What Does Financial Wealth Mean - to Me?

Money is a form of consolidated energy. It’s the means to make an idea that we have – become real on the outside. It acts as a bridge between those two places. We can create something without money in a variety of different ways, too…But for those larger ideas, having money is necessary. Without minimizing its importance, even with billions, it’s still a direct means to a happier end. So, does it mean that once you have a lot of it, you’ll be happy? Well, once it’s here, that scenario now ties into our emotions, and what’s most important to us. So, even if we have a good amount of it, we still have to use it in ways that are emotionally satisfying to us long-term, as well.

After you establish your current life's path, your survival needs (and a few nice wants perhaps!) the rest of it (besides savings or retirement) needs to go to a place where your heart is – for it to do anything lasting, emotionally. Money and having a lot of it – like energy or love is potential. It’s what we end-up doing with it that makes us “feel” the way we do. For an experiment where you can easily see this for yourself with what you enjoy – try this!

The Experiment:

If you have $20 or even $100 to spend on whatever you want – what will give you the most emotional “bang for your buck?” Answering this will allow you to see where your energy and your money – is going. Now, can you kick it up a notch? Not in how much you're spending, but in how many positive emotions you’re left with – because of what you bought. This might take a little practice, but it’s like trying to hit the "center” of your happiness target!

If you notice (after your purchase), it’s how we live “emotionally” with the things we have, that defines our life and who we are. So, money or having a lot of it is wonderful! It’s a fantastic starting point. But then, it’s how we relate or interact with what we have now – that makes the biggest difference in how we feel. Asking “what’s the use” is an expanded way of looking at what you have, or what you’d like to have, so that you can see more of what it's doing for you. Getting into the habit of doing this will allow you to put more of your time, energy, and money together – so that they can really start to go to work for you…

There are very few things that we can have, where they just keep on giving something positive back to us, without – a little effort on our part. Besides sunlight, air and water (as a few examples), almost everything else has a place – or a way to use it, so that they bring more value to us. For example, just wanting expensive things – because they’re expensive won’t bring that much to you. Once the initial boost wears off – you’ll have to use what you have for a greater or longer-lasting purpose. There’s nothing inherently wrong with money, love, materials, or even lofty goals that involve all of these – but it’s how those things lift us “up” long-term, that makes us get the most out of them. Everything that we have to work with here – is an investment – into something even greater, for us to build on.

In one way or another, everything – material and immaterial is adding up to how we feel. It’s a combination of everything positive that we can have, and do in life – that makes us completely happy. And every major part of our lives is giving us something beneficial for happiness to take place. When we’re responsible with our money, and we use it on what will matter the most to us long-term, we’ll always receive a "great return” on our investment. In the end, keeping our spirits "up" for longer periods of time was always our first internal goal. By making your energy, ideas, materials, and your money on the outside – do this for you, you’ll always get the most out of everything you have, regardless if it’s expensive or not. To me, creating a very positive business deal together – is a way – for all of this to happen, both in and out of work, so that we can keep moving towards what will make us feel – our best. At least, that’s how I see money, wealth, and how we can make it “work” for us. How does wealth work – for you?