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Scarcity Is The Root Of All Evil
By
Ann M Marosy |
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Before we can effectively work with attracting more wealth into our lives, we need to look at our attitudes concerning money and what money means to us.
The word money comes from the Latin “moneo” which means ‘to warn’ and named after the Roman goddess, Juno Moneta. Juno, in Roman mythology, was the wife of Jupiter and as such was considered the queen of gods and the most powerful goddess. She was originally the goddess of marriage and childbirth, the protectress of women, the patroness of matronly virtues and the patron goddess of Rome.
In 390 BC, a flock of geese kept in Juno’s sanctuary on Capitoline Hill, saved Rome by warning of an impending invasion by the Gauls. The Roman general, Marcus Furius Camillus, built a temple on the hill in gratitude for the goddess’s warning.
Approximately one hundred years later, the first Roman mint was built adjacent to the temple and the coins, struck with the head of Juno Moneta on the face, were called ‘moneta’. She has since been considered the protector of money and guardian of finances.
It is interesting to note that the humble beginnings of the word ‘money’ are associated with protection and maternal virtues. Unfortunately, it is not so today. More often, money has come to be associated with greed and as the precursor of evil. People are more likely to reveal the darkest skeletons in their closets than tell you how much they earn. Asking for more money is considered taboo; we cannot ask for a pay rise lest we are judged as greedy. Allowing ourselves to earn more money is often one of the biggest stumbling blocks in creating wealth.
Money is simply a medium for exchange.
Prior to 700 BC, bartering was the customary means for exchange and trade. If you were a baker, you exchanged your bread for meat or shoes. But what happened if the shoemaker had too much bread? The solution was to find a commodity with an agreed value that could be exchanged equally in trade. And so the first coins were minted. Money could then serve three purposes: first, it could be used as a medium for exchange; secondly, it provided a standard of value by which goods and services could be measured; and, thirdly, it could be saved and used in the future.
I believe it is important to remind ourselves of these three purposes because within them lies the key to accepting money into our lives.
Imagine this. It is a quiet Saturday morning; you rise and take a long, hot shower. After breakfast, you make a large pot of coffee before tackling the household chores. You wash the dishes, clean the car and water the garden. All morning, probably with very little thought, you have used a very important and useful commodity.
What is it?
Water.
I am sure we all agree that water is a useful and essential commodity in our lives. We turn on the tap – and take a shower. We turn on the tap – and fill the urn. We wash and clean with it. We cannot live without it. It is essential to our survival. Very few of us have any problems with the usage and value of water. We do not run around the shower saying, “Oh! I don’t deserve water”. So why should money be any different? It is an important and essential commodity in our lives; we use it as an exchange system to ensure that our needs are met and we can lead happy and enriched lives. We cannot live without it. It is essential to our survival
.
Let us consider other parallels between money and water. I live in Adelaide, the capital city of the driest state in the driest continent in the world, Australia. However, I can always rely on water from the tap when I need it. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could do the same with money? A trip to Paris next spring? Yes. Just turn on the tap. Well, it can be done. But first, let us return to the concept of water.
How can we, even in the driest city in the driest continent in the world, still rely on water whenever we need it? Reservoirs! Yes, we have a system. (Thanks to the Romans, again.) What would happen if we only waited until it rained? Well, here in Adelaide at least, we would probably die of thirst. But instead, we have an excellent system in developed countries that collects rain and stores it in reservoirs.
Could that be a hint? Yes. Many of us live from payday to payday with our money but would not contemplate living in a town or city without dams, tanks or reservoirs. In order to have money on tap, and take that trip to Paris if we want to, we simply need a system that allows us to manage our money in the same way we manage water. And, yes, we can all have money on tap!
Let us think of money as a useful commodity and know that if it is well managed the supply will be plentiful. Let us put aside our judgements of the wealthy as greedy or miserly because if we judge others so, we will not allow ourselves to be the same. Let us believe that, as a useful, essential commodity, we all deserve to have our lives enriched by money. Let us know that, as a measure of value, money is an important gauge of the usefulness of the work and services we provide to our employers, clients and the community. Let us be patient knowing that it takes time to build the dams and reservoirs of our savings and investments, but it is important to start now.
I believe that scarcity is the root of all evil, not money. If we did not have dams and reservoirs, and water was in short supply, we would be running around the shower saying, “I don’t deserve water”. We would be squabbling and fighting between ourselves over those extra few droplets. Because scarcity is the issue, not money, we need to ensure that we have a constant supply and we can only do this by acknowledging that money is our universal exchange system for the trade of worthwhile goods and services.
Author's Bio
Ann Marosy is a former Fortune 500 accountant, university lecturer, published author, freelance journalist, and ongoing student of philosophy & spirituality. Visit her website at www.moneta.com.au or her SelfGrowth.com page at htwww.selfgrowth.com/experts/ann_marosy.html.
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