Until listening to this audiobook ‘Rich As F*ck’, by self-made millionaire Amanda Frances, I never consciously examined my relationship with money.
Since listening, I’ve realised that my relationship with money ties into a few of my stories around worth, what I was taught growing up and other inherited values through my heritage as a Pacific Islander and a member of the Catholic Church.
It’s an interesting one to break down, because although I don’t believe I have fear when it comes to money, I also don’t treat it with respect and historically, I have not easily received it. Just as I don’t easily receive help in other forms, I have a long history of having just enough money, but never feeling truly abundant.
One of the exercises in the book asks you to examine the current beliefs you have around money and why you can’t have it. In my free journaling, this is what I came up with (in less than 10 minutes!):
Honestly, I could go on. Add to it my Polynesian heritage and my Catholic upbringing and overall, I have some pretty funky beliefs around money.
- You aren’t good enough to earn big money
- People don’t really want to hear what you have to say or pay you to hear what you have to share
- I’m not powerful enough yet to have money
- I need to have done ‘more work’ to earn more money
- There are already too many people in my space, and it is too hard to make money
- Wanting more than enough is greedy and selfish
- Wanting and purchasing things simply because I love them and desire them is not ok
- Wealthy people are often as*holes
- There is not enough money in the world to go around
- Wanting to have money and abundance is shallow and selfish
- The only way to make money is to work really hard
What this book helped me realise, is that although I have carried many of these beliefs my whole life, I don’t have to keep them. I also don’t need to see money as bad or evil. In fact, money is an amplifier and if I have more money, and with the purpose, I have around empowering women to live their best lives, it makes sense to think that with more money, I can have a greater impact, reach and help more women.
If what I’m sharing is making you feel uncomfortable or squirmish, there might be something in that for you to consider. As always, I like to encourage the people I am working with to be curious when things trigger them. Gently observe what it is about what’s been said and ponder why it might be that it’s bringing stuff up for you.
There is also a whole chapter dedicated to the lies and standards we are told as business owners. So for the biz owners in my group, it is definitely worth a listen for this section too.
As an exercise yourself, it might be interesting to do a quick journal on your current beliefs and relationship with money. Because it’s one of ‘those’ topics, sometimes we sail through life never consciously examining it. If you’re like me and you find the whole topic extremely uncomfortable, perhaps it’s time to lean in!
I’d love to hear what comes up for you!
Live, Love and Laugh,
Tash x
My goodness, what an eye opener. Like looking in a mirror. All kinds of squirmish and it was like you took the words out of my mouth.
Ah thanks Briony. I definitely have some blocks here, but the good news is that now we have the awareness, we can choose what we want to do about it! Awareness is the first step so we are on the journey!