If you want to know whether money is everything or not, you absolutely must read this article!
It discusses this very important topic about money and reveals very powerful reasons why money is not everything.
It also explains secrets to money that most people don’t know about.
Table of Contents
Money in Perspective
When it comes to the subject of money, generally everyone has an opinion. These opinions are neither right nor wrong and are generally expressed through people’s various filters.
First, this company has paid $25+ million to members:
SurveyJunkie (only USA, Canada, Australia residents allowed). You can earn money sharing your thoughts. They have already paid $25+ million to their 20+ million members just for sharing their thoughts and opinions. Click here to join SurveyJunkie for FREE
A simple word association to any random individual would probably return several one-word or simple phrases indicating the person’s perspective about money.
For example, some responses could include from the individual a reflection or thinking that they never have enough, or that it needs to be saved or spent or earned or appreciated or invested, etc.
Responses would be a dime a dozen.
I daresay that one inquiring about money from another individual would seldom hear that they have enough money or that they need more money or could always use more money.
Additionally, if you were to ask a person their name you would get the standard answer regarding what their name is, but it would never be in their name expressed in dollars and cents and have a monetary sign placed in front of their signature.
Also, there are those “enlightened” individuals who would say that money is evil.
This is not entirely true as the reference to money being evil contains the entire phrase that the “love of money is the root of all evil.”
Therefore, the purpose of this article is to stimulate thinking about money in place in its proper perspective realizing that we are not the accumulation or sum of dollar signs or decimal points.
We are far greater than what our bank account or portfolio declares about our monetary accumulations.
Also See: How To Manifest Money in Your Life.
Is Money Everything? My Personal Insight
Perhaps a personal insight reflecting the reality that money is not everything is as close as my family money values learned or not learned.
With parents emerging into the post-World War II era, they had experienced rationing and all sorts of lifestyle restrictions due to low wages and large “baby boom” families.
This hunger for life and the modern advent of good things such as television, modern appliances, etc. coupled with easily obtained credit was a formula for disaster.
Along with these variables were the desires of my parents to provide love and affection for their family. The natural demonstration was to buy things for the family when, in fact, all that was needed was time and attention.
Needless to say, the road of credit card purchases not keeping up with income proved financially disastrous.
A road traveled by many then and now.
Consequently, the reality of money not being everything became the mantra for many sons and daughters who saw their parents detoured and falling into money pitfalls on this road.
So yes, it is important to have a discussion about money and to realize that money is not everything.
Perhaps, then, a gentle reminder is indicated of what the real value of money is in relationship to our lives and why money is not everything.
Related: How To Stop Money Fights When Married or in Relationship.
Money Is Not Everything Lesson from King Midas
The question that needs to be asked if one enjoys accumulating wealth and making that the ultimate priority in their life, have they put the money cart before the horse?
In other words, the driving force in pulling a cart along is horsepower.
If the horse is behind the cart and pushes rather than pulling, the uniqueness and power of the horse-drawn cart is compromised.
Does money serve us or do we serve money?
Do we serve people or do people serve us concerning our wealth?
Without any doubts, it is important to be rich and successful in business and life. This lasting and enduring richness is through the enriching of your mind by realizing that yes money is important, but it is not everything.
Remember the fable about King Midas?
He was granted one wish by a thankful mythological entity. His wish was that whatever he touched would be turned to gold.
He soon delighted in his newfound power and found that twigs, stones, flowers, etc. all turned to gold through his mere touch.
However, he soon found that it truly was everything he touched even the food and drink that he needed for nourishment would turn to this precious metal.
In his richness, he became impoverished physically and mentally.
Eventually, as Nathaniel Hawthorne picks up on the story regarding King Midas, we read that when the king’s daughter was upset about the roses turning to gold, the king endeavored to comfort her.
His golden touch soon turned his already precious daughter into a motionless and emotionless statue of gold.
Hopefully, the King Midas story will serve to remind us all that even having the Midas touch can be a curse.
If money or gold is everything and our quest for gold and wealth is all-consuming, we will be rewarded with bankruptcy.
We will be bankrupt when it comes to a relationship with ourselves, others, and especially those who are very important and meaningful in our lives.
Top 10 Reasons Why Money Is Not Everything
To bring value to your life here are a few of the top reasons why money is not everything.
1. No Life in Money
As a basis of one’s relationship with money, it is important to remember that money is not life.
Money is emotionless and yet ironically, stirs the emotions and passions of those who have it, don’t have it, pursue and worship it.
Money is called cold and hard for a reason. Therefore, keep your wealth in perspective and realize that it will not provide the things that you need as a living and vibrant human being.
Also See: How to Stop Buying Unnecessary Things You Don’t Need.
2. Relationship with Money is Unsatisfying
Although money can buy the seemingly satisfying things of life, it is important to remember that it is simply a commodity.
Although money can purchase the necessities, desires, and passions of life it is not a substitute for the deeper and more meaningful relationships that we as people require.
Money in a bank account or one’s portfolio does not reciprocate one’s love.
Again, this company has paid $25+ million to members:
SurveyJunkie (only USA, Canada, Australia residents allowed). You can earn money sharing your thoughts. They have already paid $25+ million to their 20+ million members just for sharing their thoughts and opinions. Click here to join SurveyJunkie for FREE
3. Scrooge Syndrome
One wise and an insightful person has said that some people are so poor that all they have is money.
