THE NOW SOUND

It’s funny how our world works – status is created by what you have, not who you are. Everyone on social media shows off either what they recently bought, the fancy restaurants that they are eating at, or these lavish trips to foreign countries. This blog is not meant to tell you that these things are bad. It is meant to ask you an important question: what are you living for?

“I want to make money” is a big goal that everyone has for themselves. Trust, I am one of those people but very few can answer what they want that money for or can say how much is enough. Money is only an object. It is a means to do the things we want and enjoy the time that we have on this precious earth. Again, I am not saying money doesn’t matter but it’s this statement, “I want more money”, unconsciously controls you.

I have been dead broke before. It’s never fun having to borrow money from friends or skip a meal or walk home instead of taking a bus. Life is difficult when you can’t meet your basic needs and take care of business. It’s stressful and definitely does not feel good. In some cases, it makes people make bad decisions in order to survive. I get that. Sometimes our situation is out of our control but the only thing we can control in our lives is what we do. The mental and emotional strain that money problems cause is very much real. That is why poverty is still very prevalent because of unemployment, lack of resources, and mental illness.

I remember having my first taste of really making money. I did not only feel good about my situation but I felt good about myself. I most definitely took pride in all the hard work that I had achieved to get my bank account in the green. It was exhilarating! I was so used to not having anything that the money was almost flying out as quickly as it was coming in. I justified that all my efforts required rewarding. Having money made me feel rich in all aspects of my life so I kept chasing it. Can you guess what happened next? My standard of living inflated according to ‘how much i could afford’ and I was flexing on the gram pretending to live a lifestyle that was not sustainable. Although I had a great time living like a queen, it was a rude awakening when the money disappeared.

I took a new job, not because I thought I would enjoy it more but because it paid me more. I remember coming home after the first week and my boyfriend would ask me, “so how was work?”. All i could let out was a half assed “eh” and change the topic. I didn’t have anything interesting to say about my work. It was sitting at a desk all day making cold calls to businesses across the country and internationally. The only thing that excited me was the pay checks that came in. After six short weeks, I was let go because it wasn’t the right fit for either of us. I felt it in my gut but it still felt like a punch in the stomach when I was asked to leave. I have never been fired from a job until then. It was a huge blow to my ego! More so, I mourned the loss of my income.

Mentally, I was in a dark place. Emotionally, I felt unstable. Physically, the lack of work made me feel sluggish and I just slept all day. I was off work for two months. My job search started after the first week of being off and there were lots of jobs out there but none that would pay me as much as I was making nor did they look like anything I was interested in. I blindly sent out resumes and cover letters and no one was getting back to me. I knew I had to look in the mirror and really find what my priorities are in life.

I took some time for myself and re-evaluated how much money I needed to pay for my bills and what else I needed money for. My drive to make more money was to not be stressed about money. It’s to have a family one day and provide for them. It’s also to take care of my parents so they can stop working. It’s to not have to think twice if my dog gets sick. It’s to give back to those who are having a hard time. You may have heard “money is the root of all evil”. It’s not. It’s what you do with your money. Money is only a vehicle to get you places. It can be a sign of generosity as well as greed. Money is not the problem; it’s the power in which we let it consume us.