The Thralldom of Money

The Thralldom of Money

My philosophy on money has already been well-expounded in many entries in my blog. I try to steer clear of people who talk about money all the time. Many of them are dangerous--they'll not hesitate to sacrifice friendship for money. You can sense these people from miles away. They are dangerous simply because they associate so much emotion with money.

But then again when it comes to money, we are all emotional to a certain extent. If you suddenly find that your life's savings in the bank is gone, being "emotional" would be an understatement. We spend our entire lives involved in the acquisition of wealth, hence it should be no surprise that money is such a sensitive matter to most of us.

Like everyone else, I'm happy when my cash register is ringing all the time. But I try not to let money take a hold over me. I will charge my clients what I think I'm worth and drive a hard bargain if necessary. In the end, money should be our servant and is only a means to and end. Nothing more. Of course, all of us know that but how often do we forget this simple fact in our daily lives!

When I take on a project, my main preoccupation is always quality. I will not take up a project unless I know I can deliver quality results. I try not to think of what I do as being a means to make money, instead I see it more as an opportunity to perfect my technique and methodology. And on the spiritual side, it is also an avenue to "work out my karma".

I've written before that rewards are always assured if we deliver good work. Money alone does not provide enough motivation for me. When we can make decisions without having to consider money, we are truly free. Having lots of money does not guarantee freedom. Some people are even imprisoned by their wealth, because they find pleasure in flaunting it and end up being slaves to other people's opinion. Why should we even need to place so much importance on wealth and status? We have to ask ourselves: Whose approval are we actually seeking?

It is a challenge indeed to go out into the world everyday to pursue wealth but at the same time remain unattached to it. But like what I've also said before, to be free from the spell of money, one must learn to acquire it, without giving it too much fuss or importance; and then when the time comes, one must also be ready to relinquish it. Only then can one be considered truly free from the thralldom of money.