2007 money owner's manual

Happy New Year!

What are you going to use money for in this new year?

I am going to focus on using money for self-discovery in agreement with my values. As well as exploring my values to a greater extent. In terms of both the earning and making of money. And the spending of it as well. I think most people can see the potential 'soul-searching' aspect of making and earning money. But spending it? Money is usually spent to comfort and entertain. But how often is it spent to discover? or rediscover what has been lost?

Or is the purpose of money to distance us from the discomforts of life? If those discomforts distract the individual from his or her greater purpose, then a good use of the money. If the comforts themselves become a distraction, then maybe the point was lost...

What does money mean to you? Freedom?

What if you woke up and were penniless and jobless? What would you do? What would matter? You would be afraid, but of what? Being homeless? Powerless? Loss of status? Loss of security? A 'real' security or just perceived?

Maybe this loss would actually set you free? If so, free to do what?

I guess that is what I am asking myself this New Year. What does money mean to me? How do I want to use this powerful tool...

I think this is a question we have to frequently remind ourselves of...otherwise we forget the answer.

P.S. This year I need to read the "money owner's manual". We are taught so little about money. As kids we are taught nothing about it. When we get older we are just taught to make it. Love it. Feed it and make it grow. But we are never taught, what it is really for...to what purpose to put it. I think as a society we often make the accumulation of money a purpose in its own rite. And money was never intended to be an end point in and of itself...that's asking too much of it...