The more we chase after money, the more it eludes us. This pursuit can make us lose sight of what truly matters, such as relationships. As the saying goes, money can't buy love or happiness. While money allows us to afford a certain lifestyle and can make life easier, it doesn't necessarily improve our quality of life — relationships do. By "chasing money," I mean striving for excessive wealth, like buying a 10-bedroom house when 4 would suffice, or owning 8 cars when 2 would be enough. At times, the pursuit of financial gain can be as straightforward as obtaining employment or vying for a forthcoming promotion.
Viewing job hunting as chasing after money may seem unreasonable, yet I've witnessed families struggle when the head of the household is solely focused on securing a job to get money. He doesn't consider asking himself what value he can contribute to society, which could, in turn, generate an income.
Money serves three primary purposes: it is a store of value, a means of exchange, and a measure of accounting. As a store of value, a hundred rand today remains a hundred rand in fifty years, although its buying power may decrease. As a means of exchange, we use money to pay for goods and services. When measuring wealth, we quantify it by how much money a person or entity possesses.
Historically, the use of money dates back to around 700 BC, with the gold standard emerging over centuries. The gold standard linked money to a certain amount of gold, but nearly a century ago, countries began adopting fiat currency. Unlike gold-backed money, fiat money has no real value, but solely because the government says so. This shift removed the constraints on government spending tied to gold reserves, allowing greater control over the money supply. Nowadays, some governments can "print money" when needed through a financial policy called Quantitative Easing.
Given the purposes and value of money today, is it worth making money your life's goal and ambition? I believe we should rather pursue our purpose, which leaves a valuable legacy. While money is necessary for living and can provide comfort and independence, it shouldn't become the focus.
We should chase a life of purpose, serving others. A purposeful life can enrich us both financially and relationally. By serving others, we add value to their lives. Consider the English movie "Bank of Dave," loosely based on David Fishwick's story. His passion for helping others became his purpose, adding value to his community and building his legacy. Though he didn’t achieve his goal of registering a bank, his drive continues, proving his success in serving his community.
If money were still tied to gold, it might be seen as a worthy cause of value. However, building a worthwhile legacy brings meaning to our existence. We become examples for our families and communities, inspiring them to add value to others' lives and strive to be better. This creates a fulfilling and meaningful life. Our goal shouldn't be to chase money at the expense of relationships. Being valuable to others is far more important than wealth.
A word of caution; if money is involved in dealings don't look at it as the value factor of the activity. We should view money in these situations as a form of commitment from the other party and how they value your contribution. Many times money is generally seen as the value factor by others and they don't easily want to part with it. It is more valuable when we give our best to others in work, business, and our personal lives - success usually follows this principle. When chasing money we compete with all kinds of characters good and not-so-good, while those who truly add value are scarce and far between. Add value.
Don’t CHASE money, seek this instead!
HungryGeneration