Money... Partner Or Foe?

Everyone’s favorite topic, right?  In the months before I left Deloitte, I got a lot of questions and comments about money.  The conversations never started with money, but somehow migrated to questions like… How could I afford to leave?  How much money does a person need to have saved to take the leap?  How do I think I’ll make money going forward? 

Money is such a personal topic and often people are embarrassed to bring it up, but I have no problem talking about it.  Like it or not, money is part of our lives… Money can be positive and facilitate experiences and compassion in our lives.  Or, it can be very negative… it can hold us hostage, become an addiction, make us focus on what we lack, etc.   Having a good relationship with money is critical! 

Money and financial stability were huge issues I had to deal with before deciding to leave Deloitte… looking back, I went through five phases as my relationship with money evolved…

Limited sources of money… At first, I associated the financial stability my family and I felt with my public accounting career… knowing there’s a steady stream of great money coming in is great and I felt that giving up the career meant giving up financial stability. 

Rejection of money… I then started to resent the money… it was holding me back and I didn’t want it, our nice house, or anything else I could buy with it… I wanted to totally free myself.

Neutrality towards money… I stopped resenting money and was at a neutral spot.  We had rationally looked at our savings and had a plan that we felt comfortable with.

The big realization… I had connected financial stability to this one career.  Perhaps I was limiting myself not just in my life dreams, but in my earning potential.  I earned great money in one career, why should I think I can’t earn money doing other things that I love?!

Great relationship with money… Bottom line, having money is great… it gives us freedom to do what we want to do and to give to others who need it.  I absolutely believe that by giving my best to the world I’ll be blessed with continued abundance.

So you might think this sounds great but not practical… I was an accountant… I get it.  When examining our approaches to money, we need to be honest with ourselves.  Have we bought a lifestyle that we are spending all we make to maintain?  Do we spend some and save some… we enjoy life but could live on less and have some cushion in the bank?  Do we forego experiences to save all we can and are fearful of not having enough for a rainy day?

So, practically speaking I believe it’s important to be in the middle...  Have enough money to get by for a while and while it’s better not to spend it all, if it’s spent so-be-it… the money we have is to live the life of our dreams, not to be held hostage to a savings account!

Are you a hostage to money or a gleeful partner?  Do you have a moderate and loving relationship with money, or a stormy relationship with significant highs and lows?  There’s a ton written and spoken about our attitudes and feelings toward abundance by people who are far greater experts than I.  A great source is www.hayhouse.com.  Just type in money or financial abundance and lots of books and audio downloads will come up. 

Go and be rich in all you do!