Money is a Moon, Not a Galaxy

Everything you’ve ever known – every person, every STOP sign, every atom of oxygen in the air – is constantly being pulled toward the center of the Milky Way galaxy.

Whoa.

There’s nothing to worry about. In fact, worrying about it won’t do you any good. The Milky Way will continue to do its thing, whether you’re worried or not (thanks, Seneca). We’re better off focusing our energy locally on Earth.

For example, some people treat money as a “galaxy.” That’s a problem worth focusing on.

They view money as the center of their lives, exerting its “gravity” on everything else they do. Relationships, hobbies, housing choices…everything orbits around money. Every decision they make gets pushed and pulled and revolves around their finances. It distorts the very fabric of their lives.

I’ll confess, I’ve been there. Or at least close to it. I’ve changed diets for money. I’ve avoided parties for money. I’ve allowed money to fundamentally alter my vector through life. I had that “hyper-frugal” phase. I think I’m past that now.

While hyper-frugality helped save money, it’s not how I wanted to spend (get it?!) the rest of my life. But I still want money to have some influence on what I do. I bet you do too (?). We’re here chatting about personal finance and investing because we realize its importance.

The critical question is how much influence will we allow money to have? We each have a different answer. Will money be our galaxy? Our sun? A planet? Just a moon?

We all know someone who treats money like space dust floating through the Oort Cloud. Technically, it’s pulled by other celestial bodies, but you’d hardly know it. These people treat money as an ephemeral wisp. It comes. It goes. Who cares? Personally, I don’t want that. You don’t either. But we also want to avoid the anxiety and paralysis of “galaxy thinking.” We want money to be a tool, not a master.

In this intergalactic financial diorama, I’m treating money as a moon.

Just as the moon causes ocean tides on Earth, I can’t ignore money’s influence. Money is always there, and it has some sway. But money orbits around other parts of my life, just as the Moon orbits Earth – not vice versa. It’s there, but not in the driver’s seat.

Ask yourself some hard questions. For example, “Am I living like an exiled Jedi monk?”

Should money be your moon? Your Sun? Your terraformed desert planet?

All I know for sure is that money shouldn’t be your galaxy.

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