Understanding Your Money Story
It might seem out of place to include “money” in my goal of helping people connect spirit, mind, body, and money. After all, we are told and ultimately realize that money doesn't buy happiness and after a certain level of income and assets more money does not increase our happiness.
But, the reality is money does impact our lives and we each have our own “money stories” that shape how we view, feel about, and use money. Understanding your money story is an important part of the pursuit of your authentic life because your authentic life will require income, savings, and assets to support. Your ability to reach the levels needed to live your authentic life will be impacted by your money story.
Have you ever taken time to understand how you view money and what it means to you?
THINK DEEPER
Skip over the obvious that it’s a form of currency. While true, it’s not going to help your pursuit of connecting and aligning your spirit, mind, body, and money.
Money is emotional.
Think deeper than the obvious answer. For some, money is an empowering tool, allowing them to build, create, and experience. For some, it’s a limiting barrier, keeping them anxious, stressed, and preventing them from experiencing their authentic life.
When you think of money, how do you feel?
Do you feel a sense of abundance or scarcity?
Do you feel at ease or anxious?
Do you see opportunity or limitation?
Your view and feelings around money have been shaped over your life by your experiences and surroundings and how you processed them. Not everyone who grew up with abundant money has positive money stories and not everyone who grew up with little money has negative money stories.
Your surroundings and experiences shape your money stories but do not determine what your story will be.
In order to better understand your money story, take some time to reflect on your experiences with money throughout your life. Some things to think about to help you uncover the chapters of your money story might include:
What did you hear about money as a child?
What did you see around money as a child?
What is your first instinct when you receive an unexpected sum of money?
Who taught you about money?
What does money mean to you?
What do you want money to mean to you?
Does your current relationship with money support or prevent your authentic life?
There is no “right” money story…only YOUR money story.
It is important is that you understand yours and if necessary, work to make changes within your story to align with your spirit, mind, and body. Having those three in alignment with each other and your authentic life is important but without connecting your money to the alignment, you most likely will not maintain that harmony and your authentic life may remain just outside your reach.
I’d be remiss if I did not end with encouraging you to seek someone to help you navigate your money story and if necessary, help with overcoming the parts of your money story preventing you from aligning your spirit, mind, body and money. The stereotype surrounding financial advisors may not suggest this, but there are a growing number of financial advisors specializing in this type of work–if you need help finding one, please reach out and I will connect you with some great people, who happen to be financial advisors.
See you tomorrow and keep pursuing,
JC
