MONEY MATTERS

 

“Money is not the most important thing in life, but it is certainly as important as the air we breathe.”

Ever since the world begun, money has been a universal catalyst for material debts. It has been the world’s material ‘center of gravity.’ Money has been known to be the most coveted material element in this world just like diamonds, gold, lands that dangle miles and miles and properties that translate themselves into heaps of money.

They said money even makes the world turn around, what do you think? You’d combat what I’ve said and rather retort, “no, it’s love, it’s love that makes the world turn around.” Okay, I’ll just say, “love for money makes the world turn around.”

Yes, we know that it is the word “love” that owns the rightful place of the adage “…makes the world turn around.” I don’t run counter to any of those ideologies. Love per se in its transcendental meaning and money itself in its ephemeral utilities are like the two flapping wings of a bird. It would rather be crazy to see a bird fly with only one wing. We need both elements to stand tall against the mantle of this world.

Money matters! That’s it. Nobody would dare bluntly say “I don’t need money,” else he can’t breath.

MONEY WHEN AND WHERE?

Before the dawn of monetary exchange and warfare, it is just a matter of I’ll-take-yours-you-take-mine fashion of meeting everyone’s need. Well, that’s the time when everyone’s ancestors are still purging a pickaxe inch by inch on the anvil. It is still the time when a farmer and a cow boy kick ass over the sizes of clothes and the weight of a cow cut twice.

Barter is the coined term of the medium of exchange before money. Two individuals owning different commodities inter into a fair agreement to trade their goods. One sack of wheat to swap with a bunch of bananas, ten pieces of medium sized mackerel to swap with nicely hewed porcelain. Or an Ipod Touch to swap with Nokia 5110, brows up! Duh, it isn’t fair anyway!

Barter enterprise at least enjoyed considerable years over the barter “wall street” scenario. But because of the inconveniences it brings, it’s blithe gradually fade off. Barter works like this; for example, I have a fattened lamb but I needed bananas, I must find someone who needs lamb meat in the first place and has bananas at the same time. Or if I have a half sack of sugar to swap with a container of vinegar, I’ll still have to find the right prospect, just don’t kid a diabetic.

Another among many irregularities is what if you find somebody who has need for lamb meat but can only offer you a sack of rice? So, the style sucks a bit.

Some more, other goods just can’t wait for minutes. Some goods are literally perishable and thus needs to be released. You just can’t hoard them for time, in contrast with bank accounts and or notes that can be stored practically or virtually for life.

One more thing is its transferability. You can’t determine whether a bunch of banana can suffice the whole fattened lamb, so you have to slice up the meat, somewhat muddling business.

If we see, barter’s mode of transaction is direct and frank, what you see is what you get, only that it lacks a sense of universality and those mentioned above.

This is where money set foot unto our economic shores. Excuse me for some economic cliché I can’t spell here, but money (either in bills or in some other mode) has been agreed upon to cater the deficiency of the previous economic medium of exchange. Sealed with what they called “legal tender,” money has become the lifeblood of our present economy.

Money’s power, valuability including evil deeds that root from it don’t come from itself, but from individuals themselves who agreed upon to give face and value to such thing – called money.

Truly, man is the measure of all things. Who says diamonds, gold, money and everything has inherent value in them. Rather, it is man who instilled importance and so much ado in them while those things just lay flat on the ground.

MONEY CAN'T BUY YOU HAPPINESS?

Where on earth would you convince somebody, penniless and starving to death because he has no money to buy his food or basic needs – that money can't buy him “happiness?” Are you not amenable that you are working day and night, dusk till dawn clashing skin to skin with fastidious mates on a congested office cubicle? And at the end of the day you shrug your shoulders and realize in front of your face that money is a hard-won reality in this world. So, you are not working for money (I don’t say money alone), and if you are, where is that! You are working for a thing that doesn’t make you happy, like money?

Money has been an object of the ‘pursuit to happiness’ despite the claims that there are 'commodities' money can’t really buy – and there really are. In the metaphysical hemisphere, I guess everything is free, like love, affection, time, attention, respect and other different hues of emotions. You don’t need to buy them; since it is “economically” abundant among us. But in our physical hemisphere money is a life raft or a luxury cruise ship that makes you afloat and alive. Nonetheless, to those financially gifted individuals who have experience how money takes toll amidst relationships, such as time, attention and affection of business engrossed parents toward their children, a “money can’t buy you happiness” thing is a truism. However, for us financially challenged, I don’t think so! That is why I think it would be easier for me to persuade a rich man that money really can’t buy happiness, rather than convince a poor man about it.

