Thursday, May 13, 2010

365 Lessons-Lesson 133: The Pursuit of Money is a Dead End


Do you want money? Does money rule your life? Do you sit around and think about what you could do with your money? Are you afraid of losing money? Do you always complain about not having enough? Wow! Sounds like money's got a hold on you.

Here's a little story from my husband which he loves to tell but can't take credit for because I'm sure he got the story from somewhere else. It goes like this:

A man who was about to enter the pearly white gates of heaven was greeted by an angel. The angel said, "I will grant you one wish. Anything you want will be yours. What is your wish sir?" The man knew exactly what he wanted and didn't even hesitate to answer the question. He said, "I want zillions of dollars." The angel looked at the man and smiled and said, "Your wish is granted." Then, poof, she disappeared and the man was left all alone in heaven with zillions of dollars for eternity.

Be careful what you wish for. Do you really want zillions of dollars, or do you want what zillions of dollars can buy you. The pursuit of money for the sake of it only will lead you down a dead end street. There's nowhere to go after that.

Focusing only on money will only make you a slave to it. You can never get enough. Are you working for money or are you doing what you enjoy in life? If you get money, but you don't enjoy what you are doing, how is that going to make you happy..... or anyone else for that matter?

Ever penny you make will only make you happy if it serves you and others in a positive way. Everything in the world is energy. If you are waiting around to get the money you need to do what you want, you may be waiting forever. Do what makes you happy RIGHT NOW. If you are doing what makes you truly happy, chances are it will make others happy, too. Instead of running down the money-dead-end-street, you enter the pool of infinite exchange.

Some people chase money until they are almost run over by it, others think it's dirty and want to wash their hands of it. They give up all their possessions and wander around with a begging bowl. This is fine, unless you start to feel resentment towards others who have the money you gave up.

Money is a man made material thing. Emphasis on MATERIAL. It can bring you temporary satisfaction, but nothing lasting can come from money. Spend it how ever you want to. If you have a big dream to buy a house..DO IT or if you'd like to give all your money away to good causes and the poor, by all means, DO THAT...as long as it makes you genuinely happy.

And by the way, lasting happiness can't be bought with money. I'm sure there was a legitimate reason why the Beatles sang, "I don't care too much for money, money can't buy me love." Easy for them to say...they had it, right? But maybe they were further down the dead end road than the rest of us and wanted to give us a heads up.

Instead of focusing on your never ending supply of money or lack of it, focus on taking care of yourself and making yourself the strongest person you can be inside and out. Once you are strong, you will find that your ability to share that energy with others is so great. Naturally, through nurturing yourself, you will find what you are meant to do in this world and the means to do it.

Once you find what you are meant to do in this world, give your energy to that. Whether your energy comes from material wealth, exchange of services, physical labor, or any other means of exchange, it doesn't really matter. Many wonderful things in the world are being done with money; when it is used in a positive way it can do so much. But real wealth comes from your own effort and good intentions.

Love, peace, and happiness are free for the taking and they are the most valuable assets we have on the planet, but there are many who have yet to realize their true value. Once you have these, you don't need to worry too much about those pieces of paper and metal things.


In my experience, I have found that if you are truly happy and doing what you love you will be supported in one way or another. Letting go of the fear of "not being able to make it," is a big step. Realize that the universe if very abundant and supports those who are flowing with the river, not against it. Sharing what you have with those around you puts this energy back into the universe. Money, being a human creation, is a means to an end. The universe, being infinitely abundant, has no end. The universe exists IN you, invest in IT!

9 comments:

  1. Thank you. I really needed to read this today, and what a coincidence it is!

    --Vania

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  2. I'm trying to beleive this, I realy am, but I'm too busy having several anxiety attacks a day worrying about how we are going to survive now that I have lost my job.

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  3. This a beautiful and inspiring post. Thank you!

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  4. Vania-Glad this was what you needed to har and you got something from it.

    In Real life-Thanks for the kind words.

    Quixotic-I'm so sorry you lost your job and you are having anxiety attacks because of it. Hopefully losing your job means you were meant for something much better. I know that's hard to see now. I do believe that when one door closes another opens. I know that if you give yourself the care you need, you will find that to be true. I have been where you are and it actually turned out for the best. I believe something good will come your way!

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  5. I have always earn't very good money since I left school some 25 years ago, I bought my first house when I was 21 and married a very smart young lady who also earned very good money.

    You know what ... the money never made us happy ! The more we earn't the more we wanted in our constant struggle to be happy.

    We are now no longer married, the house is gone the high paying jobs are gone .. but I am happier each day then I was the day before.

    Unfortunitly it has taken me far to long to see the this truth.

    " Fredom is just another word for nothing left to loose "

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  6. Quixotic ~ Have faith .. " In yourself " good things happen to good people ! I have a very strong feeling that many good things will happen for you !

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  7. Thanks so much for writing this. This past week money has really been on my mind as we are trying to do some planning for our future goals. I used to want to completely avoid thinking & planning, it made me so anxious. My fears have subsided and I'm more able to think practically. I didn't necessarily think of money as dirty, but I saw so many really messed up wealthy people and I associated the two as inseparable. Instead, I saw myself as having values which didn't coincide with the pursuit of money. The only problem with this is, as you say, the danger of resentment which sometimes creeps up on me. I can't understand how some people in India can have so much while most have so little... But this is a global issue which can only be solved through a complete shift in consciousness.

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  8. This is a good post for these hard, uncertain economic times. Money is just a means to an end. But its who we are as a person, and how we affect the world around us that determines our success - be it with or without money.

    Quixotic - I'm sorry you're going through hard times and hope you find an even better opportunity soon.

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  9. Amen, Kathy!

    Quixotic ~ You are in my thoughts and prayers this evening.

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