Valuing your money

For the common person, the main difference between capitalism and socialism, or communism, should be clear when it reaches their pockets. The dream of a person in a capitalist system should be earning more and more, whilst the dream of a person in a socialist system would be to earn the enough for their own lives and something to spend extra... Beyond ideologies, money is in the minds of people.

Money has emerged around millennia ago, used as a method of exchanging, better communication and even as an improvement to human civilization. Sometime ago, people started noticing money turned into a smaller god...

Religions went against them, people from all backgrounds are chasing after them... It is a hated-loved god, but no less a god that intimidates and defines how we should behave, what is important and even how we should live our life.

Trying to avoid money has not been successful, although there is a trend of a more humanized use. That was clear in Davos and in the WUF7, two events that gathered the world attention and pointed to a different direction than money...

Is it our little god threatened? Not really... Our society lives on money for too long to just quit that. What is happening is a redefinition of money... Better, it is a redefinition of life as itself.

Many years ago, I heard the explanation about money from Dadi Janki, Brahma Kumaris' leader. A teacher of meditation related what Dadi talked in relation to money: it is the fruit of mind and body, combined.

Good money is exactly like that: your thoughts, emotions and feelings combined with your time and physical, or brain energy. Money is sacred in this sense, since it came from a lot of work from your side.

With that awareness, you can use money in a worthwhile way, so that you don't spend it just like that. After listening to the explanation, I've realized spending money is kind of an art.

It is good to use money for your own needs and others' needs, when they rely or depend on you. Use your money for saving for the future, for one or another thing that gives you extra joy, then donate how much you can to a place that tunes to your own sense of being.

And you see money coming to you... Instead of being a lesser god, money turns back to be an instrument for our civilization and our desire to expand and innovate. Money ceases to be a dream and it becomes a means for that dream you have to come true.