Money is Not Everything

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T. Harv Eker states in his book, Secrets of the Millionaire Mind, that anyone who thinks money is not important probably does not have any. He believes that your attitude toward money is critical, but he takes it a step further. In his book he asks the reader to explore their beliefs about money. He calls this your blueprint. If you are in a relationship with someone, business or personal, it is critical that all partners understand each others blueprints. I highly recommend this book. Not necessarily to learn how to think like a millionaire, but to help you understand how you feel about money.

Money is a word that invokes strong feelings. I think most people would agree there are other things more important – family, love, God – but the truth is we all need money to make those things work. Attitudes toward money probably vary as much as individuals vary. Our attitudes are shaped by our families and our own personal experiences. Some children grow up to do everything like their parents. Others rebel and do the opposite of their parents. Either way, it appears the world is basically broken down by two categories, those who have money and those who do not have money.

The person struggling with money issues probably has some deep beliefs, without realizing it, against making money. Some Americans were raised by parents who thought money was evil and being rich was even worse. If you think making a lot of money is bad, you are placing a limit on your income. Many people strive to earn a certain amount, usually what is needed to pay the bills. How you feel about money and how much you would like to earn, will largely determine how high your income is.

There are people who truly feel money is not important. They are content to earn just what they need to survive. Many times they look at friends, who work long hours and make huge personal sacrifices, to earn an above average income. They decide to use their time in other ways. Sometimes we don’t understand this type of person. We might label them as unmotivated. As a society we sometimes tend to think that everyone’s goals are the same as ours. But that’s not true.

As a society, I think we are too driven by money. We tend to define people by their occupations and how much money they make. When a person reaches a certain level, usually defined by neighborhood, cars and material possessions, we define them as successful. Too many people strive to keep up with their friends, often heavily in debt, because they buy into this belief. There are several flaws with this.

A persons worth should never be determined by how much money they have but rather by how they treat their fellow man. Having an abundance of material goods does not mean you are wealthy. Sometimes, wealthy individuals live in small houses and drive economy cars. Each person should determine their own goals toward money, as well as all the other areas of their life. When you set the goal, only you can determine your success.

The world today seems so different from my parent’s world. As baby boomers we rebelled against many of the values of that time. But because it was so easy for us to get credit, I wonder what kind of money values we passed on to our children? Some believe kids today expect it all, and expect it immediately. Perhaps the current financial crisis will force us to make some needed financial adjustments.

Money is not everything but it does become more important in some ways as you age. What happened to the philosophy of paying cash for the things you wanted? Many people have too much stuff, more than they can use. With the rising health costs, gasoline prices, and the possibility of social security going away, we all need to rethink our attitude toward money. It would be good if we incurred less debt, bought less stuff, tried harder to save money, and put in place a plan for our retirement.

Money is not everything, but it is necessary. I believe much is expected from those who have received the most. Bill Gates is a perfect example of this. His program to put computers in the hands of every child is changing the world. True wealth comes when we are able to look beyond ourselves and give to those who are less fortunate.

Marg

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Filed Under Frugal Living, Lifestyle, Money 

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