Be Brave Not Safe

Too many among us would seem to suggest that having money (and having it in abundance) is bad (even evil). Certainly if that is ALL we think about and all our decisions are made from the perspective of money then problems will result.

The bible (which happens to be the top selling and most practical book of wisdom of all time) says, in 1 Timothy 6:10

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Consider this – What are the most valuable / precious aspects of life? I think “most” of us would agree that the list includes our health, family, friends, the air we breath and the planet we live on. All of which came to us free of charge! And, once lost cannot be replaced with money. That said, the “things” money can buy (homes, automobiles, toys, clothing) can easily be replaced. Yet, what do we often get hung up on? Material possessions; those things that are most easily replaced. If that is where our primary focus lies then we are out of balance in ways that can cause problems in the more important aspects of our lives.

I recall a time, 17-18 years ago, when I was torn. I had begun a “moonlighting” engagement that paid a handsome hourly fee for which there was much work to do. One Saturday morning I got up, went down to my office, and began running the meter (working on my client’s project). My office happens to overlook our backyard. As I was working, I observed my boys playing and felt the pangs of guilt (I should be out there with them). So, I stopped the meter and went out to play. Not long afterwards I was thinking about our financial challenges and obligations, and again felt guilty (I should be / could be working).

At this point I realized I needed to set boundaries and allocate time for the various aspects of my life, ensuring I had adequate family time, during which “zero guilt” was allowed, even if I “could be” running the meter. This helped me tremendously, in ensuring that I had plenty of precious family time which I will NEVER regret. Reminds me of the quote:

No one ever said on their deathbed ‘I wish I’d spent more time at the office.’ ” — Harold Kushner

Instead, these “wishes” are often – I wish I would have spent more time with…

Realize then, that money is not bad or evil. It is extremely important in our society. It is as important as the food, shelter and education it buys as well as the ability to help others who are less fortunate.

Let’s just not let a focus on money knock us out of balance in the areas of life that money cannot buy.