Do you ever become so obsessed with something? So distracted that your daily living becomes influenced by your addiction?

I took a break from Aridni–I had to. My thoughts were too focused on net worth. And while money is an important topic, we cannot let it consume us. We can’t become this holiday’s Scrooge.

Stop to think. What is money to you?

Does money serve as a positive resource or an obsession?

Sometimes money does great things for us; sometimes money distracts us from the things that really matter. Can you spend a whole day without thinking of your net worth? Do your dreams, ideas, and inventions get blocked from your mind if you think there’s no money in your thought? Is it possible to be an enlightened millionaire? Would you do something for free, knowing that you could easily make a few bucks?

Do you want wealth or riches?

I know a couple that eats at fine restaurants every night. They drive expensive cars and travel the world with the highest class. …and they’re going to be working forever to maintain this style and consider retirement. When they aren’t traveling, they work all day and all night. They are rich.

This couple gets their riches by serving wealthy people. Wealthy people invest their money further and further through the labor of this rich couple. Wealthy people are willing to pay for temporary riches of the couple because in the end, the couple will have to seek new clients while the wealthy people will have profits without efforts.

What is money, anyway?

Money is only what you make it. We assign the dollar a value through society’s general acceptance; money, on its own, is worth nothing. The problem is that for must of us, the social acceptance of money holds no options. You can back out and say that these particular forms of exchange mean nothing to you, but then you lose.

This contract of money holds too many advantages for most of us to consider a surrender, of course. Money gives us the lifestyle we want and the image we want others to see. Image becomes especially frustrating for me at this time of year. I’m not buying expensive gifts like everyone else at my office. They’re all buying extras–newer iPods, fancy wines, media subscriptions and DVDs. If you want more money than you have today, you can purchase this money by pledging more of the money that you will have tomorrow.

On the flip side, one of my coworkers who buys fancy gifts is twice as old as me; she has no retirement savings of any sort. Money holds such strength that her decisions today will cause her to work far into old age.

What if I want more of this money? …because I DO!

I figure we have three ways of honestly making money:
1. selling our stuff
2. selling time
3. taking risks

You can guess what the first two topics represent. Sell your stuff–your heirlooms, your iPod, your house, your used appliances, and your garage sale junk. Sell your time–work for someone else for x dollars an hour.

But taking risks? That’s what Aridni is all about. Take risks by selling your money to investors, stocks, or bonds. Or possibly more powerful, find a way that your money can grow and raise more little dollar bills and coins–create a business. Your own business holds more leverage than selling your time or your stuff.

My only hope is that your business idea adds value to society, not destruction. I’m determined to find this avenue for myself, and I plan to ponder with you in the meantime.