Letting Money Carry You Away

Letting Money Carry You Away

A wise man once said, “It is not someone who has little, but him that craves for more, that is really poor.” Perhaps the best saying that reflects on the spirit of a reckless modern society. How many of us understand that money is only a mode of transaction and is in no way the purpose of life. Many of us voice the same opinion, but society has seasoned us to believe otherwise, within our minds. We believe that money brings happiness, success, pride and everything we desire. The truth is that more people today are subject to all sorts of unhealthy stresses in order to earn more, and this is a lot commoner than you would choose to believe.

There are six very visible symptoms that you are obsessed with money.
● You constantly think, talk and discuss about money
● You fail to see money for what it is and instead consider it as the end target of everything you do.
● You keep comparing your finances with that of others.
● You think of money to the point that it truly disturbs you, and you fail to realise that.
● Your expense patterns are extreme, overspending and underspending being the pattern of your spending
● You have more than one relationship, broken for money or with it in the background.

Why does money have such a grip on some human beings?

Since the concept of exchange of value via a form of currency was invented, money has occupied a very powerful spot in the hearts, minds and lives of human beings. Some have lived and died never having had much of it, some have literally given their lives in the legal or illegal pursuit of it, while others have lived and died with more than they could ever have spent in their lifetime and have still felt they never had enough. The reason that money holds such a power over people is that it provides them with power – to do what they want to do, whatever that may be.
Some people feel money gives them a sense of personal worth. They feel if they don’t have much money, they are not worth much as a person and if they have a lot of it, they are indeed of great worth as a person. That’s why many people associate the accumulation of wealth with the accumulation of power – the more money you have, the more powerful you are. And when people have a low sense of their personal power, they have an overwhelming urge to amass large sums of money quite out of proportion to their needs.

No matter how much they acquire, it’s never enough. This approach also aligns with greed. A greedy person never has enough, no matter how much he or she gets. Money, sex and power, have preyed on the integrity and claimed the lives of thousands of great men throughout history. We see that even here money leads the pack. Money itself is not bad nor is the desire to make money. Money is a necessary part of life, it’s just the way the system works. It’s a tool, and tools are neither good nor bad; their value rests in how they are used. Many people misquote the Bible as saying, “Money is the root of all evil.” But the verse actually posits that it is “the love of money” which is the problem. The man trap begins when we start defining ourselves by our material possessions – believing that money and its trappings are the answer to our happiness. It’s a small, but deadly twist in our natural desire as men to be providers and industrialists.

The problem with defining ourselves by what we have is that we never have enough. There will always be someone that has more money, a bigger house, a newer car and cooler toys. We convince ourselves that if we could just have a few of those things we would be happy, the race would be over and we would be content. But, it never happens. Even when we get the house of our dreams, soon a new neighbor moves in next door and builds a castle that would make the Royal Family jealous. And the cycle continues. Soon we find ourselves consumed by money, the slave, rather than the master.
Be Careful – Money is powerful. Its allure can lead men to do things that breech their integrity and eventually ruin their lives. So it makes sense to be on guard. Being careful involves consciously monitoring your attitude towards the money in your life. Are you feeling desperate to earn more, constantly anxious that you don’t have enough, or jealous of others’ success? Your heart might be going down a slippery slope. As much as we try to be aware of ourselves, it is always best to have friends and family that can act as mirrors for us. Ask those closest to you to tell you when they think your attitude is changing in regard to money and things. It may not always be the most comfortable question to ask, but it’s much better to catch a problem early than save your pride and fall hard later.