I passed her cash earnings to my granddaughter and saw the look of excitement in her eyes. Suddenly I was a young teenager myself, transported magically to the moment our neighbours paid me for caring for their yard. I recalled the thrill of earning my first real money. The entrepreneur I was to become was awakened that day – a half century ago.
Since then I’ve had part time jobs, a fulltime profession, and built a couple of businesses. I’ve bought and sold properties, been a landlord and a homeowner. I’ve earned a couple of degrees, co-parented 3 kids, I was married and divorced (twice), racked up significant credit card debt, and then found my way clear. I’ve borrowed and lent, earned and spent, invested well and took some risks – some favourable and some not. Along the way I’ve learned a LOT about my own beliefs and behaviours about money.
Our relationship with money lasts our entire lifetime, and it deserves attention and conversation along the way – yet most people have real challenges talking about money. It can stir up some deep emotions.
We all have behaviours and beliefs that create and maintain our relationship with money.
Some of these patterns are supportive – and some are not. Your Financial Foundation is too important to be left to old, unsupportive patterns, patterns you may have inherited from your family, or developed when you were younger. Those old patterns no longer reflect your current reality, and worse yet, they are likely holding you back.
You may find yourself in a new stage of your life – buying a home, kids going away to school, nearing retirement, landing or loosing a job, getting married or ending a partnership – every life change brings about new ways of being in relationship with your finances. You are worthy of financial stability regardless of your age and stage. You deserve freedom from whatever heaviness you may be experiencing around money.
Forgive yourself. The way things have been is not the way they have to stay.
Open to the possibility of a more productive and supportive relationship with your finances.
Decide to transform some of those old beliefs you know are holding you back.
Try on more supportive behaviours about how you earn, spend, borrow, invest.
Acknowledge your financial accomplishments, and build on your strengths.
Your relationship with money will improve – it is an investment in your future well being.
Now as friends are retiring I’ve recognized I’m entering another stage and phase of my life that requires a review of my financial foundation. I reached out to Maura Shaftoe, a Behavioural Cash Flow Specialist. Together we created a practical, effective and empowering home study course to support you in understanding your behaviours and beliefs around finances, and transform them into something that supports you and your lifestyle – at every age and stage. You’ll find details at:
Join us – and create a happily ever after life for you and your finances!
Namaste,