Why do we care so much about money?  It consumes us.  Confuses us.  Strays us.  Makes us do things we normally wouldn’t do.  All for a small piece of paper.

Some of us lose friendships, prized possessions, self-dignity and even family all over money.  Why?

Because we let it get this way.  We all want to be happy, right?  But somewhere along the line, happiness became synonymous with money, and wanting to be happy became another way of saying you want to have a lot of money.

There’s nothing wrong with having a lot of money and there’s nothing wrong with not having a lot of money.  We seem to think success is measured by the size of your bank account.  We ignore all the celebrities who are clearly depressed, despite their large bank accounts, and we continue to believe that money = happiness.

Yes, there are plenty of happy wealthy people, but there are also plenty of unhappy wealthy people.  And there are plenty of happy poor people and plenty of unhappy poor people.  You get the point.

Money does not buy happiness and it most definitely does not equal happiness.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting a better life for your family, for your friends and for yourself.  But you must realize that money is not the cure-all for Life’s problems.  If and when your bank account begins to grow, don’t ever forget where you came from.  Don’t ever forget how hard it was.  Don’t ever forget those people who were there for you before your bank account grew.

And if your bank account never grows, well that’s ok.  You are absolutely not a failure.  Success is not measured by your wealth.  Impacting the lives of those around you; that is worth more than any stack of money or any bar of gold could ever be worth.  Can you wake up every morning and look yourself in the mirror and smile?  Then you are wealthy.  Do you have family and/or friends that will be there for you no matter what?  Then you are wealthy.  Do you take advantage of each and every opportunity that Life throws at you?  Then you are wealthy.

In the end, what is money?  It’s just a piece of paper, better yet, it’s just a word.  Don’t let one little word define who you are.  Instead, YOU define what that one little word really means.

We are all born with enough money to buy happiness.  And if you still don’t get it, here it is plain and simple.

Happiness is free.