Zen Garden > Money, Money, Money

Money, money, money. No, I am not ripping off Abba's song. Rather, I am trying to get your attention to make some observations about the medium of exchange that we call... money.

Most of the population of the world is obsessed with chasing little pieces of paper and little round disks - the thing that represents power and prestige. Money. If you have plenty of those little rectangular paper shapes with numbers on then you are what is called wealthy. If you have few of them then you are poor.

Men and women have done all sorts of wonderful things and all sorts of dastardly things to get these pieces of paper. Anything of worth that can be converted into these pieces of paper is also much sought after.

Excluding the misguided people who do terrible things to others in their rapacious pursuit of money, how is one able to accumulate more money? Simple. Understand that money is merely a recognition of worth. If you are worth more, you get paid more. Let me give you an example:

Think of a bus driver. Now think of a pilot. Who gets paid more?

The pilot gets paid more. Why? Because he or she accepts more responsibility for what they do. They are worth more to the marketplace. Naturally, as you would expect, the pilot also has to train more than the bus driver. So, there is another hint.

Responsibility and training - these are the things that most people shun.

To be paid more, all that you need to do is increase your worth. There are many ways to do this. But will you pursue them? Or will you do what the masses do by forever looking for the quick-fix solution - lotteries, inheritances - the so-called "easy money."

Let me tell you this - "easy money" is nowhere near as good as "earned money." For one, easy money is almost always frivolously wasted and cannot be replaced. Earned money has more prestige and comes as a result of a method that can be repeated, meaning that it can be replaced.

You can earn more by becoming more valuable in the marketplace. That is a worthwhile goal. Trying to do it any other way is a fallacy. That is just a hopeful wish.

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Gary Simpson is a 7th Dan karate master who teaches self defense, motivation, self help and wealth building to students around the world through home study courses. You may reprint this article as you include this author credit and an active link to his web site. Finance - Self Help - Motivation - Self Defense - Personal Growth MotivationSelfEsteem.com