"What would you do if someone gave you a million dollars?"
I like asking students that. The room wakes up immediately. Travel. Buy a house. Help family. Start a business. Retire.
The answers come fast.
The interesting part is what they reveal.
Nobody wants the paper. Nobody gets excited about a number sitting in an account.
They want what the money does. Freedom. Security. Choices. Time.
Money is a tool. A hammer is valuable because of what it helps you build, and money works the same way.
The mistake is turning it into the destination. More. More. More. Without ever asking why.
More for what? More freedom? More security? More time with family? More breathing room when things get hard?
Most people are chasing what money can provide. The ability to choose. The ability to say no. The ability to help the people they care about. The ability to sleep a little easier.
Money creates options, and options create freedom.
So the goal isn't worshipping it. The goal is learning to use it well. Money isn't good or bad by itself. Used badly it creates stress. Used well it creates options.
Options are worth more than the money.