One late evening, a bit exhausted from the day’s work, I took some time to ponder on what I am going through. I will be calling it a day today, resting a bit, and when the clock strikes six in the morning; I would be doing the routine that most people do. Come to think about it, this cycle continues even up to the point that I would be lying on bed the next evening. This idea disturbed me a little, but I never really bothered to delve on it that much. Maybe because during that time, I like what I am doing, mostly the reason why all days were good and some were even better.

One day at work, the same idea came up and for curiosity’s sake; I wanted to know the reasons of my colleagues for undergoing the same phenomena aforementioned. Many had the same idea in mind while others view it the other way. People go and work so that in return, they get paid and through which they would be able to pay their bills and spend some to buy what they want. It was through their statements that I was able to have a simple realization as to what money is.

Most articles that we would be reading elsewhere usually puts up with the notion that money is what makes most Homo sapiens tick. Even enculturation may have played its role on this because in some groups, its value is really emphasized. However, most of the time, people leave out a simple question that may change their outlook with regards to this matter; “Is it really money? Or the benefits that it brings?”

I have read one article that pointed out the effects of the law of attraction towards one’s life. It clearly stated that even if all of us knew how this law works, there will always be abundance in everything because not all people have the same dreams. This further supports the idea that people don’t really long for money, rather, they long for the other things which may be derived if they worked out their money. In this regard, we could consider money as an intermediary for our physiologic necessities and wants. If money is an intermediary, does it mean that we can have anything that we want for as long as we have money? This may be one of those questions that will surely get a “yes” if one answers it instinctively, but let’s try to take it into another perspective. Before I answered this question to myself, I considered two scenarios that could further shed light into this matter. First one, I thought of a man who doesn’t really have the finance; and dreams of something that others don’t long for. In scenario one, we have supplies for what the man dreams of and there is no competition because others don’t want it. In this case, money is not really an issue because what one desires could simply be realized out there in the open. Now let’s have the second one, this time let us consider a billionaire who just lost his precious daughter from a car accident. After that incident, the only wish that he wanted in life is to spend more memorable time with her. Even if this man has all the finances, the fact is, there is no supply to meet his dreams (no supply because up to this time, technology isn’t enough to reanimate a deceased human being). In this situation, money is divested of its title as an intermediary because this time around, it can’t make man’s dreams into a reality. So we now have a case where finances are in place but supply is absent; this renders money useless at all. These scenarios simply point out that although we could consider money as an intermediary for certain things, it may not be considered as such to all.

For what it’s worth, money can be an intermediary for some things, but not all. People who seek happiness go for their dreams, wants and ambitions; money would only be the stepping-stone towards it and for some it’s even amiss. Those who search for security would usually invest their money on other ventures that in turn would bring them more resources; it does not start and end with money because it is simply a go-between. For others who feel a sense of fulfillment through works of charity and public service; they may utilize their time, efforts and even financial resources to bring more meaning to life. It is not money that gives the feeling of fulfillment, but it is the thought that they were able to help others which in turn becomes an investment for the afterlife.

Most people who are too busy to pause for a moment and think about life may have little depth in discerning issues like these. When asked for reasons why they work; many would say that it is needed to earn money. A lot of them fail to see the broader perspective that it does not end in earning their money, but ends in attaining their necessities and wants. This simply points out that life is all about achieving our dreams that makes us happy… it’s not all about money.