Determining what is important and what has meaning, and value, for you as an individual is critical. Especially when it comes to money. There’s only so much that goes around (for most of us). John D. Rockefeller kept a “book” on each of his children. They all had weekly chores, and they received an allowance based on production and task complexity. He wanted to teach them “the value of a dollar.” According to Forbes he is still considered America’s richest man relative to inflation and cost-of-living indices.
The key is to balance financial priorities and emotional priorities. Ideally, if you love what you do for a living, you will do it well and consequently you will earn a reasonable, good living. An essential task for a young people involves the delicate balancing of emotional, physical, and intellectual needs and demands. Being able to prioritize, establish goals, and delay gratification are all part of the process. “First things first.” Priorities are things we give special attention. If we take ourselves seriously, we are must likely to prioritize, and set goals and missions accordingly. Priorities are quite personal and we need to own them. Pleasing others, especially authority figures, usually runs out of steam. One must be true to oneself, and set their priorities accordingly.