For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?
Luke 9:25
My view of this biblical passage is simple, and asks an easy question, that is very hard to answer: Why build wealth, if at the end of it you are unhappy? Better still does money buy happiness?
Many times I find myself worrying about money and trying to find ways to make more money and such. Why am I doing it? The reasons are clear to me. I am trying to make “enough” money to live and then not have to try to create more wealth, if I don’t need it. This will give me more options in life.
When I was younger, I didn’t really have that perspective. I just wanted more, but I also spent much more. I lost focus on the fact that if you make as much as you spend, you are not building wealth, you are simply acting as a “money pass through”. Realizing that my life outside of my “career” is rich and wonderful, was my epiphany. All I want now is to figure out a lifestyle that I wish to live, figure out how much money I will need to live it, and then have enough money to be able to live it, it is that hard and that simple.
Money buys you the ability to do what you want, but you must be the master of your wealth, and not get caught up in the trappings of having a lot of things. Making money will allow you to do what YOU want. By building a strong financial plan, and remembering why you want this money you achieve freedom.Â
You are buying your financial freedom, and with that freedom, the power to do what you want.
