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Money is bad

Money is necessary

Money is root of all evils

There is no substitute for money

No matter how much you have, it’s not enough

Money is sign of success

If you have more money you are not honest

More is better

More money more happiness

These are few of beliefs or self talks about money. Find yours out of these or think about what’s your money message is. Your money message or self talk defines the life you live in general and specifically in relation to money. In short it defines your relationship with life and money.
When it comes to money we think about only one question “HOW MUCH?” But the true question is “What does money have to do with who I am?” We normally assume that there is sharp divide between money and spirituality. Actually these two worlds are together in the same path toward freedom. Matured relationship with money transforms your spiritual and emotional world. Money represents positive good for human kind.

• Making a difference: You will need money if you want to make difference in someone’s life through your acts of philanthropy. Money makes it possible for you to convert your intentions into reality.
• Money keeps community alive and active: We all work for money and as a result we keep society and economy moving, though unintentionally. We get all the goods and services we need because people are working for money. For example if a barber stops working for money, we will not even get a haircut. It is true for all goods and services.
• Centre of all money transactions is giving and receiving gift: Suppose you buy 1 Dozen mangoes for Rs.500. Now think what have you done by paying Rs.500? Your payment helped the seller, the wholesale merchant, the transporter, the labourers, the farmer and many more to earn their livelihood. You have touched so many lives with a single payment of Rs.500. Similarly with each money transaction you touch so many lives, be it a newspaper, vegetable, gold ornaments or a car. Just think of the difference you are making to so many lives while making every payment. Once we realize that all economic transactions are opportunities to make difference, we develop gratitude for everything we receive. Giving money becomes one way of showing gratitude.
• Integrity: Integrity lies at the core of each financial transaction. Market demands integrity. Money works fairly by balancing supply and demand. Money creates moral order that rewards us for our skill in delivering useful resources to other human beings. There are people and organisations who act in harmful ways around money. For us it is important to notice that how we handle that knowledge of immorality by people and organisations? How does it impact our daily money exchanges and our attitude toward money and fellow human beings? Do we use it to justify our own lapses of integrity? There are challenges to integrity in almost every step in our daily life but we rarely face it due to our casual attitude. Every money transaction gives us an opportunity to act with integrity and enhance our self worth. Just check for yourself if you try to act with integrity in difficult time or by superseding the greed. I am quoting a few small examples of daily life, check for yourself.
  a) If you bribe to avoid standing in queue (Even at temples)
  b) If you buy half ticket for a child who actually requires a full ticket
  c) If you bribe a policeman to reduce the amount of fine.
  d) Do not take/give bill to avoid tax

e) Do not tell the waiter if certain item which you consumed but not charged in the bill by oversight
f) Give wrong or inaccurate advice to your client/ customer for your own benefit
Every time we act in such manner we reduce our self worth even though we may not notice it.
Consider example ‘e’ mentioned above. In this if you act with integrity and tell the waiter to add certain item in the bill which is missed by oversight. You will experience an enhanced self worth and respect.

• Relationships: Money speaks about our relationships both with ourselves and others. Normally we say that depth of relations has nothing to do with money but money is true manifestation of love and relationship. Notice that we spend more money on the relations we value more, be it a gift or help. We are ready to spend any amount to save the life of person we love and not everybody. Money gives us an opportunity to express our gratitude and love in relationships. You need money to take care of people who are close to you. They may be your parents, kids, spouse, siblings or friends. Without money we can’t do all we want for our dear ones.
• Character assessment: If you want to assess character of somebody, just do 4-5 money transactions or dealings with him/her. You would thoroughly know about his/her character. Level of integrity in money transactions mostly speaks about the level of integrity in other areas of life.
• Is money everything?: No absolutely not. Money is necessary but not sufficient to live an accomplished and happy life. Money is not substitute for family, friends and good relationships. Nothing is more foolish than sacrificing valuable relations for the sake of money or by acting out integrity in money matters. More money more happiness is a false notion. Your relationship with money and fellow human beings is important ingredient to happiness than the quantum of money you have. If more money were guarantee of happiness, wealthy people wouldn’t have gone into depression and feeling lonely. More wealthy people go into depression than poor or middle class people.

We have lost much of family, community, the sense of belongingness and intimacy to money and the things we buy with money. We used to value parents, relations, get together, meeting people. Now we value smart phones, branded clothes, shopping at malls, visiting multiplexes where interaction with people is minimal. In short ‘Life style’ has taken over ‘The Life’.

We rush to fill our empty souls with accomplishments and acquisitions. We are attempting to replace depth of wisdom of generations of family and community life with ATMs, Shares, and real estates. It doesn’t work. Not because accumulating money is bad but because it is not enough. We ask money to do so tasks it cannot do. We try to fill emptiness within with money.

• False notion of pride with money: If we associate pride and self esteem with amount of money, we are in a trap. When we start ourselves and others against money, unknowingly we cling to the notion that our worth depends on money’s valuation and inevitably we suffer. Because no matter how hard you try, you will be richer than some people and poorer than some. This notion of pride with money puts you in a rat race of more (than others) and takes away your peace of mind.
• Is it a goal or means to achieve your goals?: As long as money is means to achieve your goals, its fine. The day money or more money becomes your goal; your journey to hell begins. So be aware and never let the money itself to be your goal. Keep it in right place and perspective and it will enrich your life with true happiness.