by Stephanus Van Schalkwyk

Created on: February 04, 2008

Whatever your economic or social status, race, background or religious affiliation, you cannot escape the effect money has on your life. Money is important and impacts your life on many levels. What is money all about and what does it mean?

Choice

Possessing money provides you with options. The more you have, the more options you have and the less you have the fewer options you have. Having no money leaves you with no choices. The power of choice is considerable and can open up new horizons and broaden the scope of your life considerably. The lack of choice can strangle your life and leave you floundering with no hope for a better future. Having choices are good.

Power

Money gives you power. When you have lots of it, many doors open to you and people compete for your attention and approval. Everybody wants to help you spend it and are looking for ways to sell you their product and secure investment from you. You have influence and can impact the lives of other people by your decisions. You are automatically endowed with authority, just by virtue of having a lot of money. When having little money or no money, you have no power and are at the mercy of other people's decisions and goodwill. No one cares what you think and you have no power over the forces that impact your life.

Freedom

Money can provide you with freedom. The freedom of coming and going as you please, buying what you want, traveling. You have the freedom of association, location, geography and environment. You even enjoy the luxury of controlling your time. Again, the more you have, the more freedom. Little money equals little or no freedom.

Access

Money provides you with access. With money you can access the stock market, real estate market, professional financial advice and have access to attorneys and auditors. You can enjoy access to the best health care and medical advice. You have access to banking facilities, finance and life assurance products. No money, no access and you are forced to accept whatever the government or other institutions will give you.

We spend most of our time and energy in finding ways of growing our money, while keeping what we have and desiring more. Money can be a great friend or fierce enemy depending on your relationship with it and your access to it. You should however never trust in your money and never consider money the answer to everything.

In its finest definition, money is a tool and how you use it is up to you.

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