Money’s Deep Claws; Love’s Deep Anchors
Let me take a moment to spill my ink, write on my colourful stained canvass, delve into an issue I have seen pervading our society and seeping its aura into our veins. What issue is this?
Look around you. What do you see? When you take the time to study the workings of our systems, you start to see the flaws – glaringly and with stark clarity. Let me take out the band-aid and say it like it is. You see, here is the thing: when you don’t have money you are screwed. That’s it. Take what you want from this and objectively look around you and tell me if this statement doesn’t ring true. Take a moment, pause and mull over this.
Money is the vehicle through which you will do what you desire in order to live the life you’ve always envisioned for yourself. Let’s not delude ourselves here, Capitalism is well and truly seeping into our veins. What do you do when you are ill and need medication? Your first port of call would be to want to get meds that will make you recover faster and get back on the bandwagon of your hustle. And what quick way to get back on the horse than to go to the clinic and/or consult a doctor to get the meds you want. What do those consultations and meds need? You guessed it: MONEY.
When you have money, it makes the world easier to navigate, and with mishaps that can be overlooked after a hefty price negotiation. But you see, it HAS BEEN overlooked. You, on the other hand, the struggling up-and-coming artist are exposed to the gruelling realities of the slippery slope that is money. One moment you are flush and the horizon is brighter and fuller, the next, that moment has turned into a period of drought. The truth here is money makes navigating the rigours of life easier.
It makes it easier, but it is NOT the be all and end all. That I refuse to believe. There are far greater things in life that trump money and its perceived worth. Love trumps money. I know, the all-time cliché. How about I spin this differently so that even though I’m talking about love, the perspective is a different one.
Let’s bite the chunk of the meat; love and its trappings. What is love? Here is my definition of love. Take from it what you will, mould it, make it your own, customise it, make it work for you. But even with all our different definitions, there is one lingering truth about love, true love, not this fake depiction of love. What I’m talking about is true love. True love for me is a love that builds. A love that takes potential, taps into it and moulds it until it is at a place much better than before. Love builds. When you build, you watch in wonderment how something grows in front of you and blossoms into something much more tender, beautiful, sturdy, transformative.
You do not destroy something you love. When you truly love someone, you cannot want to destroy them and their goals, dreams, ambitions. What you love you build, you nurture, you mould, you show up every time. That’s what true love is about : having the desire to see the people in your life succeed and reach their potential, and in today’s lingo, “doing the most.” What you love, you build. Remember that. True love is not just about others, it is about you too. Actually, it’s about you first.
True love for the self means loving yourself to the point where you would never look at yourself sinking and not change the outcome for a favourable one. Love yourself enough to not allow darkness to consume you and letting it take the upper hand. Fight for light; lighter footsteps, a lighter heart that is unburdened, just…light. You are all you have at the end of the day. You have got to want the best for yourself because you are awesome and you know you have what it takes to rock this life thing front, back and sideways. Love yourself bud, life is too precious not to. Just…rock this love thing and show it who is boss. Remember, true love builds.
Money does not trump love. You can have money and yet still be unhappy. Money makes things easier, but it’s not the panacea of life, not the ultimate signifier of happiness and certainly not a replacement for love.
The capitalist regime has permeated into all sects of our society. No one is exempt from the clutches of the coveted note. What matters when you have this knowledge is to use what you know about money for good. Make money, have it, but don’t use it to destroy others. Make your money build foundations and sturdy structures. You must remember this (if nothing else) : you don’t live in isolation, you are in a society full of people, animals and nature in its full plush glory. What this tells you is that you must be aware of the fact that you don’t exist in isolation, so therefore be aware of others and help lift someone up to a better place.
Before the wells of money dry up (there would be a total world shutdown if this were to happen...or would it?), let’s let this truth seep into our pores: without money you are screwed. So what do you do with such a truth? Well…make it work in your favour. That means making money that will give you a better life, but also giving back to the people and allowing your contribution to the flow of life blossom. You take this truth about money and find ways to make it work for you.
What this boils down to now is the duality, the dichotomy that this life presents. You have on the one hand the pressing need to have monetary means to do what you need to do, and yet on the other spectrum the “love prevails all” brigade. What I often see happen is that it’s an “either or” fight and people forget that you can extrapolate from both sides and customise the package.
You know you need money to transact. With knowing comes choice. You know you need money to navigate life’s terrains. What you do with that knowledge, is what it boils down to. Do you choose to help others with the same money you have earned or do you hog close to your chest your earnings and close off all possibilities of helping others? What it boils down to is what you choose to do with this knowledge. Just remember through all the chasing of rainbow strands that love trumps money.
Money has sunk its claws and pervaded our society so much that its all we know (yes, I know there is Communism and Socialism). On our journey of chasing the coveted currency, let us not lose sight of love, which has far-reaching rewards – much better than the notes and coins symbolism of capitalism. Love trumps money. Love roots and anchors and makes deep connections and foundations. Let’s remember that.
If you find that what I wrote is bullshit, you are more than welcome to refute this and take what resonates with you and leave what doesn’t. Oh , and comment with your views on this.
Gritty Edgy Writer