Why I want $5,000,000

As a child growing up in the church you're often told that the love of money is the root of all evil. Then you become an adult and find out that money is really important and it would be nice to have more, but how much money makes you evil? This question used to cause me a lot of turmoil, and my nagging desire to make more money riddled me with guilt. It took some time but I've finally decided that it's not evil for me to want to make $5,000,000. Here's why.

1. I know $5,000,000 isn't the key to being happy. People love to remind you money can't buy happiness. I understand. I'm already happy, and my happiness does not hinge on whether or not I make $5,000,000.

2. Making $5,000,000 is just a goal I've set. I'd like to earn my black belt in Jiu Jitsu. I'd like to learn Objective C (and Swift!). I'd like to make $5,000,000.

3. I don't want $5,000,000 to buy stuff. I don't really like stuff and actively try to eliminate the excess stuff from my life. This is not to say I'll buy nothing with $5,000,000. I think a Tesla would be awesome, but I'll be ok if I never own one.

I'm not a car guy, but I dream of owning one of these some day.

4. I want $5,000,000 for the security it provides, but I realize it won't eliminate all of my problems. On the other hand, it will help eliminate some of my worries. What happens if my parents need elder care? What will I leave my wife if I die young? What if the car breaks down or the furnace goes out?

5. I want $5,000,000 for the freedom it provides. Some people wouldn't know what to do if they had lots of free time. I am not one of these people. I have a huge list of things I would like to do. I would train more, read more, spend more time with my wife, play more music, start flying again, travel more. I would also work. I would go crazy if I wasn't working on some sort of project. The difference is that I would work on things I care about and not as a means of economic survival.

6. I want $5,000,000 so I can give more. Notice I didn't say "so I can give." I already make a habit of giving, but if I had $5,000,000, I could give more. 10% of $5,000,000 is a LOT more than I'll be able to give in a lifetime on my current salary. 

7. I want to make $5,000,000 because it's a challenge. It's going to take a lot of creativity to figure out how to do it. It's also going to take a lot of work. I look forward to both of these aspects.

So call it what you want, my conscious is clear. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a lot of work to do.