Everything I Know About Money

You want to be successful. I want you to be successful. Which means we are going to have to talk about money. 

Yeah, we all deal with money every day of our lives. We're faced with endless decisions regarding how to make money, how to spend it, and then how to get even more. Money is so prevalent in our lives that we often take our understanding of how it works for granted. ​

And that issue is at the core of why so many people struggle to manage their money to build wealth. 

But don't worry! You're here now, and I'm going to teach you everything I know about money, how it works, and how to turn money into wealth.

Money Is Not a Commodity
To really get a handle on how money works, you first must understand that money - capital - is not a commodity. 

Bread is a commodity. Gold is a commodity. Rubber, oil, hay, work - these are all commodities. A commodity is a finite asset that can be used in trade, even leveraged as currency with a standard trade value. 

But money is not limited. Money is infinite, its trade is infinite, and the possibility for wealth in a capital-based society is infinite. Money is infinite because it represents the potential for business transactions, which is unlimited. That is why money is so powerful. 

So stop thinking of money as a finite resource. Money is more than a commodity, it is a promise. Wherever there is potential, there can be money. You have potential, don't you?

Money Flows
Money flows like water. And, like water, money flows predictably along observable routes. 

Understanding this one, all-important fact can completely alter your learned money mindset. 

You were probably taught that people make money; that if you work hard, perform a valuable service, or whatever, then you'll be able to make money. So you went out to make money the way most people do: find a job, start a business, take on a side hustle. But you're still broke. No matter how hard you work, you never seem to have money.

When is the last time you just made water? Yes, water is everywhere. You can find little bits of it bottled up in convenient places here or there. Or you can hike down to the stream, follow it to the river, ride that current down to the lake. 

When you look at it this way, you have three choices. One, you could keep working at making money out of thin air. Two, you can find some of those convenient locations where little bits of money are bottled up for trade...if you have enough to trade for it. Or three, you figure out where it's already flowing and build a dam. 

​It's up to you.

There Are Things Money Can't Buy
​Money can't buy you love. It can't buy back lost time. Money can't buy you happiness. 

What money can buy is stability. It can buy you comfort, influence, and certainty. With enough money you can buy the solution to most of your external problems. Which is why having money can look so glamorous. 

Just be aware of what money can buy, and what it can't. That way you can set your financial goals to the tune of solutions to the problems that could keep you from achieving success. That way you'll never gain things you think you want at the expense of  the things you really need.

Money Is Not the Measure of Value
Since there are so many important things that money can't buy, it follows that there are many things that are more valuable than money.

The most important of these is experience. 

You simply cannot put a price on experience. Especially if it's the kind of experience with the power to change your life for the better. Any time you can afford to trade dollars for experience, take it. 

Money Does Not Equal Wealth
​What does all of this mean? Well, the moral of the story is this: being wealthy, affluent, rich, is a lot more than having money. It's being healthy, finding love, living your purpose. 

Money is important, but it's only a single component of success. To be truly successful, you'll have to learn to keep money in its place.