Once you have enough money to cover your needs then money is just a game.

Whether you’re a billionaire or a homeless person, everything goes to zero when you die. The only thing that may be preserved is a legacy, but that legacy is for other conscious minds to perceive. Although most of us already know that we can’t take money with us to our graves, it’s not enough to cease our pursuit of wealth. Knowledge is theoretical, meaning that it’s not enough to influence our daily behavior. Money is so interwoven into the fabric of society that it remains one of the most important aspects for the majority of our lives. The Nothingness of Money is an explanation of the fascinating reality money plays on our lives and how we can modify our obsessive pursuit of money.

What’s so great about having money anyway? By having a lot of it, you get access to more “stuff” which isn’t intrinsically beneficial. In fact, possessing lots of stuff actually increases stress and saps energy from you. In addition to stuff, having excess money may also allow you to fly in private jets or ride in big boats and have opulent experiences that the average person can’t. These may be nice to have but they aren’t necessary for your happiness or wellbeing. You can have many profound and meaningful experiences without surplus money. Marketing professionals are really good at what they do and have been developing ways to make us want to consume stuff for centuries. No wonder we want to live in a large house and own ten supercars despite the impracticality of it all. The truth is, once you have enough to live comfortably, money is simply a game. And games aren’t a matter of life and death, they’re just meant to be played for fun.

People who are good at the money game know how to collect it and create it. To play the game, they find ways to increase their value output while minimizing their input. The game requires you to interact and negotiate with people to ultimately help you create and build things. The best at the game use their creativity to enhance their processes and systems or to find entirely new ways of doing things. It isn’t really about working hard; Many broke people work just as hard as Elon Musk. The ability to work hard in the game of money is as fundamental as the ability to see in the game of basketball. It’s not necessarily going to make you good, but it’s a required trait. However, there are a few strategies anyone can improve on to help them become good at the game.

The money game is multifaceted, fluid, and complex. There are many different ways to play it and get good, and the rules and strategies are constantly changing. There are plenty of other ways to get money, including chance, speculation, marriage, inheritance, theft, extortion, fraud, monopoly, graft, lobbying, counterfeiting, and prospecting. But many of those are against the rules (illegal) or rely on chance, so I want to focus on the legitimate method which is creating wealth. In our generation, there are a few proven strategies that work.

First off, there’s only so much energy one person can expend on daily tasks, so using leverage allows you to build and create more things faster. Every successful company uses leverage to provide the level of service that they do. Although the founder usually gets the most credit, she could not have done it alone. She would not have been successful if she didn’t use leverage. Leverage doesn’t have to be money; you can leverage machines, people, and technology.

Another key to getting good at the game is the ability to understand people and to be good with people. If you know a group of people extremely well—you know everything about what they like, don’t like, what they’re scared of, how they act, etc., then it becomes easier to create something they value (product/service) and how best to tell them about it (marketing). If you’re good with people, you can also make valuable connections to do business with (employees, investors, partners) by leveraging their knowledge/resources for your business.

Unfortunately, not everyone gets to start from the same starting point. Some players get a head start, and some start way behind the pack. Generally, every single person feels less privileged than they actually are. 

History shows that just because you start late or are underprivileged doesn’t mean you can’t get good at the game. There are many self-made individuals who defied all odds by channeling their inner persistence and determination. It isn’t easy and it’s not fair to start from the back, but if you understand how growth works, it can help you stay motivated.

Once you have enough money to live comfortably, money is just a game. It’s meant to be played, enjoyed, and not taken too seriously. It’s mutable, so what worked yesterday will not always work tomorrow, but that’s what makes it fun. Players must continually develop new ways to create value. Without further ado, let the games begin!