by Sylvia Browne

Is there really anything wrong with wanting a comfortable, secure future? No it's only when material gain becomes an obsession or a passion unto itself that it muddles our mind and soul. Should we like nice things? Of course we should. I can't believe that God would have put all these beautiful creations in this world if we weren't intended to enjoy them. But when making money for money's sake is our only goal, then we begin to head off track. In other words, if we have to spend cash to make us happy, to buy love or friendships, or to create some false image of ourselves, then we'd better adjust our motives and thinking processes.

Too Much of a Good Thing

Money has n ever been the root of all evil - in fact, even the Bible says it's the love of money that's the root of all kinds of evil. Only when it's hoarded and adored, creating greed and avarice, is it a bad thing. When used properly, it's a tool to make life easier, to pay your bills, and to help others.

Over the years, I've worked extensively with both the "haves" (those who are rich in terms of worldly goods) and the "have nots" (those who tend to struggle financially), and I've found that neither group is immune to material concerns. The folks that have money are often worried about keeping it, and the ones who don't have it are usually obsessed with getting it. I believe that you can always spot those who live paycheck to paycheck, not because this is necessarily such a terrible situation to be in, but because these people tend to hate their circumstances and it shows. You see, there's a spiritual light that emanates from us when we're dedicated to life and what it has to offer, and constant financial worries can dull this light.

Some anxiety about debt is bad enough, but when we become fixated on money to the exclusion of what's true, eternal, and lasting, then we're really in over our heads. There's a word for those who fail to value inner qualities and instead place all attention on outward wealth: materialistic. Webster's dictionary says that materialism is a theory that physical matter is the only or fundamental reality and all being and processes and phenomena can be explained as manifestations or results of matter, and a preoccupation with or stress upon material rather than intellectual or spiritual things. The problem with placing all our values on what we can acquire is that we'll never be satisfied, because we could always have more.

Sadly, not only have we become a society of "I want more," but now we want someone to give it to us. So many want to start at the top, without putting in the effort required to be successful -  financially or otherwise. Some people say that this excessive materialism is the fault of the family, the media, or the community, and perhaps there's a degree of truth in all the above. But the main problem is that we've lost our spiritual zeal.

People have said to me, I feel better when I'm buying things, even if I know I'll regret it later. For these folks, spending money provides a kind of rush or high - a feeling of excitement to cover up something inside that's lonely, frightened, or without any self-worth. Yet the reality of the matter is that no matter how hard we try, we can't improve our lives by adorning ourselves son the outside, whether it's where we live, the jewelry we wear, or the things we possess. We can try for a "quick fix" or a temporary face-lift, but the relief those measures provide only lasts for so long.

Money and what it buys can help us put up a faced to fool other people, but when we feel poor in spirit, there's no amount of cash that can fill that void. Ironically, we often hear people say that they were happier when they had less. Why is that? Maybe because they didn't get so wrapped up in "things" that they forgot about what really matters. There have even been surveys conducted among people who won the lottery, and believe it or not, a few years later, an overwhelming number of these"lucky" winners are bankrupt and alone. Does that mean we should all just give up and go live in a box? No, that's ridiculous. We all want to have enough to pay our bills, take care of our loved ones, and be comfortable. But aside from meeting those basic, needs, what would we do with a ton of money?

Some people use their extra cash to "buy" their children. For example, they'll say, I'm too busy to spend time with you, so here's a new video game. Now go entertain yourself. This gives our kids the message that we don't want to be bothered. Others do the same with their significant other: "Here's a Rolex - now you know I love you," or "Honey, this new car shows I care." It isn't wrong to give gifts to the people we love, but things shouldn't take the place of communication or intimacy.

We all need to ask ourselves why we spend any of our time worrying about how we'll keep up with the neighbors, how we're judged by our salary or who we work for, or whether we're from "old money" or "new money" (whatever that really means). As I stated before, most of us have more than we actually need, and we buy more than we can ever eat or wear.

Sylvia Browne is without question, "America's #1 Psychic," an internationally known psychic and medium.