….So what’s it to you?

I’ve been thinking quite a bit about money lately… with the car accident and, more importantly, the type of lifestyle I want to be able to live.  The car accident triggered PTSD and going through treatment it’s come to the surface that I associate money with something bad happening.  I will certainly spare the stories of my past but it brings up some interesting questions:  What is money anyway?  And why the big stink about it?  Let’s just dive in!

What is money anyway?!

Wikipedia defines money as: any object or record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts in a given socio-economic context or country. (Say that 10 times fast!)  The fabulous Kate Northrup (author of Money: A Love Story) defines money simply as a tool we use in exchange for the things we value.  I love that… money is simply a tool!  That’s it my friends.  And we use it when we value something we currently don’t have that we want.

So… why the big stink about it?!

If the truth is that money actually has no value except that which we place on it, why is it that we get our knickers so bunched up about it?  I’m excited to be hosting some events coming up playing games with money (fake money of course) because while the value of money is zero, it certainly provides access to that which we desire most.  What is it that you desire most?  A roof over your head?  Nourishment for your body?  Transportation of some sort to get you from point A to point B?  A vacation with family?  Or packing up and offering support to devastated regions?  Whatever your dream is … that is what money provides you access too.  Which would better explain why we get so worked up about it (rather than money is just bad or having money means bad things happen).  We want something that money has the ability to give us.

So, how often are our desires bigger then the money coming in?

And should that be a problem?  It’s often said that we should live within our means, however, I don’t believe that one should have to lower their desires just to “fit” within a certain paycheck.  Perhaps place a temporary hold on those desires while developing the skills needed to increase the money coming in… absolutely!  The key, then, is to develop the skills needed to provide more value that will then increase a person’s cash flow.  Have a commitment to learning financial concepts and money matters because money is out there and it’s abundant.

So… let’s get this conversation rolling!  Leave a comment below:  What is your favorite financial concept or strategy that you wish people knew about?!

All the best in health and wealth,
Jenn