There will be folks that disagree with me, but that’s what this post is all about. Continuing on with the 30 Things My Kids Should Know About Me, I decided to answer this prompt: What popular notion do you think the world has most wrong?
My answer to that one is easy. Money isn’t everything. Sure, money changes everything. It can make people relieved, elated, depressed, scared, and insecure. It can divide us or bond us. It can rule our lives and become a God-like figure. This is particularly true in today’s society and our easy access to a plethora of things. Things cost money.
The problem is, people forget that there are other things in the world that have very little to do with money. Love. Family. Kindness. Courage. Faith. Generosity. None of this requires a bunch of cash. In fact, money can ruin the pure foundation of them. Not always, but at least some of the time.
I hope that my kids realize that money isn’t everything. Money can’t buy you good morals and values. Money can’t buy true love or happiness. Money can’t guarantee anything. There are no guarantees.
I think some people have this false security that money can fix it all. That certainly doesn’t explain all of the broken families with plenty of wealth. It doesn’t explain the rich countries with corrupt governments and communities. Money isn’t the solution.
I hope my kids realize that I have made many choices in my life that have put other things above MONEY in my priority list. For example, by having a larger family, I’ve already mystified certain family members that see children as a money pit. They are aghast that I’d rather grow my family than to just stop and lavish my current children and feed that retirement fun. Heck, I chose to be a stay at home mom which completely requires us to depend on a single paycheck.
I make choices every day that revolve around money. On brand cheese or off brand? Buy a lawn mower or pay someone else to do it? Upgrade vehicles or tough it out with a paid off car? Everyone makes money decisions continuously. That doesn’t mean that it should be our ruler or the final deciding factor in everything we do.
To my kids, please pay more attention to being genuine, kind, respectful, and meaningful than to the all-mighty dollar. Where you may fail to be rich in money, I can assure you that you will be richly blessed in other ways. You’ll be blessed in ways that money cannot buy.

Beautifully said, we are all guilty in getting caught up with money whether its stressing out about not having enough or feeling carefree when we have a little more of a cushion, thanks for the perspective!
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