Our relationship with money is a powerful narrative that is woven through the fabric of everything we do. The stories we tell ourselves about money are deeply etched, often inherited from previous generations, and can shape our beliefs and behaviors in profound ways. These narratives can either be empowering to take control of our financial future, or disempowering, trapping people in cycles of poverty and lasting financial hardship.
Breaking Through the Screens
Every story around money is seen through the lens of a screen. While neither inherently good nor bad, screens filter our perception of reality and the stories we tell. These screens, like worldviews, are formed over time by what you see, hear, read or experience. They are intrinsically personal, and the world through which we see these screens becomes reality.
These terministic screens are created in language and breaking through a negative screen requires deep introspection and a willingness to confront the uncomfortable truths about our relationship to money. This process involves recognizing the disempowering stories we tell ourselves and replacing them with empowering ones. While screens are often created unintentionally, you can be empowered to choose the screens through which you view the world in order to take action and live an extraordinary life.
You Are Either a Victim to or Responsible for Your Life
Our relationship with money can either be one of victimhood or responsibility. Victimhood is one of the most disempowering and destructive screens through which you can see the world. It offers an excuse to not try and a reason to come up short. It may feel good in the moment to live inside self-pity, but there is no upward movement available within this screen. With the right tools and training, you can become self-aware of when you begin to walk down the path of defeatism and turn the narrative around.
Taking responsibility means acknowledging the role we play in our outcomes and making conscious choices to improve not only our livelihood, but the value we add to the world. Everyone has struggles to overcome. No one goes through life without hardship or heartbreak. If you can learn to embrace whatever trial or setback you have been through and turn it into something that can provide value to others, you have learned to fully embrace responsibility and create a life on purpose.
Empowering Money Stories vs. Disempowering Money Stories
For most people, meaningful discussions about money are rare. Beginning at an early age, children are taught that money is a taboo subject and that it is improper to discuss in most social circles, even among family. This sets the stage for most people’s money story and their relationship to money that will continue into adulthood. Because of this, when financial matters need to be discussed, it is a conversation that can often lead to stress, anxiety, frustration and even shame. Unable to have these conversations at home, many young adults turn to social media or news outlets for financial advice, which can produce a myriad of conflicting and confusing information, further complicating their money story.
An empowering money story can motivate you to take actions that can improve your life, while a disempowering one can blind you towhat is possible. Disempowering money stories can leave people stuck in a world marred with hopelessness and despair. Ideas such as “money is evil” can create guilt and shame around acquiring or desiring money. Entitlement toward money often shows up as lack of motivation or work ethic. A mindset of victimhood fosters hopelessness and halts behavior that can incite change. In contrast, empowering money stories encourage us to take responsibility for our financial situations and see money as a tool for achieving our dreams.
Rewriting Your Money Story
You will always search for the answers to the questions you ask, so asking the right questions is imperative to see what others miss. By asking the right questions, you can change the trajectory of your life, but in a similar way, the wrong questions can leave you trapped in a life of despair. Living inside of a victimhood mentality, and asking questions aligned with that mentality, will keep you there. But, asking questions such as “how can I create wealth and prosperity for myself and others” can create opportunity for innovation and change. If you want to change your relationship to money, you must first change your perspective or the screen in which you view something.
You can start by identifying your beliefs about money and then separate those beliefs into empowering and disempowering. Consider the price you have paid for the disempowering beliefs; the negative impact they have had on your life and your relationships or the ways they have held you back from being fulfilled. In the same light, consider the emotional gains they have provided like the satisfaction of being right. As a young entrepreneur, I lived inside the screen of not being able to manage people or have employees who cared about my company or vision for the future as much as I did. Within this screen I created a self-fulfilling prophecy. I was doomed for failure. Only when I changed my perspective and re-wrote the narrative was I able to live inside a new screen and future for my organization, one that created an environment where there was equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative.
Once you have identified your disempowering money stories, you can be empowered to create guardian beliefs. These beliefs directly combat your disempowering beliefs and leave you in action toward a life of freedom, fulfillment, and love. For example, asking “why me?” when something doesn’t go your way can leave you stuck inside a victim mindset. But changing that question to “why not me?” can leave you inspired to make an impactful change.
Rewriting your money story is a powerful step towards achieving the financial results you desire. By understanding and transforming the narratives that shape our beliefs and behaviors around money, we can break free from generational curses and create a more prosperous and fulfilling financial future. It requires introspection, intentionality, and commitment to act, but the reward is an opportunity to live an extraordinary life.
Disclosure
This content is based on the views, opinions, beliefs, or viewpoints of Matson Money, Inc. This content is not to be considered investment advice and is not to be relied upon as the basis for entering into any transaction or advisory relationship or making any investment decision.
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