Money can't buy you love but it can buy you better looking wrinkles

In life we grow, at least that's the goal. There is a vast difference between growing and aging. Adolescence and college age kids who fear growing up have yet to realize that there is a difference. Scars from a battle that's been won can be worn like a badge to forever remember the struggle and the victory. Old age, wrinkles, grey hair "should" equally be held in high esteem as a symbol of all the many miles of road that have been traveled, the mountains that have been climbed, and the years of growing that have brought you to this place of maturity. But I'm afraid many of us fail to keep growing and then we just get old.

We read and our eyes are opened to worlds and experiences we'll never see face to face. We travel and (ideally) something inside of us increases who we are, how we see life. We love people and sacrifice bits of ourselves for them and our hearts increase inside. I won't pretend that I could possibly list all the situations in which one encounters growth but each time we embark upon something new, or face a struggle head on, or choose to move then we grow.

Money will never increase who you are. Never. But it certainly does help with traveling costs. I'd assume that I'm correct is saying that one of Dave Ramsey's favorite verses from scripture is, "the borrower is slave to the lender," and how very true this is.

Last night I'm laying in bed and I'm picturing my path. Sadly I'm living in a pit right now. The debt we owe to others, to the lender entraps us. I cannot travel (currently). I cannot purchase a fabulous variety of decadent food, which I believe is a fantastic part of the path in life. The experiences that I'm able to offer my son are limited. I can't help others in need (at least I'm very limited in how I could help). It's not that we need riches to thrive but money opens doors; it enlarges the path before us. Right now my path is sort of stopped. Until I get myself out of the hole we're in I can only go up or down.

Those who do not move, do not notice their chains.
-Rosa Luxemburg

This is NOT a woe is me post. I read the above quote earlier this week and I've been thinking on it. Some people are very content with stopping. If you don't move you don't notice the chains. What is debt, what are interest payments if you're okay with just existing? I don't want to stop, stand still, just exist. I want to travel. I want to eat new foods. I want to go through life independently with the feeling of financial freedom. I want to be able to give to others, yes monetarily. I want to grow, and grow, and grow and to earn every single one of my wrinkles and grey hairs. I want to wear old age with pride and with a happy glow.

Money will never increase who you are. But debt will hold you back. My journey right now is one of breaking these chains of debt and I'm excited about my path (once I climb out of this hole).