How do we let money define ourselves? What possess the culture of the United States and the rest of the world to judge others, just by the amount of money they carry in their pockets? The only slight idea I can fathom is that this whole cycle started with the glimmering idea of power. We all know that power is something that as humans we naturally try to possess, but when does having power cross the line? That is why I have to believe, that having money, sometimes puts you at more of a burden than having hardly any. What I speak of, is called the insecurity of wealth.

Driving down any highway in the U.S., you can spot those who wear their money badge on the outside of themselves. The family with the shimmering black Mercedes, with fine upholstered leather seating, and an engine that hums silently along. Sporting Polo's with expensive labels plastered on front, and owning the newest cell phone or I Pod out. In many cases, people buy these things to satisfy themselves, but it makes you wonder if others purchase the look of a content wealthy person only to seem like they belong in that sort of "club". Some people who gain the money will buy a sleek flashy car, just to show others that they have the ability to splurge on anything they wish. Money does not have to be all about status, but we seem to have made it this way over time. It seems so insecure of an adult to buy something they don't need, or even like just so they or their family can look the part. Having money then becomes more than something to pay the bills with, it becomes your lifestyle.

But of course, there are those who use their money otherwise, as in smearing wealth around to those who really need it. These are the people that except that they are wealthy, and now are wondering about how to bring some of it to the darker shadows of our world. An example of this is Oprah Winfrey, someone who uses her fame and wealth as an advantage to giving education to children in Africa, and showing viewers of things happening right now on our planet they might not have known before. There is a strong difference in using money for yourself and for others, to spending it on things, you could really do without.

I believe that with all the prosperity and genius we have abundantly in this world, we can use those sources to figure out solutions for growing problems like poverty, education to everyone, and freeing women and other minorities from the grip of oppression. By using the wealth we have mustered up in wise ways, we can make a monumental impact on issues all over the globe. Consider this next time you earn a dollar, because in this case, every penny can make a change.