Our financial problems are likely linked to the fact that:
- We were not taught how to make money on our own terms…we’re taught to help other people make money… did we learn financial IQ in schools? No….we were taught maths and geography and dead history and how to get good grades to go to a good school to get a good job that will give with a steady income.
- We don’t learn how to think about money in a positive, supportive way – money is always a dirty secret, your illicit love affair, you don’t want to appear greedy by saying you want more money, you feel guilty for having more, you don’t even know what you will do if you suddenly had a lot of money….
- We don’t learn the financial habits necessary to develop financial freedom and security for ourselves and our families.
- We don’t learn how to manage money in a way that makes sense and is easy to do.
- We don’t understand how to invest money so we’re financially secure when we get older.
- We don’t have a clue how to talk to our spouses or significant others about money. If 50 of marriages end in divorce and the main reason for those divorces is money, we need to learn to talk about it.
- We don’t understand how to teach our children about money.
- And visually never do we learn that men and women see, think about, and use money differently and this is a huge thing!
Real financial freedom comes when money no longer controls your sense of peace and well-being.
If you’re like most people, you have learned to deal with your money in a variety of interesting ways.
- You ignore it.
- You protect it and never let it out of your sight.
- You get rid of it as quickly as possible.
- You despise it or look down on people who have more than you do.
- You make it the most important thing in your life.
- You worry about it all day long.
- How you got into your current financial situation so you can get out of it as graciously, and as quickly, as possible.
- How to start thinking differently about money so that it doesn’t control your life.
- How to experience more peace about money.
- How women and men view money differently.
- How to use a simple money management system to take the guesswork out of managing your money.
- The simple, time-tested financial habits it takes to create financial freedom and security.
- An easy-to-follow method to get out of debt more quickly.
- How to start investing, even if you only have a few dollars to invest!
- The important difference between EARNING money and MAKING money.
- How to talk to your spouse or significant other about money.
- How to teach kids about money.
- That learning about money can actually be fun!
These ways of being with money translate into Money Personalities. You’ll learn how to make your unique personality work FOR you instead of AGAINST you.
While it’s true that what happens during our childhoods is typically done TO us or thrust UPON us, when we get to about 25 years old, we can no longer blame, justify or rationalize why we are stressed, lonely, miserable, sick and broke. (Most people have a story about one or more of these states of being. You may be surprised to find out how these stories and your history with money dictate your financial life). At this point, regardless of your age, the only way out of any financial mess you might be in is to stop justifying, stop blaming and stop making excuses for why your financial life isn’t working the way you want it to.
One of my favorite sayings is, “If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging!”
To stop digging, start doing something else.
So where do you go from here? Well, if you’re like most people, you’ve settled into a rocky financial place for way too long and you don’t have a clue how to get out.
You may not even remember, or have experienced, the peace that comes from having more than enough money coming in each month to cover your needs and wants, let alone providing the extra money you need to save and invest for your future or enjoy the heck out of your life!