In other words, those with great wealth and in their thirst and quest and overwhelming desire to accumulate wealth, have neglected the needful things of life.
This can be known as the Scrooge syndrome where the accumulation and hoarding of wealth are of the most paramount importance.
4. Never Enough
It would seem that a very revealing question in asking about one’s wealth would be “do you have enough money?”
The answer to this question would be a revelation of one’s contentment of their finances.
Consequently, the answer would be a strong indicator of one’s level of peace of mind in either not having enough money or being content that there is enough money to provide for one’s loved ones and pay the necessary bills.
Money should not disrupt our peace of mind or affect our health.
Also See: Important Differences Between Being Frugal Vs Cheap.
5. Character or Money?
Another top reason to remember that money is not everything is that money does not define you.
It is not part of your DNA, your personality or expression, or other expressions of who you are as an individual.
Granted, if people know that you have wealth they will treat you differently but of course, these friendships are fleeting and not worthwhile in pursuing or developing.
Your character is of greater value than decimal points or dollar signs.
6. In Control but not Controlled
Also, what may seem like a contradiction to money not being an all-consuming and important dimension in your life is to work hard and earn enough money to live a comfortable life.
Knowing that your hard work has paid off and bills are being met and investment income is on the rise, you will have sufficient resources so that money takes its proper place and perspective in your life.
You will be in control and money will not control you.
- Chinese Farmer Money Superstition
- Best Bible Verses about Money
- Left Hand Itching Money Lottery
- Right-Hand Itching Money Lottery
- Finding Money On the Ground
- Best Popular Money Superstitions
7. Death and Taxes – Great Equalizers
Furthermore, money is not everything as it relates to values and actions that will outlive your bank account, savings account, and investments.
A trip to any local graveyard will attest to this fact in that one would be hard-pressed to find a gravestone inscribed in memoriam with the words of having and being known for great wealth.
Money is not everything as it stays behind when the reality of death and taxes becomes everyone’s experience.
Also See: Guide to Successfully Living Below Your Means and Escaping the Crabs in a Bucket Mentality.
8. Money is not free
Another important reminder of placing the value of money in proper perspective is that actions associated with money even large amounts of money are not free.
There is a cost and according to Vicki Robin, wife of Joe Dominguez who wrote “Your Money or Your Life“; the precious commodity spent on money is time.
So often an individual absorbed with money and the time dedicated becomes bankrupt in regards to their own lives and development of personal relationships.
9. Money is not All-Powerful
It is also important to understand the importance of money as it relates to what money cannot buy.
Specifically, money cannot buy happiness, and often those who have an accumulation of great wealth are unhappy due to the division that money creates such as divorces, undisciplined children, and perhaps ugly custody battles involving children.
10. Can’t Buy Me Love
It also bears repeating that money cannot buy love and often when the money flow dries up or is cut off, so do various relationships.
This of course is usually because money is sometimes what draws so-called friends into a rich person’s life.
Also See: How to Pay Off Debt and Live Debt-free.
11. Can’t Buy Me Health
Also, money cannot buy the preciousness of enjoying good health in one’s life.
Certainly, you can with money, employee dietitians, culinary chefs, personal trainers, etc.
All these professions can be employed to help you with maintaining the health of your body and mind.
However, when it comes to illness and diseases, no amount of money can insulate an individual from the devastating effects of a horrible medical diagnosis.
Also See: What Is Financial Literacy and Why Is It Important?
12. Hamsters Are Not Rich
Perhaps the final reason for making the case about money not being everything can be best illustrated through the hamster wheel.
The driven hamster enters the wheel in its cage and continues to move and move in turning the hamster wheel in a circular fashion.
The hamster and the wheel end up going in circles with no apparent destination reached.
For those driven by the accumulation of wealth their efforts can be likened to the hamster on a treadmill.
The more money one has the more money is spent and the driven “hamster” ends up not going anywhere in particular but simply turning the treadmill in circles and getting nowhere.
The hamster exercising on the treadmill with no destination or purpose in sight perfectly illustrates those individuals seeking more and more money and it being their aim in life.
Truly, the more you have the more you spend and the more you need.
Also See: Products You Can Buy Cheap and Sell High.
Conclusion
It is important to remember that we are powerful and resourceful entities. We do not have to live, abide by, and be controlled by our past or possibly restricted thinking.
Each moment is new and with that new moment comes an opportunity to be transformed and renewed. This is especially true when desiring to re-think one’s relationship with money.
Part of that process is in our thinking and attitude towards animate and inanimate objects.
One such inanimate object that apart from the value held by others and the business sector of society is that money is simply a commodity.
When this commodity is utilized it has the power to purchase food, pay the landlord, put clothes on our back, and provide purchase power for just about anything in life.
However, it is important to remember that money does not define us. Whether we have money or not, it does not represent who we are nor does it define our character or the depth of our being.
Amazingly, the use of money and the value that we give to it defines the wealth of our being.
A wealthy person enjoys the richness of family, friends, and the vibrancy of life.
Again, this company has paid $25+ million to members:
SurveyJunkie (only USA, Canada, Australia residents allowed). You can earn money sharing your thoughts. They have already paid $25+ million to their 20+ million members just for sharing their thoughts and opinions. Click here to join SurveyJunkie for FREE