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For some people money is coded as a deficiency need, i.e. it is something that motivates you when you don’t have enough.
When you have enough, you don’t think about it as much and it is no longer a motivator.
The effect that money has on your emotions depends on your attitude towards it.
If you are concerned that you have too little, you can become over-focused on scarcity and this can dominate your thoughts, feelings and actions.
Arguments over money put a strain on marriages and relationships can ruin friendships and excessive worry over money can cause psychosomatic illnesses.
Deep-seated beliefs can be obstacles to accumulating wealth. Do you believe that money is?
- Wrong
- Dirty
- Shameful
- Disgusting
- Scary
- Cursed
- Sinful
- Evil
Have you ever believed that money . . .
- Ruins relationships
- Changes people
- Causes more problems than it solves
- Breeds resentment
- Is a tool to hurt others
- Makes people leave you
- Makes you unlovable
- Turns people nasty
If you answer is Yes to any of the options above, ask yourself whether it is the money or the way that people used money that influenced you to reach this conclusion.
Beliefs are not all based on factual information. They are a distorted conclusion made in a very primitive way, either in childhood, or by being convinced by what others say or what cultures instil, or by drawing conclusions without analysis.
We can often test our beliefs, once we are aware of which beliefs we hold. Ask yourself whether what you believe is true.
Ask yourself to provide evidence to support this. Say it out loud. Ask other people’s opinion about whether they also think it is true (people who are different to you).
After different perspectives ask yourself again whether it is true. Be willing to hold a new reality What if money is good?
What if money is used to buy homes and food, cars, education and entertainment? What if that is good?
What if money is neither good, nor bad? What if it is to do with the people who use the money – whether they use it in productive ways to produce valuable goods and services, create opportunities for others? What if there was no money?
Would all the badness related to money go away? Would people still fight over wealth?
Still use objects and services to have power over others? Is it money itself that is bad, or how you decide to use it?
Unless you are not in a capitalist system, you have a duty to acquire money. However, if you improve your attitude towards money and change your beliefs about the availability of it, or your ownership of it, then money will become much less of an issue in your life.
The issue will in fact become more about the activities that you engage in to gain money as well as the quality of life that you have as a result of money.
Nyaradzo Mavindidze, a motivational speaker, is the Managing Consultant at Avodah Consultants, which specialises in soft skills training and coaching. For feedback email [email protected]
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