Money: The Price of Peace & Freedom

Every evening when my neighbors put on their noisy generators, I say this prayer, silently;

"Please, Lord, help me to make enough money to get out of this place to a better one."

When I say, place, my head tries to remind me that I might go to a different place and get it worse. But I'll always remember to let her know that it doesn't work like that when there's money. The concept of money buying us freedom has gotten a special place in my heart and I know exactly what I mean when I say those prayers.

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I know if I had enough money I would be able to afford a place in an area where neighbors fix their generators and do not turn into nuisance for the rest of the people around them. Or better still, I might get a place where the noise control dynamics are put in place so whatever noise is coming from my neighbor's side of the house will need a lot of fasting and prayers to get to me.

A place where the blinds and windows are mostly soundproof if there's such a thing. A conducive place where I'll be able to appreciate the quiet of the night. I love this part of the universe......where the dark settles in and the air is a bit cold. The silence/quiet soothes you in such a way that your imagination stays alert helping you produce quality thoughts. And even get soaked in the peaceful nature of the moment.

But my biggest challenge is that once the evening is ready to birth all of the pleasurable atmospheres I explained above, the next thing I hear is the competition between my neighbors. They compete over who puts power on their generator first and who gets to put it off last.

It's tiring. Their silent competition. Trying to keep up with each other is taking a toll on me. When I think of moving out, I'll remember I still have a lot of months ahead before my rent expires so I can't even start thinking about moving.

But if I had the money, I wouldn't mind hopping for freedom from their toxic competition and finally getting the chance to have a peaceful evening in the comfort of my home.

As it stands I have to endure. In a perfect world, I wouldn't need to plug in my earpiece in the evenings to avoid waking up my migraine due to the disturbing sound of their generators. Even when the rain falls in the evening and I am supposed to enjoy the sound of the drops on my windows and roof, this relaxing moment is taken from me by the very people I call neighbors.

This is no perfect world. Instead, it's a situation where I begin to appreciate the very nature of what money really represents. It's the freedom to give yourself the things that make you happy, healthy, and every other positive thing you can think of. Even my sleep schedule gets messed up by these circumstances. So, money would have helped me to make better decisions when it comes to the apartment that I pay for.

Which means I'll never take for granted the virtue of wealth. You will never catch me buying things that would never further my cause of being free and happy. I have to always remember that the essence of money is not to impress other people with what I own. Nor is it like my neighbors who are competing with each other.

Instead, its essence is to help me gain control of my life in ways that could have seemed impossible if the cash wasn't there. Its essence is to help me to be free. To make decisions that may seem weird to other people but makes a lot of sense to me. To walk away from a situation that doesn't make me happy or align with my goals. The freedom that money brings is something a lot of us don't think so much about.

The idea ingrained in a person who understands the essence of money is far different from the one who doesn't. So you will always meet two conflicting individuals when you are addressing the issues of money. Knowing that you have enough to run through, say, 30 more days before you start freaking out feels better than when you can't think of how you'll be able to make it past a day. It's a different ball game.

These kinds of circumstances should push us hard to make better financial decisions. But some of us can't fathom having money and not literally spending it to show off. They prefer to let their ego get in the way of their freedom. It's nerve-racking even to think about it. But I guess we are humans and we are never perfect so I won't judge.

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