It’s All Monopoly Money

Living a human existence requires several things if one is to survive and thrive somewhat comfortably and securely, namely…. shelter, food, clothing, water, community, family, friends, and let’s not forget (or maybe you would rather forget)-money.

Money. A word intertwined with emotions, beliefs, and values. This concept of currency of ours often evokes fear and dread, especially during the holidays or other milestone events, when the societal expectations to “buy” become the sun upon which everything else revolves around. There’s usually a running story or theme that we hold surrounding this medium of exchange of coins and banknotes, such as….

“Money doesn’t grow on trees, you know”

“A fool and his money are soon parted.”

“Money is a good servant but a bad master.”

“Money won’t create success, the freedom to make it will.”

“Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.”

These are just a few of the numerous quotes about a subject that for most, if not all, of us, have a difficult or complicated relationship with. Myself included.

Growing up, I was fortunate to live in a home with my basic needs met-I never went to bed hungry and I never worried about not having decent clothes to wear. I recognized the other kids at school who were not as fortunate.

We weren’t wealthy by any means, but once in high school, I was perceived as such when one of my friends snidely made a comment, “I always knew you were rich” in reply to a statement I made about my dad just getting his pilot’s license, the fulfillment of a dream to fly. Hearing that stung and made me want to shrink.

Our relationship with money stems from a unique mindset about how we manage, feel about, and interact with money. It’s heavily influenced by our childhood, life experiences, and core beliefs about self-worth, values, and security.

Having a healthy relationship with money means that you’re using it as a tool to support your life and it’s not a source of constant stress, guilt, or anxiety. In other words-when it’s working with you or for you, you’re living from an abundant mindset, and when it’s not…. You’re operating from a scarcity outlook, or you’ve found yourself in “Scare City.”

In Scare City, you often meet these characters….

“The Avoider” who shuts down or feels paralyzed when bills are due or other financial obligations appear. This person stays stressed and anxious and simply wants to hide or run away. The monthly cycle becomes a never-ending one.

“The Saver” who sees money as safety and security and can’t imagine spending as that indicates loss versus gain. Investing in themselves isn’t a thing, as that would be selfish and foolish.

“The Worrier” who is making ends meet or lives at a comfortable baseline, but remains worried and anxious, and suffers from chronic stress which impacts their physical and mental health due to fears the money will run out or it’s never enough.

And lastly,

“The Status Seeker” who equates their self-worth with wealth and material possessions and projects an image of power and success, all in an attempt to fit in or to feel good about themselves.

Do you recognize any of these?

I’ve had my time in Scare City, alternating between avoiding and worrying, especially during my years as a single mom of 2 boys. The worry still likes to creep up on me and tap me on the shoulder. I think it thinks it’s needed to keep me safe.

How do we prevent ourselves from falling into these “money pits?” We do so by….

Understanding our money story

Recognize how your upbringing and culture shaped your ideas and then you decide what you want your story about money to be.

Align spending with values

Use it to prioritize what you value in life which, by the way, reduces guilt when you spend it.

Stop comparing

Comparing your situation to others is a trap and besides, that person you may envy may be up to their eyeballs in debt.

Give yourself permission to enjoy it

Don’t let it just sit in a bank account.

Keep perspective

Don’t allow money to become the center of your life. Don’t let it define or hijack you.

The Law of Attraction, that ancient spiritual law about manifestation, speaks significantly about our alignment of Mind, Body, and Spirit, and this also applies to money as well. If you don’t have a healthy relationship with money, then I encourage you to take inspired action…. Don’t stop the flow, (either in or out), be grateful, ask for help. Asking for help in no way makes you weak or a failure.

I’d like to offer another phrase to the money quotes:

“It’s all Monopoly Money”

There are no U-Hauls behind a hearse.

You can’t take any of it with you.

It is yours to earn, to spend, to save, to trade, to give away.

It is paper and metal in your hands and digital numbers on a screen.

Yes, money is necessary in a modern, capitalistic society to survive. I’m not fooling myself or you, but I do believe we can do a much better job with our resources, financial and otherwise, and perhaps question the old systems. They seem to be crumbling anyway to give birth to something new.

It’s time to release the old energies and stories.

“There is a lie that acts like a virus within the mind of humanity….that lie is,
“There’s not enough good to go around.”
—Michael Beckwith

Look for the good, folks. Look at life with awe and wonder. And you’ll always have enough.

Til next we meet in the forest….

Love,

Amanda♥️