When I was a kid, I didn’t have a big allowance. I spent a lot of my money on food, stuff for school, and transportation.
Basically what the allowance for a student is for.
Looking back though, I realize there were two major things I always saved up for – games and books.
Yeah, I was a nerd. And still am.
I bought a lot of games and playing and collectible cards then, as well as a lot of books.
For the games, it was always something that I had to learn a lot about, gain skill in, and build upon past learning and lessons. City building simulators, business games, exploration and resource management. Usually games that had a lot of strategy elements involved.
For the books, I enjoyed reading, and learning about new stuff. I bought some novels and stories, but it was mostly a lot of psychology, social science, and self-awareness stuff.
And those things ate up a lot of my time. But I can still remember, and use, the lessons I learned from all of those games and books.
Come to think of it, when I was younger, I spent a lot of my money on learning, and fun. I did a lot of those things because I felt they were really fun.
What wasn’t so apparent to my younger self?
How much I found learning fun.
What does money mean for you, anyway?
Money can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people, so what does it mean for you?
Does it mean a comfortable life? One with no worries?
Does it mean more options for you? More vacations and travels?
Or, Does it mean more things for you? A big house, car, a business to make you more money?
What do you think money can do for you?
Do you even want money? What do you want it for anyway?
It’s a lot of questions to take in, and you can take your time answering them.
My point here is this: What money means for you will ultimately dictate how we feel about earning it, saving it, spending it, wasting it, or giving it away.
How do you feel and think about money?
For the longest time, I felt that money was so hard to come by. I believed that you had to fight tooth and nail for every cent.
I also believed that it was so hard to earn money. That you’ll have to do extraordinary things to earn a lot.
And these feelings and beliefs showed up and tied me down. I had a hard time accepting gifts, especially gifts of money. I found it hard to negotiate, especially about payments and salaries.
What’s inside of you, will rise to the surface eventually.
Your beliefs and feelings show up in what you do.
And that’s something you can rewire. You can change.
Where you spend your money tells you what’s valuable for you
Money also represents almost unparalleled optionality.
What do I mean? I mean as long as someone else will take it, you can use it to get whatever you want.
And in this day and age, our economies, and people, are used to money. We can get a lot of stuff, if we have enough money.
So I do know that adage, that money is not everything, and you can’t buy everything with it,
but you can come pretty darn close.
And spending the money that you have, whatever the amount, is an indication of what is important for you.
What do you save your money for? What do you prioritize buying or getting?
What emergencies would make you use your money right away?
What don’t you like spending your money on? Those things, you don’t see as important, valuable enough to spend what you worked so hard (or so easily!) for.
I once had an offer to take a really great workshop course. It was also very expensive, and I wasn’t sure if it was the right time, or I would be willing to pay for such a course at this moment in time.
Long story short, I took it.
I realized that if I was really serious about personal development, and learning complementary skills to what I was already doing right now, then why not take this chance and make this investment in myself?
Put your money where your mouth is, so to speak.
And, how does that make you feel?
Taking the course, I feel, was so worth it. I was so happy I was blessed with such an amazing learning opportunity.
Partly due to the fact that personal development is something I deemed important for me.
Reality check: more often that not, we spend our money not specifically for the objects, things, and experiences, we can get, but more for what they can make us feel.
I know for a fact I have a tendency to overeat when I’m stressed.
And during the times when I just closed down my businesses, every week I would find a new restaurant, or an old favorite, and eat. I would spend a lot of money just to eat, because it made me feel good. Better than what I was actually feeling, at the time.
It all seems so logical, but it’s not.
Money is emotional
Or rather, the topic of money is.
Are you spending your money where you want it to? Is where you’re spending your money helpful to you?
Helpful to you in the long run?
Is where you spend your money aligned with what you say is important for you?
We get emotional over money, but remember, it will never get emotional over us.
I asked a lot of questions to you because, in essence, that’s what money asks you: All the questions about it and where you’re going to use it.
“Where are you going to spend me?”
Spend it where you want it to, spend it on what’s needed.
Spend it on what’s important for you. What’s really, really important.
Not just for this moment.
Or, you can choose to not spend it.
It’s all up to you.
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