A PENNY SAVED, A PENNY EARNED

How do you earn your own money? Alright, from various articles I have read even from professionals themselves, one thing they suggest.

You might can’t believe it, but it’s true.

They suggest, stop looking for it!

I mean, there’s nothing wrong with your eyes, it’s not a clerical error either. It’s clear as glass, “stop looking for it” – and start doing your job – money will just follow!

Other authors suggest, it is actually your attitude towards money that hinders you from having it. If you still believe that money itself is the “root of all evil” or that money is the cause of all miseries on earth, you’d rather check-out your biases.

Practically, I am thinking of its logical implication, I see! I remember once in our economic subject, that in economy there are at least binary elements that took center stage of our economic growth, goods and services. To cut it short, where you are doing your job or as you are expected of, you are actually rendering a service – which is logical enough and worth paying for.

Or, haven’t you asked Manny Pacquiao about it?

Did Manny ever presume that life would be this kind for him? Did he ever dreamed being a billionaire someday despite he and his family batten on a 50 pesos knock-out pay for him when he was still an eager slab on the boxing ring? Did he ever dream of becoming every fanatic’s apple of the eye – famous? I don’t think so he is thinking much about it – he is just doing his job…that’s it! Afterwards fame and fortune just clutch-up to his shoulders like crazy.

MONEY PRINCIPLES TO GROW WITH

In a Christian point-of-view having money or becoming rich is a warning to them and to anybody, not that they become bad or repulsive to heaven. It’s just that by nature humans also tend to be ravenous and selfish which is more likely to manifest when you are rich. Remember, when you have more, you tend to have even more – which is inordinate! You don’t even need most of them anyway.

Being rich is not a bad thing. Mind you, God himself is the richest being in the entire universe or wherever there is another universe. He owns every breath you take from the time you were born till you expire your last. He owns every bit of dust on the solid ground where Burj Dubai stood still. He owns everything!

Meanwhile, here are few money thoughts you might as well consider in dealing with money.

•Define what is a need and what is a want. You need clothes. You want Chanel. You need shelter. You want a mansion. You need food. You want to eat out every day. The problem is that our list of wants is endless and that tempts us to keep buying. Allow yourself one "want" every once in a while but also learn to live with the knowledge that if you are to have any money in the bank, you cannot get in debt to acquire your wants.

•A raise at work is not a green light to increased spending. Think of a raise as money you can save. Living below your means really is an art that few people can master, but if you do it will be extremely rewarding. You will never see an empty bank account again.

I want to thank here Diana Sullivan for imparting her ideas.

1. Money is energy. It is a fair form of energy exchange. This constant form of exchange allows us to become present and conscious. If you don’t believe that just become distracted or unconscious about your money and see how fast it disappears.

2. Spirit and money are inseparable. To give a financial value to others is a spiritual act. And to make money creating wealth requires following spiritual laws. Stop feeling guilty about acquiring money. Money is not good or bad, it’s a neutral event until you place a judgment on it.

3. Having a creative idea – and envisioning – is the first step to creating wealth. The second is feeling what you would feel as a result of owning that wealth. As you hold those feelings, you attract what it is that gives you more of those feelings. Money is energy and can be magnetically attracted.

4. Creating wealth occurs as a result of setting values, the value of building wealth. If you do not hold a value of appreciation for building wealth, you will not. It’s important to place a high value on building wealth since you will do whatever you value. Wherever you place your attention is what you value and what you create.

5. It doesn’t matter how much money flows through your hands, its how much you choose to save. Wealthy people who do not save may not become financially free while people who do save even though they are menial laborers can become financially free because they save their money.

6. If you want to grow wealth but don’t have a spiritual calling that requires money then you will plateau your wealth. As a spiritual person you have a requirement to continually go inside to find your mission and grow yourself and excel in your spiritual purpose.

7. Love equals money. Until you allow yourself love, don’t expect to allow yourself money. If you don’t love yourself or value money for yourself then it will pass through your hands to those who do value it.

8. People who say, “I’m not in this for the money” will work their whole life focusing upon making money. People who save money find the freedom from it. People can have little money and be attached to it while people can have vast fortunes and have no attachment to it.

9. When you make a dollar you hang out with people with dollars. When you make thousands, you hang out with people who have thousands, and when you save a million, you hang out with people with millions. The more money people have, the more influence and the more they can help others.

And the final principle is; People who learn to save their money live longer because of less anxiety, better lifestyle, and better health care, etc.

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