It's really simple. There's so much you can do when you have the money to do it.

People who say, "Money never bought happiness," are people who've never had money, and they're only trying to justify their own bleak existence.

Sure, you can get happiness without money, but is life just about being happy? Maybe for some, but not for me. My life is about doing something.

I want to travel the world, see interesting places and people, take photos of them and write about them. The results of my creative efforts are things I'd like to sell to people, magazines, whoever. I want to show people around the world what life through my eyes is like, because I think it's pretty spectacular, and I'd like to share it with others.

If you want to change the world, being broke isn't going to do it. If you want to have an impact on other people's lives, being broke isn't the way to go. Not unless you've acheived enlightenment and can call yourself Buddha or Jesus. I don't think that's likely however. In order to make a difference in other people's lives, you need money to do that.

It'd be great if the world allowed you to do and be whatever the hell you wanted to do or be. But it doesn't, and so in order to do and be what you want, you've got to have the proper resources in this world of capitalism and greed. Someone will be happy to take money from you to allow you to do things and go to places that others can't.

How many travel the world because they choose to, rather than for business, etc? How many people go wherever they want to? How many people have freedom?

If you aren't wealthy, you are a slave to the system. You're bound to continue doing whatever it is that's keeping your head afloat. Wealth, if used right, creates independence.

Only the wealthy are free.

I had a conversation with a friend online the other day. I said:

you've studied IT, qualified for IT work. You've travelled the world and taught foreigners how to speak English. The entire frackin' world's your oyster, and what do you do? You end up as a signaller on the railways...

He said:

I want stability and predictability in my work, that allows me to build some kind of organised life around it... rather than the wandering, drifting, random chaos that's been me up till now.

And then he asked me:

You have lots of experience, lots of confidence and excellent people skills. The world is your oyster. Why are YOU settling for a steady job, why aren't you going abroad and having adventures?

i said in reply:

Right now the job is paying my bills. My passion is in my writing and my photography. I'm building my skills, biding my time, but my goal is to move forward in my life as a writer and photographer. I plan on travelling the world, writing about it and taking photos. The job is just helping me move forward with that.

What I found fascinating was that he found travelling to other countries and teaching English to be 'wandering, drifting, random chaos'. And then he asks me why I don't go 'abroad and have adventures'. Isn't it amazing that what we see as an adventure for others is what we consider to be random, drifting chaos for ourselves? I saw him as having the adventure, and yet he couldn't wait to get back home to a 'stable and predictable' job.

Each to their own. I know that sitting around here forever isn't my idea of a good life, but to others, it's better than travelling. That's what makes us all interesting people.

But back to the point... The reason I want to be wealthy is so that I can experience the freedom of doing whatever I want to do, whether that's taking Deidre on a trip to Italy for a week, or to take a helicopter flight over the Grand Canyon, or to go on a cruise through the Carribbean, or to stand on the London Bridge and watch the traffic go past, or to walk the Himalayas and dodge the spitting Llamas, or to visit China and walk along the Great Wall... all the while taking photos. Not only that, but to use the resources at my disposal not just to enjoy my life, but to help others enjoy theirs. With more money you can help more people. You can donate to charities, you can even set up your own charity organisations if you want to. You can buy and donate resources to poverty-stricken areas, or help with other humanitarian efforts and causes.

There's nothing you can't do if you have the money for it.

What goals do you have? How much money do you need to achieve those goals? Raise your goals, and include raising your income as one of those goals, and you'll start achieving more of your dreams. I intend to. Maybe you'd like to join me sailing the Riveria one day...