I was talking to a group of friends the other week when out for a few drinks and it struck me how a lot of financially successful people – especially in sales – are not educated to a high standard in my experience.

For example I used to work for a large UK kitchen company and the regional sales manager was earning around £200,000 a year, driving a top spec Audi sports and lives in a large detached home in the countryside. His kids go to private school and he also owns several properties that he rents out. Pretty successful wouldn’t you say?

I also know a lot of very well educated people who live in a semi-detached, own 5 to 10 year old cars and just about get by financially.

So on a purely financial level the first guy seems the more successful.

However I would choose to spend time with the second group as they are warm friendly people that I can have great discussions with, are happy to help out in an emergency and make you feel good in their company.

The first guy is a workaholic, hardly ever sees his wife and family, upsets and irritates the sales force and his managers and isn’t a pleasant person in any way that I can see.

I also know quite a few business people who are educated and also wealthy so am not sure what the statistics would show but am going to find out!

So what price do you put on money?

Make it at all costs and lose the respect of your friends, family and even children…

Or work ethically helping people along the way and doing the best you can.

I choose the second option because I value my friendships, wife and kids, business associates and in fact most people I come into contact with.

A good illustration of this is when my mum died last October. I was very upset and should have taken time off work. I was convinced by the manager to keep working as it would take my mind off it but it just made things worse and I couldn’t concentrate at all.

The reverse of this attitude was from my twitter friends and Internet Marketing contacts – many of whom I have not even met – who sent me kind messages and helped me through the grief.

I think what I am trying to say here is that it shouldn’t be win at all costs. There are many things in life much more precious than being financially wealthy and I am pleased that I am wealthy in other areas. Yes I want to be financially independent and am on track to do that – but time and relationships are much more important and its not what you have but what you are grateful for that matters.