Zig Ziglar is one of the legends of the self-development field and you’d be amiss not to check out some of his material.
One of the many sayings he’s famous for is, “Money’s not everything but it ranks right up there with oxygen.”
He’s absolutely right.
Whether we like it or not, there is no denying the importance of money in our world.
Money affects everything in our lives – our education, our health, our diet, our time and our experiences.
But we all know people who have money who aren’t happy.
Money does not guarantee happiness or health – these are things we ourselves determine.
I can think of no better way of explaining money that with one of Ziglar audio sessions in which he goes over just what money can and cannot buy.
Hearing his examples made me realize the problem with money. We tend to think it can buy everything but the truth is it can’t.
I have used a few of Ziglar’s examples that really hit it home for me and added a few that I thought of myself.
It is definitely food for thought.
So what can and cannot money buy? Take a look.
- Money can buy you a house, but it can’t buy you a home.
- Money can buy you a bed to sleep in, but it can’t buy you peace of mind.
- Money can buy you companions, but it can’t buy you a friend.
- Money can buy you an education, but it can’t buy you intelligence.
- Money can buy you fancy cars, but it can’t buy you a safe ride home.
The more money we have, the more choices we have. Money gives us freedom to spend our lives as we please but not do everything we could ever dream of.
Who we are and who we become to me are what define our quality of life.
Money simply gives us more opportunities, but it is up to us to decide what we will do with them.
A person with a million dollars could choose to invest their money, give their money to charity, educate him or herself, build a company, buy a house, travel the world, all of that, or nothing at all.
Money is a tool which we wield to create results.
But we determine our own happiness, our friendships, our health, and our future. Money just makes it easier.
Learn to use money to create the future you desire and, in doing so, you’ll find happiness and more along the way.
Adrian Shepherd