Priorities

Priorities

Upon beginning college my goals were the following:
1) to have a salary of $200,000 by the time I was 30
2) to live in a big house with beach property
3) to have a house in some foreign country out in a rural region
4) to accumulate things that would make me happy

When I was in high school my goals were to get into college.

When I was in junior high I wanted to:
1) be in a band (which happened during high school)
2) record my own music
3) have notebooks filled with poetry and lyrics
4) have the ability to make artwork
5) preach sermons
6) live in a commune
7) learn a foreign language
8) pass my classes and get good grades
9) not be the lowest in my class

All of my earliest life goals I am realizing I have reached. As for my later goals, I now hope to never reach them.

Sometimes we have to reevaluate why we consider certain things as important.

I am not saying that people should not shoot for the stars. I am a strong believer that anyone can do anything. But money does not equal happiness.

Money tends to drive our lives. It feeds, clothes, and shelters us. So of course we would believe that having loads of it would make us comfortable. But we might never be comfortable if $$ is the only focus. Comfort comes from within. We need food and shelter to survive, and money helps us to obtain these things, but aren't there people who do not use money? Yet, they still get food and they still have shelters. They are resourceful. They can live off the land. They are connected to nature. And they sure seem happy if you ask me.

I am a strong believer in hard work.

But I hate money.

For some it is a crutch. For some it is an addiction. For some it is worthless. To some it is everything. And to others it is a source of division.

I acknowledge that money can do a lot of good. It feeds and clothes those in need. Gold can bring joy to a peasant. Happiness is a good thing.

But how many people, while on their deathbed, say: "MAN, I WISH I WOULD HAVE HAD MORE MONEY..."