The Money Rules by Jim Stovall

There’s probably nothing more misunderstood in our society than the acquisition and use of money. Nothing can take the place of money in the things that money does, but outside of the small scope where money is useful, it has little or no value. When it comes to your health, family relationships, or personal well-being, money is of little importance.

It is fascinating to me that we can go through twelve years of public education, and many of us acquire university degrees, but we have received little or no training in how to deal with the commodity that is our universal means of exchange. There are probably more books and seminars on the subject of money, but still the mystery persists. 

There are only four things you can do with your money: acquire stuff, buy security, create memories, and make the world a better place. There is no right or wrong place to put your money as it relates to these four areas. As in most life decisions, balance is the key.

Acquiring “stuff” has become our national pastime and obsession. Most people spend more time working than necessary so they can acquire stuff that they don’t have time to use because they spend so much time working to get it. Security is an admirable pursuit. But if you’re not careful, you will fall into the group of people who spend their whole lives preparing for a rainy day, and it never so much as sprinkles. Creating memories is an important activity. Those memories can never be taken from you, but if all you do is pursue memories, you will spend your entire life looking in the rear-view mirror. It’s nice to look back there every once in a while, but if you drive through life very long looking in the rear-view mirror, you are bound to get a rude awakening. 

And, finally, money—like any other tool—can be used for good or for bad, but it can, indeed, help to make the world a better place when it is put in the hands of the right people. We must be cautious here as well, because among those sincere souls who seek your money for admirable pursuits, there are many who—under the guise of good works—are prepared to rip you off.

Make up your mind to spend your money wisely, because at the end of the day, what you buy with your money better be worth it to you, because you invested one day of your life to get it.

Today’s the day!

This and other motivational pieces by bestselling author Jim Stovall can be found in Wisdom for Winners Volume Two, an official publication of the Napoleon Hill Foundation.