(Mental Health Month) Listening to What Your Money Is Telling You

Money impacts our lives in many different ways. It’s linked to our very survival, our ability to create a standard of living for our loved ones and ourselves. Our financial circumstances also impact the opportunities we, and our children, have to be part of experiences and circumstances that can determine the quality of our lives.

“The reason people have such strong emotions around money is because it signifies value.  You are valued by how much you have and what you own,” says psychotherapist and executive coach Mary Pender Greene.

The significance our society has given to money can make us forget that the most essential parts of us have nothing to do with monetary value. We can fail to see the powerful teacher that money really is, and the ways in which the silent pointers it gives voice to tell us the disconnect between what we’re doing and what we value.

Whether it’s spending in ways that are at odds with what you really care about, or turning a blind eye to the steps you need to take in order to make sure you’re not a financial burden to your children when they are grown, it is reflected in your finances.

• What does your unsecured debt–like credit cards–tell you about your choices and lifestyle?

•  Would your money tell you that you’re acting like someone who is excited about investing in the future?

•  Would your savings reflect the sense of the importance you place on being prepared for emergencies and the unexpected?

•  What is your financial behavior telling you about how you feel about taking care of your loved ones?

When you take money out of the equation:

• How do you really feel about living beyond your means and taking on unsecured debt?

•  How do you feel about being financially prepared for the future or emergencies?

•  How do you feel about leaving a financial legacy for your loved ones?

Every moment is an opportunity to do things differently. Pick one area of your financial life where your financial choices are reflecting a conflict with your true nature. Do some research, and come up with a plan that allows you to take small steps that will bring your finances into alignment with your true nature. Share your plan with a friend.

Above all, make peace with what your money is telling you. Be grateful for the message, and listen.