Regardless of whether you are rich or poor, there will always be times in life when money is needed. An inheritance holds value not only when you are starting out but throughout your life.
I have always seen inherited assets as a gift rather than something to rely on for building my future. Many people overcome hardships and adversity to achieve success because they were not raised in comfort or sustained by their parents’ wealth.
I started out with no handouts. Even though I knew I would eventually inherit my parents’ property, I have always believed that the struggles I faced shaped who I am today. While I am no longer struggling financially, if my parents were to pass down their assets now, I would still accept it. If I do not need it, I can pass it on to my children later.
Let me share a story about my wife’s brother. When he first got married, his family felt sorry for him and his wife because they had to live in a rented home. To help them, the family pooled their resources and bought them a house, hoping to give them a stable foundation and a head start in life.
Unfortunately, instead of using this opportunity to move forward, my brother-in-law’s family ended up sliding backward. They had to downsize from their big house to a smaller one. Though he earns enough to stay afloat, he is now the least well-off among his siblings.
He saw home ownership as the ultimate goal in life, which held him back. Once he achieved it, he put in just enough effort to get by, believing he had already “made it.” Now that he is older, he has lost his drive to push forward. “Why bother trying now that I’m old?” he once said.
Receiving an inheritance early is not always a good thing. Sometimes, it can create a false sense of security, making people believe they no longer need to work hard. I often use my brother-in-law’s experience as an example to teach my children not to become reliant on their parents’ money.
That said, getting it later in life is not meaningless. Life is unpredictable, and even very wealthy people still accept inheritance when it comes their way. Some share it with less fortunate family members, while others save it for their descendants.
*This opinion was translated into English with the assistance of AI. Readers’ views are personal and do not necessarily match Read’ viewpoints.
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