Thoughts on Money and Priorities

Money is a medium that can be used for good and evil. If you're reading this, you need most likely need money, because you need to pay someone for internet service. Money is one of the hottest topics in society. Some people think those who have a lot of it are evil. Some people think those who have a lot of it are successful. Some people think those who have little are lazy. While every one of those statements could be true, they're not universal by any means, and they are beside the point. Money is simply a medium. It is necessary for survival in today's society, but beyond covering your necessities, money is simply a game, and this is where it gets interesting.

Why do you work? You may love your work. You may just need the money. You may not need the money. You may hate your work. I recently had the blessing of having too much work (teaching too many students, a work which I love). It was robbing me of a lot of my practice time. Performance is my greatest passion, and my music is one of the ways I define myself, and it certainly defines my teaching style and abilities. I was finding that taking on just one more student, then another, then one more was easy. But, after awhile, finding even an hour or two to practice each day, to develop the skills and make new discoveries that makes me a quality teacher in the first place, was getting more and more scarce. More work means more money, but does it really mean more happiness? Covering the necessities is important. Having a little surplus is nice. But allowing money to rob you of what really matters must be avoided at all costs.