Money: What Does It Mean?

The Giving Tree, Daniel W. Zettwoch

If there is no such thing as a free lunch, then how come the robins on my lawn aren't being charged cold hard cash for the worms they are pulling from the lawn? Because nature does give freely to all. Humans take this generosity and charge others for access. In most cases if you don't have money you will die.

We have all been forced into a situation where money tends to be our main concern. How else can one live when the establishment has figured out how to charge us for absolutely everything except for breathing?

Considering the almighty importance of money, we spend precious little time actually thinking about what it means. Mostly we are busy thinking about how little we have, and how to get more.

But there are vitally important money matters that need to be pondered. This applies to each of us individually, as well as to our global family that is 100% related and interconnected whether we like to admit it or not.


Money Matters


1. How did you get it? Did it involve the depletion of the Earth's gifts? Did it involve injustice, cheating, stealing, trickery, manipulation, or oppression of others?

2. What have you had to sacrifice to get it? Are there more valuable things that you are missing while making money, like family, health, friendships? Expression of creativity? Freedom?

3. What are you doing with it? Are you hoarding it? (The wealth of the 1% richest people in the world amounts to $110 trillion.) Are you using your money to exploit others? Do you waste it on needless luxuries?

4. What is it doing to you? Is your integrity intact and conscience clear? Does your relationship with money reflect your core values? Are you more content? Happier?


At a time when only 85 people in the world own as much money as the poorest 3 billion, it is high time to do some serious thinking about money, what it means, how we make it, and how we are using it.