Money Thoughts from Wonder Woman 84: What Do You Wish For?

While I understand that Wonder Woman 84 has been highly anticipated (I myself was looking forward to watching it), I did find the plot predictable, and the villians not as evil as I had hoped them to be. That said, Gal Gadot is always very fun to watch, since she is, after all, very good looking in my opinion.

The movie starts with Max Lord in his advertisement:

Welcome to the future. Life is good! But it can be better. And why shouldn’t it be? All you need is to want it. Think about finally having everything you always wanted.

Max Lord: What Do You Wish For?

Now, those who have watched WW84 or read the Josh Williamson’s mini series will know Max Lord gets a nose bleed when he first started using his powers, and proceeds to bleeding from his other orifices when he ramps up the volume of people he is granting wishes to (and taking from, unbeknowst to his unknowing victims).

Undoubtedly (for better or worse), Max Lord is working hard to get the money and power that he so long yearned for. And later on, when he realizes that his health is severely suffering. After which, he starts granting wishes and gets his victims health and life energy in return.

Unfortunately, mere mortals like us are not Max Lord, and we cannot just ‘get our health and life energy’ back after slogging and toiling late nights to get more money and status.

As a gerontology student and someone who had spent a considerable time in the hospice watching people in the last stages of their lives, they might probably give whatever is left in their bank account if it could really help them get their health and life energy back.

However, sometimes recovering from certain illnesses is not just a matter of throwing large amounts of cash at the problem. Someone who works to the bone in a job he is deeply dissatisfied with + gets severely ill in the process will have to pay for it financially, be it through insurance (for which he has been paying premiums for) or Out-of-pocket payments. However, it might not always lead to recovery.

Additionally, when considering his question of ‘What Do You Wish For?’, it really should be seen as this question instead:

What are You Willing to Struggle For?

It is very easy to say, I want to be financially independent. I want to have $x in my bank account so that I can do this and that, and finally do what I like.

But not everyone can be comfortable with the hard work, early investments and delayed gratification from a young age to get to that. And yet, unless you’ve won the lottery, how can one get to financial independence without the toil, struggle, and delayed gratification to accumulate wealth?

Likewise, if anyone wants good health and a limber, mobile body – it takes discipline to embark on regular exercise and a sensible diet on a daily basis, not only on days where one ‘feels inspired’.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Steve Trevor: I Wish We Had More Time

In the movie, Wonder Woman does not recognize Steve Trevor until he says this: I Wish We Had More Time.

This was his last words to Wonder Woman in his last life, and what he says to Wonder Woman to make her know that it is indeed him brought back to life.

In whatever circumstance, time is always more valuable than money. We can always check how much money we have left in the bank, but we cannot see how much time we have left. While it is a tempting idea to prioritize work over time with loved ones, because it will bring you closer to that financial goal post, don’t forget that time, once lost, can never be gotten back. Just as how you plan your finances, plan your time wisely.

Til the next time !