The money, the power, the women

He will die for lack of discipline, 
 led astray by his own great folly
Proverbs 5:23

Sometimes we are our own worst enemy.  The temptations of this world are so real; lust, greed, and violence.  In the words of Tony Montana "you gotta make the money first. Then when you get the money, you get the power. Then when you get the power, then you get the women".  How many people are aspiring to this sort of success in one form or another?

I love watching movies.  I am always captivated by a good story and seek to learn from other's experiences, fictional as they may be.  It's amazing though how often the hero that we are aspiring to emulate is a ladies' man, or seems to leave a trail of violence-driven destruction in their wake (Bond, I can't get enough of it).  The problem is the movie ends and often we miss the real end to the story when they become old, bitter and broken hearted.  Or in the case of Scarface the consequences are fairly obvious, death.  He will die...led astray by his own great folly.  Paints a fairly bleak picture doesn't it.  We may not all be running drug rings but the temptations are the same.

To resist temptation and do what is right comes down to discipline.  This seems to be a common theme in the acquisition of wisdom (Short Sighted? You may need more than just glasses).  First you have to understand that your actions have long reaching consequences and then distinguish what is the right thing to do.  Second, you have to actually do it.  Simple, well not really otherwise we wouldn't all keep stuffing up.

No one is perfect and we will all continue to make mistakes.  Don't let that discourage you from desiring to make the right decisions and being disciplined so as not to give in to the temptations that flaunt themselves daily.

How to get rich quick...or not

A stingy man is eager to get rich 
 and is unaware that poverty awaits him.
Proverbs 28:22

Do you want to be rich?  It's not an unreasonable desire, but it's your motives and actions that will determine your true success in the long run.

Money has the potential to change lives, for good and for bad.  The ability to save and sacrifice is essential in accumulating long lasting wealth.  The trap is not to become stingy and forget that generosity is one of the greatest gifts that money has to offer.  You have to ask yourself why you want to be rich in the first place?

The man who is consumed with the accumulation of money for selfish purposes will find himself all alone, having burnt all his bridges, leaving a trail of broken relationships in his wake.  Wealth can disappear and leave you in poverty before you know what hit you.  Just ask all the people who won the lotto only to end up in a worse position than when they started.

Poverty can be both financial and emotional, guard your heart and never let money or its pursuit consume you.

A man's wealth is measured not by the amount of money he accumulates, but by his generosity.

Investing 101, simple as planting a seed

First plant your fields;
 then build your house.
Proverbs 24:27

Cars, clothes and holidays to warm sunny places. It's such a nice feeling to enjoy the fruits of your hard work.  The challenge is to achieve a balance between sowing (earning) and reaping (spending).

To help us understand this proverb here is a simple investment principle for you.

Assets put money in your pocket                   Liabilities take money out

In this proverb fields represent the ability to generate income.  By planting your field you are creating an investment that will return profit in the future, an asset.  Therefore this proverb is saying that it's important to secure your financial security first before spending your money on things that aren't necessities and keep costing you money, liabilities. And as much as I try to justify it to myself an expensive car is not an asset.


There is light at the end of the tunnel.  The proverb doesn't say not to build your house, it just shows us how to do it responsibly.  There are many people who have spent their early years building their assets to such a point that they earn a large income without even getting out of bed.  Being in such a financial position as this provides you with endless opportunities for not only using your finances but also freeing up your most important asset, your time.


It's simple, don't spend money you don't have.  If you want to spend money, build assets first and then let them finance your expenditure.

Money, How to harness its potential

Of what use is money in the hand of a fool, 
 since he has no desire to get wisdom?
Proverbs 17:16

Money is understood to be a very powerful force in our modern world.  With it you can divert rivers, build cities, fly to the moon, and even save millions of lives.  But don't be mistaken, money itself is but an inanimate object, a piece of paper (or more commonly a binary bit).  It is the intention behind its use that determines the extent of its impact.

This proverb highlights the point that money is essentially useless in the hands of a fool.  I would take this a step further and say that its use can actually be destructive. When reading these proverbs I find it easy to think that I'm not the fool, of course I'm the good guy in the story.  But we all have the capacity to be both foolish and wise every day.

The clue in this proverb is the lacking desire for wisdom.  When it comes to money, financial intelligence and wisdom in its application is vital.  By understanding how to have money work for you instead of you working for money, you position yourself to be exponentially more effective.  This may translate to philanthropy for all you budding Warren Buffetts out there or more simply freeing yourself from your fortnightly pay-check so that you can make decisions based upon helping others instead of being a slave to the line 'I can't afford it'.

First seek wisdom and knowledge, only then can you be effective in your use of money whether it be in small or large quantities.