What Money Really Means

I once attended a workshop about money. One of the exercises our group of 50 had to do was chew a brand new $100 bill. Most of us gagged.

The purpose of the exercise was to demonstrate that money – the thing itself – is neutral, or in this case, disgusting. Pieces of paper, diamonds, chunks of gold to which we assign a monetary worth have no direct value in nourishing us, keeping us warm, or sheltering us. The only value money has is what we agree it represents.

I returned from that four day workshop with a deeper understanding that money is a vehicle of exchange for a wide variety of other things. It’s a mirror we use to measure ourselves in relation to others. It’s a metaphor we use to assign value to a person or thing. It helps shape our identity, expanding or restricting our access to our hopes, dreams and ambitions.

Perhaps most important, money is leverage – the ability to shape our life based on “want to” choices rather than “have to” ones. It’s this leverage aspect of money that is often a trap in marriage.

The reality is, whoever controls the money controls the lever and calls the shots. That’s why it’s so important for you to participate and understand your marital finances. If you’re not involved, if you’re too busy, or not interested, you’re at the wrong end of the lever.

Consider this another a wake-up call.