What money is for

In The Top 10 Habits of Millionaires, Keith Cameron Smith writes, "Being generous is a sure way to be happy. Being greedy is a sure way to be miserable."

That's right; money should be used to give tangible meaning to generosity. Money is there to help us but the joy is squeezed out of the picture when we hoard it and enjoy alone like diehard capitalists yet those around us lack.

Lately money has become such a god that most people have no modicum of shame as they exploit and defraud in the name of accumulating as much in the shortest possible time. They do it with such zeal you would think every shilling represents a life-sustaining pill meaning that the more money you have the longer you live.

But we all know that's an illusion. When Steve Jobs was suffering from cancer and about to die, he said, "...lying on the sick bed and recalling my whole life, I realize that all the recognition and wealth that I took so much pride in, have paled and become meaningless in the face of impending death... non-stop pursuing of wealth will only turn a person into a twisted being, just like me."

Steve Jobs learned too late that the most important thing in life is to love and cherish others. That's what exactly money is for. A person who uses his money generously, helping those that seek his help, reaching out to the needy without inviting the press and demanding recognition, has the riches of the heart which are the kind of riches money can never measure up to.

As Keith Cameron Smith notes in his book about habits of millionaires, "Being generous is witness to others of kindness and love. It benefits the giver as much as, maybe even more than, the receiver."

Let's use our money to plant seeds of generosity and the rewards will be greater beyond our wildest imagination.