I was having a conversation recently with a business owner who I respect, and we were discussing the subject of me. “Me” is a subject I talk about sometimes, including right now I guess. The specific topic of our conversation was how I want to become a millionaire.

The business owner is probably a millionaire (from what they have told me) and I highly respect that accomplishment. In fact, this person is not the first millionaire I’ve known (and become close to) and has been an inspiration to me to become a millionaire myself. Which is where the conversation went south. Because I mentioned the fact that I, too, wish to one day become a millionaire.

“Why do you want to do that?” was the question they asked me. They were not happy for me for having that goal for myself, and made it seem like I had an insidious plan. Don’t aim for such lofty goals was what I was hearing, even though the reasons had more to do with aiming to become a millionaire for the right reasons. And there are right and wrong reasons for seeking what I’m seeking which most people basically see as seeking money.

So am I seeking something selfish, or wrong? Am I simply greedy, and do I simpy want to get as much as I can so I can crush the poor beneath my feet and laugh at their plight? Or maybe it’s just that I want to drive fast cars and take expensive drugs – right??

Let me give a few legitimate reasons that someone might want become a millionaire, instead. And let me also say this: having a million bucks these days doesn’t mean you’re even that rich – you’re just at the point of being pretty comfortable (maybe) in today’s economy. Which brings me to the first reason.

Reason to Become a Millionaire #1: Comfort

With enough money, a person could buy the things they need (i.e. food, clothing, shelter) plus a whole bunch of things they want and like. Th alternative to this nice setup is not being able to buy the necessities and not being able to buy the comforts. I’ve lived a life of having tons of comforts, then a long time of having very few comforts (and no money!), and I have decided something: I wish to own all the necessities of life, as well as some comforts. That is my decision. No one can accuse me of making an uninformed decision, either, because I’ve been in both situations. Having what you need, plus more, is way better. I assure you. And don’t let anyone convince you that it’s better to be poor, without giving you some reasons. (They won’t be able to.)

Reason to Become a Millionaire #2: Stability

Probably, I should have listed this first because it’s one of the primary benefits of having more money than you need to actually have to just-barely pay the bills. But I listed it second because it’s one of those things that isn’t immediately apparent when someone has enough money. It’s something that shows itself over time. When someone has gone a year without an overdraft, and they finally notice the money in their bank account has accumulated, and they take a look at the fact that they’ve been able to always pay all their bills every month…that person looks at their life and realizes something: it’s not full of turmoil. It’s stable. And this stability comes from having money, not from not having money. So if I’m going to seek enough money to maintain a life of stability, don’t fault me.

Reason to Become a Millionaire #3: Health

I’m going to condense a bunch of reasons into one and speak of “health” as a generally healthy life for the millionaire and his family. And by “health” I mean physical, mental, social, monetary, educational…and just about anything else you can think of in life that can be either “healthy” or “unhealthy”. Is a rich person always healthy? No, I’m not saying that. The soul of a rich man might be “unhealthy” – sick with greed. But perhaps more often, the soul of a rich man could be good and strong. Because in my opinion, having great resources allows a person to care for themselves better than not having those resources. Having money means a person can literally get health care, but it allows them to be educated, it allows them to give to those in need, it allows them to experience the beautiful things that life offers, it allows them to provide well for those they love, it allows them to do so much more than having a lack of resources allows. And those surrounding the “rich man” have more opportunities as well. Pestilence, death, ignorance, and hopelessness are associated with poverty. But health (and the things associated with it) are what wealth can bring.

But why do I want to become a millionaire? It’s all the above, plus one huge reason I think encompasses just about everything…

Reason to Become a Millionaire #4: Freedom

Who says freedom is a bad thing? Usually, it’s dictators or the class-rulers who wish to keep their positions of power by keeping the “commoners” in darkness. Freedom is something men have fought for in my country since its inception – and it was founded upon the need for impoverished men to take hold of what God intended for them to have. But I find that more and more people today have less and less freedom. What’s disturbing about it is that the ones who are taking it away are doing it with power they’ve purchased. I, personally, see the dollar (or maybe the Euro) as the separator between those whose voiced are heard and those who are silenced. (Yes, I’m talking politically.) More than that, I see the dollar as the granter of a very practical freedom in everyday life. American workers earn less and less money for the time they work each year, and I would not be surprised if we are witnessing the death of America right now a little bit each day. I don’t know if we’re heading to third-world status (although the IMF has good reasons to monitor our economy with that in mind) but we’re heading to mass slavery for the poor and huddled masses that look forward to their taxed-into-nothing-left paycheck each payday.

I don’t want to live paycheck-to-paycheck. I want freedom from that.

I don’t want my kids to seek a minimum-wage job one day because college wasn’t an option. I want them to have freedom from that.

I don’t want to fear the day I or one of my family needs to go to the hospital, because we can’t afford health care. I want freedom from that.

I don’t want to lose my house because I couldn’t afford the mortgage. I want freedom from that.

I don’t want to be stranded without a car, because I can’t afford repairs/gas/insurance/etc. I want freedom from that.

In case you’ve been living in a hole for the last decade, the horrible things listed above are things middle-class Americans used to be free from. No longer. The things listed above are now very real concerns of everyday Americans. Beaver Cleaver doesn’t exist today, unless his dad earns more than average American. It’s changed drastically and the economy is getting worse.

So I want to become a millionaire. In fact, my goal is to make a first million. I have my reasons, and I hope they don’t seem like stupid, irresponsible, or selfish reasons. Because the way I see it it’s either freedom or struggle. And I prefer freedom.

Stumble it!