Can we all collectively agree that money does matter? I know this may be controversial but the last time I checked, I couldn’t pay my mortgage, rent or electricity bill with good will. In order to pay those things, I need money.

One of the single biggest beliefs that keeps people stuck in a cycle of underearning is the belief that money doesn’t matter.

I get why you might tell yourself that. You probably grew up hearing things such as “more money, more problems” or “money isn’t everything” or “money is the root of all evil”.

I get it, I really do. I was told those things too. I even believed it, at least somewhat, until I stopped and asked myself if any of those things are really true.

Is it true that more money brings more problems? Not in my experience. I’ve had both no money and a lot of money and, I can confidently say that a lot of money is better and significantly increased the quality of my life. When you are not worrying about how to pay your bills or have your basic needs met, your light shines brighter and you are free to create more magic in the world.

Is it true that money isn’t everything? Sure. However, I think the inference here is that money isn’t important and if the questions is, “Is it true that money isn’t important?” then the answer is no. Money is very important. Money is needed to meet all of our basic needs. Money is needed for food, clothing, shelter, and pretty much everything else in our modern world.

Is it true that money is the root of all evil? This one is perhaps the most damaging because it plays to our identity as a good person. If we believe that earning money and having a lot of money is going to make us a bad person, then we will reject it. Afterall, we all desire to be a good person. Money doesn’t make you a bad person and having a lot of money doesn’t magically turn you into someone evil. Whether you are good or evil is dependant on your values and your actions, not your bank account. In fact, when good people have a lot of money, they tend to do good things with it. As such, as a good person, I would argue that it is your moral obligation to have a lot of money because the more money you have, the bigger the contribution you can make to the world.

Let’s stop perpetrating the money lies we were told and let’s start modelling the truth, that money does matter. Once you change your belief system, you will find it much easier to ask for that salary increase or confidently state your desired salary the next time you are asked, “What are your salary expectations” in a job interview. Afterall, truth telling is what good people do.