Money might just seem like an item or record used as payment. Yet, we all know that money is so much more than just currency and how we relate to it affects how we think of ourselves. In actuality, the meaning we attach to money is unique and our perception of it has been molded and shaped since childhood.
Money is one of the most misunderstood variables in our lives. It has the power to connect and divide us in obvious and not-so-obvious ways. Money represents something different for someone who grew up without it than someone who grew up with enough or a lot of it.
For example:
Imagine a person who grew up in poverty but lived in a loving home in a strong, faith-based community. Now imagine a wealthy person who grew up in a house with lots of fighting, with the focus mainly on achievements and appearances.
What if these two people got married? Do you think they will see eye-to-eye on finances? What about their children; how might they view money?
The layers of meaning we attach to money are profound and its reach is long. Do you understand the role money plays in your life? Have you contemplated the meaning you’ve attached to money?
Money impacts your work, relationships, what you choose to buy, where you live, how you live and so on. Every day, you make a plethora of decisions on how to spend, save, make, lose or give away money. That’s a lot of unseen emotional currency being thrown around!
Understanding our relationship and attachment to money can be transformative. For example, I ask many of my clients to complete a money worksheet that I created to help them (and me) understand the emotional role and meaning money plays in their lives. Like it or not, money plays a central role in relating to others and how we see ourselves in the world.
Getting a clearer picture how you relate to money and your emotional currency can help you understand what drives your decisions and behaviors around money and if you want to change or alter those behaviors.
“Money is freedom. Money is a private plane. Money is no metal detection.” – 50 Cent
“Success is my idol, being broke is my rival.” – Big Sean
“The man is richest whose pleasures are cheapest.” – Henry David Thoreau
