Money is a way to tokenize and exchange work. With money, work is moved by effort and tokenized by currency. With energy, work is moved by force and tokenized by calories. Work is powered by sunlight. Money is traded for energy that originated in a star.
I trade inspiration, motivation, or manipulation for time, effort and risk. This is how I balance my perception of value against my perception of worth. Everyone who trades work for money is balancing these decisions.