 The
University of Michigan recently conducted a survey.
They wanted to study what effect money had on
people's lives. Three of their findings:
What do people worry about most?
Money! What makes people the happiest? Money!
What makes people the unhappiest? Money!
Money, and our issues around
money, are full and deep and intense and often
impenetrable. We all have a story to tell about
our money dance.
Mary, a single mother of two,
was brought up by her grandmother because her
own single mother couldn't support them. She lives
with the fear of losing her daughters as a result
of her unsteady income. One father of three battles
his demons with money--demons passed along to
him by his father. When he was thirteen-years-old
his father went bankrupt and lost the farm that
had been in the family for generations. As this
boy grew up, he had anxiety around money issues
and avoided risks of any kind.
We may not inherit money but
we do inherit an approach to money from our family
of origin. Let's take responsibility for our prosperity
consciousness, our money mentality, so we can
blast away the wall that's keeping abundance from
us. When we are alert to our old money programming
we can rewrite the script. Not only will our kids
get a healthier example but, by becoming aware
of money's role in our childhoods, we can tame
old images and fears. We can choose, today, to
allow and accept prosperity into our lives.
Balancing Tips
- Be aware of how you speak about money to your
children: "We can't afford this" or
"I'll never have enough." Is there
guilt associated with spending? "I've spent
a lot of money on your piano lessons, so keep
practicing."
- Give your kids responsibility for using their
own money early on. It helps them maintain a
balanced perspective on value. My daughter loved
special frozen drinks from a local coffee shop.
I began to feel the expense wasn't worth the
treat and suggested she use her own money. "It's
totally not worth $3.50" was her wise response.
We concocted our own drink at home.
- Take a look at what you might be trading for
money--time with your kids, self nurturing,
pursuing a dream. Is there a way you could scale
back your expenses to spend time on what you
value now?
- Money is a balance buster for many of us.
We don't know the best way to manage the money
we earn and haven't made the time to learn.
Get a grip on family finances by setting up
a system for paying bills on time (I like the
Quicken software program), saving for college
and retirement (automatic savings plans are
pure magic), handling debt (find a professional
to help you create a plan), and meeting your
financial goals (you've got to make these goals
before you can meet them). Once you are in control
of your money, you won't feel thrown off balance.
- Are you avoiding taking responsibility for
money because it illicits feelings of fear,
stress, scarcity? Schedule a time each month
when you and your partner can review your current
financial situation. Create goals and strategies.
Is saving for your child's college tuition just
a dream? Even if it's an old coffee can for
collecting change, just making the dream concrete
opens the way for the flow of money.
- Eliminate debt and find exhilarating freedom.
Debt can be an anchor around our "financial
psyche"--dragging us down in all areas
of our lives. Create a debt repayment plan and
move on with your life.
- Prosperity is more than just money - it's
a way of thinking. Open your mind and heart
to receive all the abundance the universe is
waiting to shower upon you today.
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