There’s a moment in The Morning where The Weeknd sings:
“Money ain’t the motive.”
It’s easy to miss if you’re caught up in the song’s hypnotic beat or his signature, blurred-line storytelling. But pause for a second. Think about it. In a world that practically shouts money is everything, this quiet contradiction hits different.
Let’s break it down.
The Illusion of the Hustle
Most of us grow up believing success equals money. It’s the fuel behind the grind, the reason behind late nights and early mornings. Y
et here’s The Weeknd, an artist who climbed from obscurity to superstardom, telling us that money isn’t the endgame.
What is?
The Higher Chase
For Abel Tesfaye (The Weeknd’s real name), the motive was never just money, it was expression, freedom, an untouchable kind of feeling. Money is just a byproduct, a shadow of the real goal: legacy, connection, maybe even a sense of invincibility.
It’s a mindset shift, from chasing paper to chasing purpose.
And isn’t that the real flex?
In a culture obsessed with “getting the bag,” this lyric whispers something braver: that true satisfaction comes from something deeper. It’s the art. It’s the lifestyle that lets you wake up at 4 PM if you want to, not because you have to.
Money as a Tool, Not a Target
There’s a big difference between working for money and working with money.
The Morning paints a life where wealth is the background noise, not the headline. The parties, the women, the blurred mornings, they’re not about status.
They’re about autonomy. About living on your terms.
And isn’t that the point?
Final Thoughts
“Money ain’t the motive” isn’t just a throwaway line.
It’s a mindset.
It’s the unspoken truth that most successful people figure out eventually: if you chase only money, you’ll never catch meaning.
But if you chase meaning, money tends to follow.
The Weeknd understood that before the world even knew his name.
Maybe that’s why The Morning still feels timeless, a reminder that in a world screaming for more, sometimes the real power lies in not needing anything at all.
There’s a lyric in The Morning by The Weeknd that has stuck with me for years:
"All that money, the money ain’t the motive."
I’ve chased fame.
I’ve chased success.
I’ve chased money.
From the outside looking in, it looks glamorous.
It looks like the point.
But the truth is: it isn’t.
Money is still necessary. Without it, the ability to make an impact, to create, to celebrate, to give purpose, to add value, is limited.
Dreams require resources.
No way around that.
But the money itself? It’s not the motive. It’s not the final score.
Do I still want a Ferrari and a jet?
Sure.
Would they be a flex? Absolutely.
But that’s not the intention.
A Ferrari, isn’t just a luxury. It’s a symbol, a daily reminder of a higher standard.
A reminder of the discipline, effort, and respect it takes to build something great.
If you don’t respect the Ferrari, Ferrari will take it away.
Seriously.
(Here are some of their actual standards):
- Ferrari reserves the right to deny you another car if you modify the one you bought.
- If you fall behind on service standards, they’ll stop selling to you.
- If you disrespect the brand (yes, even socially), they’ll blacklist you.
- They limit who can even buy certain models, you have to earn your way there.
It’s earned every day.
Think of it like your wife, you have to show up and win her each day.
Not just once.
The jet?
I joke about writing it off on my Payhip profile.
Would it be cool?
Of course.
But here’s the truth:
If I had the kind of money to buy a jet, it would probably mean I’d drifted way off course.
Because the real goals, the ones that matter, are:
- Creating.
- Celebrating.
- Giving purpose.
- Adding value.
- Going where I can have the greatest impact.
Maybe, someday, a jet will be required to maximize that impact, and I can have a greater impact on others through that transportation.
But I’m not counting on it. So I’ve decided: I’m removing the jet from my BHAG list (Big Hairy Audacious Goals)
Buy a Ferrari.
̶W̶r̶i̶t̶e̶ ̶o̶f̶f̶ ̶a̶ ̶j̶e̶t̶.̶ ̶(̶W̶H̶A̶T̶?̶!̶)̶
The Ferrari stays.
Not as a trophy, but as a testament, to hold a higher standard, tailored to perfection. To honor the process.
To remind me not to settle.
I'm thinking the Ferrari Purosangue.
Purosangue meaning, pure blood.
UNLIKE ANY OTHER.
The Ferrari Purosangue is the first ever four-door, four-seater car in Ferrari’s history, but models with two rear seats have played a significant role in the company’s strategy since the very beginning. Now, in the culmination of 75 years of leading-edge research, Ferrari has created a unique car and the encapsulation of the Prancing Horse’s DNA, where performance, driving pleasure and comfort coexist in perfect harmony. And that’s why this new model was called Ferrari Purosangue – Italian for thoroughbred.
Purosangue by name, purosangue by nature.
It evokes ideas of:
- Excellence
- Authenticity
- Uncompromised quality
- Power and prestige that becomes from being purely, entirely what it claims to be.
And besides, like my future wife, I can't have her driving anything less than perfection.