What is your relationship with money? Does money constantly elude you?
Indeed, there are times when it feels like you just can’t get a proper hold of your finances no matter how hard you try.
One trick here is to think of money as a friend. That’s right! When you make friends with money, it becomes something that accompanies you in your journey through life. It stays by your side through thick and thin.
So how do you make friends with money? Here are some tips:
Get a Life Coach
One of the first things you have to do to make friends with money is to look at the messages you tell yourself about money. In this regard, getting the help of a life coach can make a huge difference. You may even want to consult with a spiritual life coach, who can guide you through various transitions in life. Spiritual life coaches can also help you learn how to release emotions so that you can make better use of your energy.
More importantly, life coaches can help you make realisations that can align your values with how you spend money. This way, your values can serve as guidelines on how you make financial decisions. Finally, life coaches help you shift your mentality from “I’m not good at handling money” to “I can be friends with money, and I can build a healthy relationship with it.”
Change the Way You Think About Money
There are plenty of unhealthy concepts surrounding money. There are sayings like “money is the root of all evil” and expressions like “filthy, stinking rich” that have stuck around for decades. If you view money as something bad or evil, then you will definitely have a hard time making friends with it.
What you have to remember is that not all rich people are inherently bad or greedy. Indeed, there are thousands of people all over the world who are kind AND rich and regularly donate to charities. Think about money as something more positive, something that can help you achieve a purpose and it will be easier to consider it as a friend.
Think About How Money Makes You Feel
How does money make you feel? Stressed? Worried? Do you feel like you could be making more money but still not maximizing your potential? Do you feel like you need to go on a buying spree right now? Are you a victim of the so-called FOMO or fear of missing out? Think about the messages you tell yourself when you think of money. Do you put yourself down when it comes to things like financial literacy and budgeting? Do you believe that you have bad luck with money?
Write all of these things down so that your thoughts are more concrete. Once you lay everything out clearly, you can more easily see where you can make changes in the way that you think. An important factor is to admit that you have the right to have money. More importantly, that money is a tool that can help you take care of yourself and that you CAN manage it with love and care.
Learn How to Savour Things
Sometimes we forget to appreciate what we have. It is easy to compare what we have compared to others with more than we have, and we become unsatisfied. To become friends with money, you first have to be appreciative of the things you have. Be grateful. It’s one of the best ways to exert more control over your finances (and life, in general).
At the same time, you should also learn how to savour things. You can indulge from time to time. Spoil yourself or a loved one and then enjoy it fully. Don’t feel guilty about spending money when the things or experiences that you’ve spent it on are aligned with your values.
Imagine What Great things you could with Money
Imagine money flowing in from different sources. Imagine yourself going on a long vacation. Imagine yourself in your dream home, content in the comfort of a secure future. It feels good, doesn’t it?
But don’t stop there. You should also imagine yourself contributing more to society. Imagine your money making the world a better place. Imagine your money helping others achieve their dreams. Indeed, being able to contribute good things to the world is one of the best reasons to have money. Think about the good things you can do with money, and you may find it easier to befriend money.
As they say, money makes the world go ‘round. It can make a lot of things happen for you. It can enhance not just your life but also the lives of many others. First, however, you need to make friends with money. Hopefully, these simple tips can help you get started on the friendship!
