I've been thinking about money for quite a fair bit recently.

And it's not just me. The Lunar New Year has had many of us modern-day Chinese thinking of money as well for the past few weeks. It doesn't matter who you are, you see: the married and the elderly would give red packets with some money to the young; and the young, who will expect to be at least a few hundred dollars richer from collecting red packets,will happily lap it up. Someone's bound to be involved with money somehow!

I like the Lunar New Year. Who doesn't? There's a feeling of abundance during the season, as money, good food, and good companionship are shared with friends and family. Did I already mention money is being passed around too? :)

But not everyone likes money, I suppose.

A few month back, Chris, an up and coming partner from my networking organisation, asked me: "Is it wrong of people who want to earn money money in life?"

She asked that question because she had just recieved a not-so-pleasant sms from a lady friend and prospect, that said:

"I have been wanting to tell u this but I prefer the old u. U r now becoming so money-minded n materialistic which is pretty disappointing. Fyi, $$$ is not d most impt in life."

We thought that was nasty because my partner Chris is an earnest, likeable lady who's decided that she'd like to take a little more proactive influence in her financial future by becoming a Network Marketer.

Of course, being in my trade for more than 3 years now, I've heard this talk now and then. Yet it's true, for some people, money is not the most important thing. And I respect that, because there is so many other things to take an interest to in Life, other than the topic of money.

Yet more often than not, these are also the very same people who complain that the oil prices have gone up, salaries are going down, and their children's education is really chokeholding their finances.

What gives?

I once heard a theory (from a book called "Conversations with God") that very nicely explains this.

Most people think of themselves as "Good", and rightly so they should. They live life according to their values and ideas of what it means to lead a moral life.

But they also think of money as "Bad". Money is the root of all evil, they say. Think about a rich man, and you'll think about the evil tycoon from the Titanic who has been making life hell for the protagonists of the movie. Let's face it, many of us feel that money is ungodly and obtained through immoral means.

So if people is good, and money is bad... well, you see how there's a mismatch over there. People feel like its not possible to take "badness" from doing "good". If you're doing something good, then money wouldn't come (besides, how dare anyone put a monetary value to goodness?). But if you're doing something that's "bad", like selling your life to a job that gives you some money but does nothing for your spiritual satisfaction; or you've committed some unspeakable evils, like sell drugs to teenage kids, or robbed a bank, you'll get rich. Either way, someone gets hurt.

That's just crazy! And because of that, do you notice that the teachers in our society makes a pittance, while stripteasers a fortune; the scientists who discovers a cure for aids gets less money and attention than the woman who writes a book about 101 ways to have sex. It's all coming from that "money is bad" idea that we have.

I've met some really rich people in my time, and they have no such delusions about money. I recall one such lady whom I know, who makes almost half a million dollars every month in her prime running an insurance agency. Now, she didn't make all that money because a majority of people are simply suckered into buying insurance policies. She really put her heart and soul into making sure that people have had proper financial coverage in case of a medical or financial mishap occurs, so that their family's livelihood could still be insured. And those people bought because they understood the benefits she was presenting to them. Today, she's retired from the insurance industry, and spends her time coaching and teaching people how to create the financial success that she did in her prime. Her good will to people continues to makes her a fortune.

Now that's taking the "good" from "goodness". Money is, just simply, good. In fact, Zig Ziglar says it best: "Money's not the most important thing, but it ranks right up there with oxygen."
And we don't apologise for breathing in oxygen, either ;)

Even if money isn't the most important thing to Chris' nasty friend, let's hope she at least learns to love money. The Lunar New Year would continue to be celebrated by the Chinese year after year, for generations to come. How painful would it be for her to keep seeing money, and happiness, being shared among people for many many years ahead!

O Cursed future! ;)