In the spirit of Celebrating Life, this month's Chat Chew & Chocolate theme, we should take this time to be grateful for what we have either materialistically or otherwise. Being a financial advisor, people are often surprised to hear me say that, "It is only money" because after all, what we are after is the experience that money can bring us. It is not the money itself, but the things we want to do with it.
We cannot, however, forget how lucky we are to have this very experience called life and the lessons that go with it. Being able to look up at the blue sky, experience love and relationships or eat a great meal are what bring richness to life. With the economic downturn this past year, it is important to now realize that life wasn't any more amazing with all the money in the world and that sometimes it is good to "get back to basics". Go for a walk, relax more or spend time with your kids. Money does not bring these experiences, it buys things to sometimes enhance them.
Take this time to be happy and grateful for the life you have, the family and friends around you or for simply being able to walk this earth. Life is a wonderful experience, let's not pass it up worrying about what the future brings or if you will accomplish your goals. So this month, take a step back and realize that money is just money and re-establish your relationship with money as healthy and unemotional, not something to be obsessed with or even thought about on a daily basis. We are here for one another and the love that we can share, not the things we can buy or goals we accomplish.