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Unravel your attitude about money.
By Jan Bowen
Last updated on Apr 09, 2024
If you've avoided the topic of money in your life, there are compelling reasons to change your approach. Money is a reflection of ourselves on both a superficial and deep level. It expresses who we are through our appearance and reveals our thoughts, behaviors, and choices.
Here are 6 fascinating things your spending habits reveal about your life:
1. How you spend money uncovers life lessons and patterns.
Patterns are revealed over time. Once you separate and consider the similarities between your patterns and idiosyncrasies, you will begin to understand why you make repetitive choices. Those repeating themes can help you learn how to move forward by identifying the underlying lessons.
2. Your spending habits clarify your values.
Money is a representation of valuation. Your core values represent what you consider your most important life principles. Deepest of all is how you value yourself — what you will spend money on and how to further yourself and your objectives.
3. Your relationship with money can help you understand and release self-limiting beliefs.
When you examine how you self-sabotage, you can uncover your underlying fears. You can see how your attitude, beliefs, and emotions contribute to your behaviors towards money — and how you might be holding yourself back.
Once you understand and acknowledge those, you can clear resistance to prosperity — not being able to see your belief was the limit. From there, you can encourage new potential and foster growth.
4. How you save money holds you accountable for results and growth.
It would help if you acted on your conviction for lasting results. It isn't sufficient to simply understand where you're holding yourself back but not take action.
For example, if you want to go back to school for a second degree, set aside a portion of your extra monthly income in an allocated savings fund rather than spending it on restaurant meals and movies. Getting to your result requires you to be accountable for the actions that lead you there.
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5. The way you spend money reinforces your boundaries.
Money can be used to express your values and demonstrate deliberate choices. When you spend money this way, you are required to say "no" to other options that don't fit your value criteria. Inevitably, you will face situations where you'll need to set boundaries for yourself to achieve what you want.
6. Money is the ultimate tool for personal growth.
With money as a tool, we can express our preferences, live our purpose and mission, and enact our vision. It can help us connect with others, expand our world, and be an instrument for world change. The choice is ours to make.
Even when we think we are avoiding finances, the situations it creates or halts are reflective points from which we can learn truths about ourselves. It is, in fact, a powerful key to self-growth.
Money — or specifically, prosperity, wealth, and abundance — is a common barrier for many of us. And yet, money is a powerful tool waiting for us to infuse it with meaning. By itself, it isn't very sensible. Joined with intention, it has the potential to change the world.
How we feel and think about ourselves and our place in the world is reflected in how we handle our money and spending habits. For many people, it can be the last or the largest barrier to overcoming internal areas of resistance and self-growth.
Therefore, working through the mindset and the practical components of it can free us much more than we might anticipate when we examine our money issues. It is often a key element to fully aligning with a life of purpose.
Money answers don’t necessarily come easily or automatically, even when we are in alignment with our lives. By staying within our values and integrity, we can unravel our attitudes, uncover our resistance and blocks, and choose potent actions determined by our life purpose, mission, and vision.
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The full empowerment of self is deepened when we can completely accept — and honor — ourselves. That doesn't mean we always get everything right. It means when we don't, we can forgive ourselves, learn from our actions, and move on. It is a way we can honor the divinity within each of us.
As with any other key to self-development, the choice is ours. Growth doesn't happen without our willingness to examine situations, inquire within, and consider the knowledge that occurs.
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Jan L. Bowen is an author, coach, keynote speaker, thought leader, and facilitator with over 25 years of successful corporate leadership, specializing in helping individuals find their balance.
This article was originally published at JanLBowen.com. Reprinted with permission from the author.