Kindness, Risk, and Why I Don't Want Wealth to Change Me

During the past few days, I spent time with my coworkers at Win Media Studios—people I've been working with for years now.

As I observed my boss, one thing caught my attention.

He decided to bring the team to Cebu for a hackathon.

If you think about it logically, we could have just done it online.

We work with AI.

Most of our work happens on computers anyway.

Doing it online would've saved a lot of money.

But he didn't choose the cheaper option.

He chose the experience.

That made me realize something about him.

He doesn't obsess over saving every peso.

He values experiences.

He doesn't overthink every expense.

He believes that bringing people together creates something that can't always be replicated through a screen.

After spending three days and two nights with the team, I experienced that again.

Kindness.

Leadership.

Generosity.

Those things are hard to measure with money.

While thinking about that, my mind drifted toward capitalism.

At first, I thought:

"He could've just skipped this trip and increased our salaries instead."

But the more I reflected, the more I understood the other side.

Building a company requires risk.

Time.

Responsibility.

Years of uncertainty.

Business owners don't simply receive money.

Many of them earn it by taking risks that employees never had to take.

If those risks succeed, it makes sense that they receive greater rewards.

That's how risk and reward work.

And honestly, I can accept that reality.

That doesn't mean I agree with everything about capitalism.

I don't like it when people exploit others just to maximize profit.

I don't like greed.

I don't like treating people as numbers.

But I also believe that people who create value, take meaningful risks, and build something from nothing deserve to enjoy the rewards of their work.

The problem isn't success.

The problem begins when success turns into greed.

Watching my boss also reminded me of something.

Even though he could have simply kept more money for himself, he chose to spend part of it creating an experience for the team.

That doesn't erase the realities of business.

But it showed me that generosity and leadership can exist together.

That left a strong impression on me.

I also realized something about myself.

If one day I become successful, if I ever gain influence, resources, or financial freedom, I don't want wealth to change the way I treat people.

If other people become greedy after becoming rich, that's their choice.

I don't want it to become mine.

Instead, I hope success allows me to become even more generous.

To create opportunities.

To reduce unnecessary struggles where I can.

Not because I have to.

But because I've experienced what kindness feels like.

The more kindness I receive from people, the more I want to pass it on.

Maybe that's how kindness spreads.

Not because someone tells us to be kind.

But because someone was unexpectedly kind to us first.

And if that chain keeps going, maybe kindness can spread almost like a virus.

One person helping another.

Then another.

Then another.

Until generosity becomes something ordinary instead of something rare.

I think that's the kind of wealth I want to leave behind.