I used to think so. But in the past few years, I have grown to think of money in a more positive way. How can processed metal and paper be evil? As humans, I think we like to look at physical inanimate objects as symbols and think of them as being either good or evil. Is a swastika evil? The symbol itself…no, even though some humans have propagated it to promote hate. Take the US dollar bill…many will see it and their first reaction (conscious or subconscious) will be negative. But it’s just a printed piece of paper.

For me, money’s positive or negative impact on our life is less economic or political, and more to do with mental health. Perhaps you or someone you care about constantly worries about getting more money, exhibits jealousy when others obtain it, or in extreme cases is motivated to commit crimes to acquire it. These are all obviously negative emotions and feelings that create an inner burden. No wonder money has always made so many people feel uncomfortable and insecure. Pink Floyd told us, in their 1981 recording, “Money, get away”…funny to come from someone with lots of money! I prefer country singer, Tanya Tucker’s attitude about money, “I’ve been rich and I’ve been poor. Believe me, rich is better.”

Money used to cause me extreme worry. I just naturally assumed that since I lead my life as a freelance musician, it was always going to be a struggle to get it and have enough. I worked hard to drop that attitude and instead foster a feeling of abundance. You might find this hard to believe but there’s enough money in the world for everyone. I strongly feel that by simply changing to a positive attitude about money, more will flow your way. If you don’t want more money in your life because you think that it’s going to change you into a greedy person, that sounds like you can’t trust yourself to live with good values of love, compassion, sharing and joy. Don’t get me wrong, I know there are a lot of rich people out there that are not making good contributions to the world, but that doesn’t mean they can’t just because they have money.