Do You want an Empire, or a Decent Living?

I have already mentioned that I am not entrepreneurial minded and that Financial Methods is probably the closest thing to a business that I well ever operate. That said, running an empire will likely never be an option for me.

I have also never had the desire or drive to be “wealthy”. To prosper is definitely a goal of mine, but I have never wanted an overwhelming amount of money. I have seen too many people who have sacrificed time and relationships in pursuit of wealth. I value my personal relationships and private time far too much to relinquish them in order to attain more money than I would know what to do with.

More people wish for massive sums of money than would know what to do with it. Those who cannot make it on the money they are making now are likely to falter when immense wealth is bestowed upon them. I have been searching for statistics on lottery winners who later declare bankruptcy, but there is no real accurate information regarding the subject, so I refuse to speculate. There are other reports and stories I have read that detail how poor financial education leads to poor financial status, even with exorbitant incomes. Take, for example JD Roth’s Mo’ Money Mo’ Problems at Get Rich Slowly. After reading an article in Sports Illustrated, JD learned that “78% of former NFL players have gone bankrupt or are under financial stress because of joblessness or divorce.” Once again, the old adage money doesn’t buy happiness gets injected into real-life scenarios.

Maybe your life is all work and no play. If you are one of the true workaholics in the world, and you are truly passionate about what you do so much that it consumes you, by all means continue your work. Build an empire, make a fortune while you are at it. For those of us shooting for the stars, unaware of what to do when we reach outer space, take a step back and analyze what you are doing. Is it for the love of money, the adoration and respect of friends and family, or for our own pride and love of the work. Two of these answers could end in disappointment. The latter will give you riches, but often at a price.

For my own piece of mind, I have decided to keep my financial life’s plan easily attainable. If I can make money writing or freelancing, I will be happy to work for myself. If I have to work for someone else, I will make the best of it and do the best that I can to earn the most money possible WITHOUT SACRIFICING personal time and health. I have never wanted “more than I can handle.”

“Time is Money”
This saying is heard often, but does it really ring true? It depends solely on how you spend your time. If your time is utilized wisely, time really is money. If you spend your time on tasks that do not help you learn or better your craft, time does not equal money.

Tagged as: business, entreprenuer, money, prosperity, riches, wealth