What if money isn’t the goal—but a byproduct of purpose?

creates an opening so that something new could possibly come in.

You know, with that, I totally agree with you too, because as you was talking, all I could think about is, uh, as they say, as the words say, what is it for a man to gain a whole world but then loses his soul? You know, I can have all this money, I can have all the finer things, the material things in life, but is it bringing me true happiness? And as you alluded to, it's something on the inside. I was taking the bad things that I was— the things I was doing in life and still trying to, you know, move forward with that. But it wasn't bringing me what I, what I really needed. It wasn't fulfilling the things that I actually needed in life. And then when we do find it, which leads me to this next question, when we do find that thing like, wow, you know, to say that, uh, you know, that we should put everything on him, you know. Don't, don't trust in ourselves, but believe in, but believe in him, and then he will add all these things unto us. And so, you know, that's where my, I believe, true happiness come from, that when we get it, you know, the, the right way, and when it's coming, you know what I'm saying, the way that, like, wow, okay, I didn't— I wanted this, but I didn't get that because I wasn't ready for that at the time, you know. And if I would have got it at that time, then I would have just probably messed everything up. But the way that I went about it and the way that he brought it to me, now this brings me, uh, gratification. This brings me, uh, satisfied, uh, satisfied. I'm satisfied with this because now I had to earn it, and I see now why he led me down this path. So let me ask you this question, uh, Melanie. When you say awakening to spiritual truths, what does that mean to you?

Yeah, I mean, it means understanding that we're more than just our thoughts. Feelings are the role that I play. Like, I'm more than just being a mom, a wife, a daughter, a friend. You know, my mind lies to me. Just because you have a thought doesn't mean it's true, and it doesn't mean you have to give it energy. Um, it's, it's realizing that there's a greater purpose, a greater purpose guiding our life. And like you were just describing, like, God has a plan, and that doesn't always look like Melanie's plan. And when I can believe in something more powerful than me, if you can think of a higher power, whatever that is for you, the universe, the ocean, God Almighty, you know, we, we get so much hope from believing in something bigger than us. And we, when we can let go of that pride saying like, I did this, it's, it's really interesting. But more than that, it's It's about having a purpose. And so when you feel like there's a greater, a higher power that's giving you a greater purpose in the world, then I think, you know, you, you start awakening, um, about what your true identity is and what it's tied to.