a recent study that showed a person needs to make $34,000 a year to be in the top 1% of the global economy. Now, what was all that we were just saying about the 1%?

I have heard that when the cost of living is factored in that this guilt-piling statistic is unfair. That may be true. In other countries people make a lot less but in other countries it also costs a lot less to live. Even so, we cannot deny that we have a lot to be thankful for right where we are in life. I don’t think I am going out on a limb by saying we all have money problems. 58.5% of us are making less than $35,000 a year, that’s hard to live off of and many of us feel we are barely getting by. But remember, to most of the world (99% of the world), we have a lot. People in many countries die of things like starvation, curable diseases, dehydration, war, or infections. In America, we die of heart disease. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in America according to the CDC. The Journal of the American Medical Association published a report saying that diet and exercise are the number one cause of heart disease followed by obesity. We have so much more than we need that we kill ourselves with the excess. With that in mind, can we really say, in good conscience, that we aren’t in the 1% for the world? That the cost of living evens things out for those countries that are cheaper to live in? Are we trying to explain away our greed?

Greed is a negative word. Even after all the statistics and considering the reality of how things are, it is difficult to say we have an issue with greed. Many of us give of our time and our money to help people around us. We volunteer at shelters, give clothes to Goodwill, some even go on humanitarian missions and things of that nature. It is also hard to think of ourselves as greedy because, while we may fall into that 1%, we don’t actually have a lot of money. Once again, I don’t think I am going out on a limb when I say we all could use just a bit more money. Bills can be crushing and if we just had a bit more, we could breathe easier and probably help more people. We don’t need billions or even millions. Sure, it would be nice and I would not say no to it (come on, lottery!), but we really just need a little bit more to be content. That’s not greed. In fact, John D. Rockefeller agrees. He also fell into the 1% category and when he was asked how much money is enough money he also replied, “Just a little bit more.” So we aren’t alone in our desire.

No one is saying that pursuing a promotion or working to make more money is a bad thing in and of itself. It is clear, however, that greed is a bit more subversive and ingrained that we may have originally thought. If greed is an inordinate desire to have more than we need then that is manifested when we are working our lives away to gain excess while a lot of the world dies from lack. So, I have a challenge that will help us become happier and free of greed. Ready? Let’s give at least 10% of our money away. Gasp! Yes, you read that correctly. Let’s give 10% of what we make to a charity, to a person on the street, to a church, to a humanitarian group, or wherever else you feel best. This is something I am committing to as well so you won’t be alone. Look around the world – we have more than enough. If we reorganize our budgets, we can find 10%. We may have to give up things and it may be uncomfortable, but the key is learning contentment with what we have and living within our means. Helping others by giving our money is how we keep from being greedy – from desiring “just a little bit more.”