Money

I started reading a book this morning on one's relationship with money and love.  I truly believe that how we approach one thing in life is typically how we approach most, if not everything, in life.  My relationship with money hasn't been the easiest (as has my relationship with allowing love in).  Besides my father sitting down and teaching me how to count change, money wasn't necessarily talked about in my family before the divorce.  All I could sense was money was important and if I needed a new pair of jeans it was never an issue to go out and buy something.  I can see now that I was extremely privileged growing up and the opportunities that my family could afford (trips to NY city, Broadway shows, traveling abroad).  After the divorce is a horse of a different color.  I was the last child for my divorced parents to financially get through undergrad (and the only child interested in going to graduate school).  Suddenly with my parents as two separate entities and many of my conversations with them about money, I became very aware the power money holds in our society.  We all want more of it and yet it doesn't exactly bring happiness.  And the many who have a ton of money pay someone else to take care of their money and so many who have a lot of money don't exactly know what to do with it (except save or spend).  I really don't want to generalize but it seems to be a common theme.  And a question less asked is what do I value and how do I want to save or spend based on my morals and values in my life.

Additionally, money itself is nothing.  We created the system, we created the paper, we created the power that money holds.  So the way we think about money has a lot to do with how we take care of our money.  If we think there is never enough that probably also lends itself to other areas of life where there is never enough joy, never enough love, never enough food.  And the ironic thing is that when one starts thinking this way they then go and spend more money, eat more food, look for situations to introduce more love to ignore the underlying thought in the first place of scarcity.  We humans are funny in what we will do to ignore anxiety and stress.  I admit I have been in scarcity thinking most of my life.  That I have to conserve and save and watch what I spend and has this led to more prosperity?  NO.  This has led to more fear, and anxiety, and scarcity thinking and has not propelled me to believe in myself and all the wonderful gifts I have to offer.  And while it feels vulnerable to share this I believe I am not alone in this boat.  

What if we all started believing in ourselves that what we have to offer the world is enough?  How would that translate to how we feel about our financial status or our relationships or how we nourish our body?