Yes, I know. It’s about as cliché of a Christmas movie as they can possibly get. Pretty much everyone knows the story of bitter-old Ebenezer Scrooge and how he changes his miserable ways after a visit from 3 ghosts who show him how meaningless his life really is and convince him to change.
I think most people will agree that the main point of the Dickens’s tale is that there is more to life than money. However as I’ve become older I’ve realized that the theme of money actually highlights several important aspects of life that have either became lost or forgotten when people watch the movie over the years.
In the beginning of the story we find that Scrooge has gone down the wrong path because of things that happened when he was younger and misplaced ambitions. His pursuit of wealth ends up causing him to shut down to everyone around him – forsaking anyone who ever would be or could be important in his life.
Though we all take away the lesson that our loved ones are more important than money, there is another underlying theme to be learned from Ebenezer’s mistake:
Not realizing that “time” is our most important resource, not money.
And more so – what you choose to do with that time once you have it.
Time alone doesn’t make a person great or wealthy. Having that time and using it to make a difference in people’s lives is where real value is realized. We can use it to enjoy the company of our loved ones, help where help is needed, and create positive experiences to be shared. Or it can be squandered. Just like the Ghost of Christmas Future showed us, one day you could sadly end up in a lonely grave having not made a difference to anyone.
Why Do We Care About Money?
If all of that is true, why the obsession with money? Why do we have jobs? Why do I write a whole blog about money and you read about it?
I believe this is where people get off track.
A Job is Not Really About the Money:
You’ve got to remember that when done right it’s never about the money. No one wants to be an old lonely man sitting alone in their cold, dark counting house.
Money is a tool to help us reach our goal, not the goal itself.
Take your day job. In terms of just money a job is something that should support you. If you do things right you should end up with just enough that you can save a little bit every month to one day retire and no longer have to work. Your investments should build up big enough over time that eventually you can just live off of a small percentage of your fortune and never have to work a day for money ever again if you don’t want to.
This Blog is Not Really About Money:
Why write a blog about money? Similar to what I just said about having a job:
- This blog really isn’t about money.
It’s about educating yourself on ways to accelerate building your fortune faster so that you get to that point of financial freedom faster. Our goal here is NOT to become millionaires or billionaires. Our goal is to find the most efficient way to build up a system of income streams that will one day replace the need to go to work and get a paycheck.
What will that get me?
… more time. Time to do whatever I want with whoever I want without any financial repercussion at all. I’ve got a ton of things I want to do once I officially retire.
What would you do with your time if there were no financial repercussions?
All too often people work all the way up until the day they die. Some people do it out of necessity. Some people do it because they mistakenly think that chasing after money was the goal. For me its not. Like Ebenezer I’ve realized that the time you have left is the more important thing you have. Understanding how money works is just the means to get there.
Never Too Late to Realize the Important Aspects of Life:
One of my favorite parts about the Christmas Carol story:
It’s never too late to change.
There’s always an opportunity to make a difference. You can be an old Scrooge and wake up the next day with a whole new outlook. Every day is a new chance to start spreading good throughout your nook of the world. It’s always a good time for redemption.
So every time you hear a Christmas song on the radio, see colored lights or beautifully-lit displays, or even watch some good Christmas classics on the television, just remember what this time of year is really all about. Revel in the most important aspects of life and leave your mark on those who need you the most. It’s always a good time to change your ways.
Merry Christmas everyone.
Image courtesy of Wikipedia
Great thoughts MMD, I could not agree more. Money is nice and all, but what I want is the freedom and the time to do the things in life I want with my family. All of that requires time and really why time is such a precious commodity.
I’m glad to have recognized this mad cycle with time and money so early so that I can break it early on.
Time is certainly a finite resource. If I had more time without financial constraints, I’d probably do much of the same as I do now, except I would do it on my time frame. I think I’d do more traveling, and I’d probably foster more dogs. Hopefully all things I’ll get to do eventually, but like you said, we never know how much time we actually get. I think I am mindful of that and try to enjoy each day, but I think we all get caught up in day to day business and forget sometimes.
I love the thoughts of fostering dogs and traveling more. We’re busy now with a new puppy and really enjoying how much youth its bringing to our old family dog.
Some of the things we do are not just for money, but for the motivation passion that drives us every day.
I totally agree. There are a fortunate few people who truly love their work and do it not for greed but because they actually enjoy it.
Great post! I’m sure there was a time in my life where I thought money was what I needed to get things. Obviously there are a lot of necessities like food, clothing, and shelter, but I went way beyond that and thought of all the other things money could buy. While there are some wants like travel, transportation, etc, mostly the reason I want to earn a good income is just to never HAVE to work at something I don’t want to be doing anymore. My dream is to be able to pursue any and all passion projects I have and not worry about the “day job” anymore!
I can’t wait for the day when I can give myself the gift of “no more day job” so that I can do as I please. How would that feel to wake up on Christmas morning and know that present is under your tree?
Time is the only reason we want to reach FIRE. We have the opportunity to do so much more with the hours given to us each day. Yet we devote so many of them to a job. At the expense of handing off our firstborn for someone else to spend all day with. We are determined to turn that around and soak up every minute of every day exactly how we wish to.
P. S. A Muppet’s Christmas Carol is hands down my absolute favorite Christmas movie. Even still today at 31 years old!
Absolutely. Once you realize everything you gain back by achieving FIRE, there’s nothing more important than obtaining it.
Muppet’s Christmas Carol is still one of the better versions of that story. Michael Caine as Scrooge is outstanding.
MMD, very true! It just sad that most people think that money is the ultimate goal like how much money they want to save. That thought has to stop. And, I comment you for putting up an article on this. It’s not about money all the time, it’s more than money.
Thanks Jayson. Like Scrooge I think a lot of people just lose sight as to what all that greed and money are really about.
MMD,
To have more free time when I start a family is the main reason I am trying to achieve financial independence before my 29th birthday, as then I won’t have without having to worry about the commitments of working full time and be able to spend the most time with my family.
Mr. Captain Cash
Thanks MCC. That’s an ambitious goal and I wish you all the luck in achieving it.
“…sadly end up in a lonely grave having not made a difference to anyone.” That’s one of my biggest fears and what drives me every day. What makes it doubly challenging is that it’s hard to get a read on how we are actually influencing and making a difference in people’s lives. Feedback is hard to come by sometimes.
I couldn’t agree more about the feedback. Although its hard to measure, sometimes you just have to do some reflection on your own and make reasonable conclusions about whether or not you’ve been a positive influence.
Money IS the goal for far too many people.
… and that’s too bad. Money is a tool, not the prize we should be seeking.
Hello,
Very interesting post, I enjoyed this.I think most people will agree that the main point of the Dickens’s tale is that there is more to life than money. I like it.
Thanks to share this helpful post with us:)
Have a nice day!
Regards,
Mohd Arif
This is all too true. The fact is that the key word in financial freedom is “freedom”. It’s not about being able to “make it rain”, but to live life on your own terms. A lot of people forget that and just want to become billionaires for the sake of it. While that would be nice, being a billionaire, even that is simple a means, not an end.
That’s true and sad. I don’t think I’ve actually wanted to be a billionaire since I could reasonably access the actual value of a dollar. I just want to make enough money to feel comfortable so I can focus on the more important things.