What do you do when you feel stressed about money? When was the last time you had a stressful financial situation? What happen that lead you to that? Is this a scenario so familiar to you that you ask yourself-“how does this always happen to me?” Is this a familiar feeling or similar occurrence to one you’ve had in the past? These cause and effect type moments could be your “Story” These rooted reactions towards finances and money could be what is getting you into certain situations.
Sadly, you cannot change your thoughts about money until you learn what the root causes of your issues are. This ‘problem’ is what’s pretty much driving your checking account.
On the bright side, with reflection and meditation your opinions and feelings toward your money will reveal themselves and will help you take the necessary steps towards repairing your relationship with your finances and how you deal with them.
For example if you came from a modest family, with a humble home and your parents struggled to make ends meet, and you could not always get what you wanted, say “cool clothes” instead you got hand-me-downs. Your money mindset could be that you want to save or have a lot of money, because having money makes you feel secure, stable and in control. You vividly remember saying when you were a kid “when I grow up- I’m gonna be rich! and Im gonna buy only new clothes!!” So as we grew up, and began to live our life those feeling and emotions stayed with us. Your money mindset could still be that 8 year old child that made a very bold statement. We are living our adult life with the financial agenda of a child. Note: most kids either mirror or rebel against their parents-which one are you?
Our conditioning shapes our experiences and our lives. Its what makes some people generous, or greedy, it can make us crave security or run wild.
We are all affected by life’s ups and downs. There is no end to the way we learn, adapt, and survive. However, if we can harness our energy and understand our money mindset it can have long and positive affects in our lives and relationships.
Here is some homework for you tonight! Think about these questions, and write down your answers. There are not right or wrong answers. Its just you, and your honest opinion about money. Maybe the answers won’t come to you right away, and thats ok-it took me a while too, so be patient with yourself. You may even find that you have more than one story!
I want you to think about your first experience with money…
What was it?
How did it make you feel? (shame, happy, sad)
Why did you feel that way at that time?
What was your defining statement? (I will never/always -as it applied to finances)
When you start to dissect these situations, you will be able to see how those emotions drive your Financial matters till this day.
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s blog post where every day we will look into a different financial archetypes. Find out which one you are. Here they below:
* The Guardian
* The Pleasure Seeker
* The Idealist
* The Saver
* The Star
* The Innocent
* The Caretaker
* The Empire Builder
The Eight Financial Archetypes are found in the Book “It’s not about the Money”, by Brent Kessel
Karmic Currency 