I teach public speaking courses. When we talk about human motivators, I ask my students what are some of the things they want most in life. Guess what the #1 answer is? That’s right… more money.
It never fails. Every quarter. Year after year. The #1 answer is more money. People put a lot of importance on money. Perhaps, too much.
Minimalism and money have an interesting relationship. On one hand, if we don’t focus on material stuff, money seems to become less important. On the other hand, when we live a minimalist lifestyle, we save money. We have more money. But saving money shouldn’t be the primary reason for being minimalist.
Things More Important Than More Money
- Health: All the money in the world can’t buy you good health. Taking care of ourselves is more important than money. Take time to exercise, eat right, and destress regularly.
- Family: Our relationships should take priority over more money. I’ve watched too many people make the mistake of misplacing their energy. They spend time chasing money and forget what’s really important in life: family and friends.
- Time: More money won’t buy you more time. You only get one chance to live. If you use all your time trying to get rich, you’ll lose the true richness of life: Spending time doing the things you love with the ones you love.
- Faith: Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.” Our spiritual walk should always come before money. Otherwise, we’ll put so much emphasis on our possessions that we’ll lose our faith.
More Money Isn’t Everything
Minimalism helps you save money which means you’ll have more money. But there are more important things in life than money. Your health, your family, your time, and your faith are all things you can’t afford to lose.
Next time you find yourself getting stressed out about money… Stop! Remember what’s really important. Next time you find yourself working too hard. Take a break. Live simple and put your focus on the best things in life.
