What Good is Money Anyway?

Have you noticed people are always talking about money? Either you want to get more of it, So and so has it, Your parents are worried about it, She thinks she’s special because of it.

We have officially become that society where girls talk about their jeans by name as if they somehow they make the person who is wearing them different. Pants have become status symbols and everyone has to have status symbols right?

And if you refuse to give into status symbols then you have to purposefully and deliberately go the other direction. You have to swear off money and status symbols purposefully and publicly. Money is bad, status symbols are bad, you have to declare to the world you don’t care about money.

Yep, everybody’s talking about money. Except no one seems to be talking about it in the right way.

So let’s just call that elephant in the room for what it is. Right here, right now, no more hush whispers, no more disapproving glances.

I love money. I hope my children grow up to love money. I want every single one of you to love money. I hope every one of you become millionaires in my lifetime. That makes me excited just thinking about it.

Over the years of teaching finance and career classes to underprivileged youth this concept seems to be the one area that they really struggle with grasping. The biggest push back I get when we talk about how to save a million dollars is, “that is a stupid selfish goal”.

And I agree wanting money just for the sake of wanting money is a stupid goal. But jump in with me with both feet for a second. We’re going in and I want you to leave those preconceived notions right there on the beach.

If you build wealth that means you have a very healthy relationship with your money.

You can’t build wealth if you are deeply in debt. You most likely have sacrificed a few wants in your lifetime to save for the greater goal. (Also a very mature thing to do.) You make good financial decisions. And you are in control of your money. I love that about you.

If you are wealthy you most likely are also successful in what you do.

That’s the part I want to see in my lifetime. I want you to be wildly successful. I want you to be so successful that you have money coming out of your ears. See we were all put here with a different set of skills and abilities. You have an amazing purpose in this life. You are going to solve problems I have or are going to have someday.

And if you are true to yourself and commit to be who you were designed to be as a profession you are contributing amazingly to the world we all live in and you should be paid handsomely for that awesomeness. Honestly if you commit that you are going to do what that one thing you are purposed to do how could you fail at that?

Money allows you to actually live. Oh I’m so in love with life. I love sitting on my porch watching my kids play not spending a dime. But money had to buy this house we live in. Money put on this amazing deck where we host huge BBQ’s. Money bought the giant inflatable waterslide we put up for all the kids to play with when we have those BBQ’s. Money took us to San Diego for a family vacation and money is going to take us to Whidbey Island for fourth of July. You will never hear me say I wouldn’t be happy if I didn’t get those things because I wholeheartedly believe that you must maintain a constant focus on gratitude. But wanting nice things or amazing experiences is not wrong.

Money allows you to change the world.

If you don’t have money you can’t donate it to put in a clean water system in a village across the world. You can’t build an orphanage. If you are struggling to pay your debt and bills you can’t take a day off and volunteer with the Red Cross or the local animal shelter. You can’t start new programs for kids that have nothing. Money is an amazing tool.

So yes, I love money. I want you to love it too. And I can’t wait to see all the amazing things you do with it.

Trisha Funk is a financial coach, speaker, and author at www.FinancesWithFunk.com. She empowers and equips people to transform their relationship with money so they can be free to truly live.