Mother Teresa’s Investment Advice to Me

At the outset, let me be clear: I won’t be revealing some money-making secret from Mother Teresa. She did not, as far as I know, moonlight as a stock-market savant (Everyone knows Warren Buffett as the “Oracle of Omaha”…can you imagine Mother Teresa as the “Clairvoyant of Calcutta”?).

But while she certainly didn’t live in the financial world, Mother Teresa’s investment advice stuck with me all the same. Years ago, I had the honor of visiting her Home for the Dying Destitute (now called the Home of the Pure Heart) in Calcutta, India. As a Westerner, I wasn’t prepared for what I experienced.

The first thing I noticed as I looked around the relatively small space – apart from the dearth of flowers, balloons, and visible medical equipment I was used to in hospitals and hospices back home – was an immense calm.

Sick and dying people were lying on canvas army cots throughout the room. They had each come to die with dignity, and Mother Teresa and her Missionaries of Charity were helping them to do so with enormous respect and compassion. Experiencing it firsthand left an indelible impression on me. I felt grateful, inspired, and nourished…  and was more convinced than ever of the palpable, transformative impact of love.

That feeling only increased when I got the chance to meet and talk with Mother Teresa herself. I was there with about a dozen others from the corporate world. Surprisingly, she talked to us about the positive impact that businesses can have. How we do immense good in the world by creating things that are needed, and by giving people jobs to make a better life for their families. But she did have one powerful piece of advice for us that day.

“If you have money… use it,” she said. “Don’t just leave it in the bank. Put it to work.”

That’s great investment advice. And considering the source, it took on a whole new meaning.

Accumulating dollars, after all, isn’t the end goal in life  – otherwise the world’s richest people would be the most fulfilled. Money is merely a medium of exchange, and it’s far outweighed by health, happiness, and – most of all – love.

Now, money can’t buy love, as The Beatles famously reminded us.

But it can help us to serve. And in that way, it becomes a catalyst for love.

“Love cannot remain by itself – it has no meaning,” Mother Teresa once said. “Love has to be put into action, and that action is service.”

Every spiritual tradition encourages its adherents to devote time and energy to selfless service—to the poor, the needy, and the sick; to a noble social cause; or to a religious or spiritual community. They do this because action taken in the spirit of service makes for more harmonious families and communities, but also because service serves the server.

My meeting with Mother Teresa and her powerful investment advice inspired me. The best part of her advice, though, is that it applies to us all.

Each of us have something we can use to help make a difference in the world. Maybe it’s money – whatever amount is comfortable for you. It could be your time (volunteering, perhaps) or your expertise. It could be all of those things. In short, whatever feels right for you. In the end, both you and the world will be better for it.

Today is the International Day of Charity, and the date is not an accident: It is the anniversary of Mother Teresa’s death.

For me, it’s a day to remember my brief but beautiful interaction with her. And to heed her advice.

Because Mother Teresa had the right idea.

Putting love into action always offers a great return on investment.

Addendum: At this time, my heart goes out to the people of Abaco. We have a community there and know firsthand how special the island and the people are. If anyone wants to donate to the relief efforts, here’s a link.