What is the Value of Money

The value of money is based on the idea of "fairness." Without some sort of way to establish what is the correct means to an item or service, our world would turn into chaos. The saying that money doesn't not buy happiness rings true to my ears. Some people believe that with money, you can buy your way to smiles and less worries, but the world says otherwise. Multiple movies have come out based on life experiences of people who thought this. An example that comes from one of my favorite films, "There Will Be Blood." Here, an oil man in the late 1800s named Daniel Plainview decides to drill for oil in his attempt to gain wealth. In the process of doing so he destroys many relationships including one with his own son. By the end of the movie, he sits alone in his house with no one else in it. One man with a mansion with no one else to care about.

I am not anti-money and sure I enjoy throwing around some bills when I can afford it, but what I think really matters to most people are the relationships they enjoy. A priest once told me something that has stuck with me since. Being a priest, he has been with many people on their death beds who have needed someone to talk to vent to. He says that through all his years, he has never met someone who regretted not making more money or buying new things. The things people vented to him about were about other people. Regrets, decisions they never made, calls they never took. This in the long run is what matters.

While I guess I spoke more about the meaning of life than the value of money, the value of money is just a way to reach a well-lived life. There are many roads in life people take in their pursuit to happiness. Money like everything else can help or hurt on the way. The true value of life is how you affect others along the way.