Money Savvy: Money Habits, Values and You

“Too many people spend money they earned..to buy things they don't want..to impress people that they don't like.” ~ Will Rogers

It's a true statement that you can learn a lot about yourself, not only from your relationships with people, but from your relationship with money also. Money talks, and it speaks pretty loudly to others... friends, business associates, financial obligations and family.


Your money behaviors, from how you spend it to how you choose to save it, were shaped by your past. It's often a reflection of the impact of growing up... rich, poor, middle class, or any class, had on you. It's also a reflection of your parents’ spending and saving behaviors and how they made you feel, as well. Ideas you have about what's important to you are your values.  Those values are your beliefs and they are influenced by things and by persons that have touched your life.  How you do things reflect those values. They should line up with every thing you do, on a daily basis.

The way some people spend money signals them as materialistic,  but their spending, in such a way, could be an indication of a longing for spiritual meaning and fulfillment... a place where values lie. While money can buy things, money can't buy you love, integrity, friendship or character. You can sometimes purchase a cheap imitation of these values but not the genuine ones. Line up your values with what you believe and use money to demonstrate and encourage what values are already there. Money can be used to show your love for someone or help a friend in need, but, if you really want to feel rich, just count the things you have that money can't buy.

Before you spend your money, you need to decide what's important to you.  What's important to you will help you establish your values, beliefs, priorities and goals, and will help you spend your money wisely. Your relationships will be affected by the value you place on money, so it’s worth spending a little time thinking about that. And remember, your values are influenced by your family, your church, school, community, culture, and friends.  Set your family values. If you haven't done this, then you may be surprised to learn that your spouse and children could very well have their own values.  Ask them to write down the things that are important to them and compare your lists. The goal is to improve your relationship with money and line your values up with your behavior, because a good reputation is more valuable than money. 

The Inner Path: Living Spiritually, Daily

"Everyone is on a spiritual path; most people just don't know it." ~ Marianne Williamson




Spirituality, for many people, is a simple yet sacred act of connecting with something greater than oneself. It's a deep sense of belonging to life and finding it meaningful on every level. It's coming into the right relationship with ourselves so that our inside matches our outside... our values and dreams show up in how we actually live our life. And when we're in the right relationship, we feel a sense of joy, peace, meaning, and being comfortable in our own skin. It feels like a type of homecoming (ever been away for a while and returned home, wow)... a kind of belonging. You get it, I know you do. So how do you put your spirituality into practice. 




Here are three quick relationship qualities embodied in a spiritual life that you can practice and directly apply to your life, daily and make a difference to your overall health and wellness.

Dare to... Kiss and Make up

The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. ~ Mahatma Gandhi 

 
For some people, saying “I’m sorry” are two of the most difficult words to utter. And while we all have disagreements and arguments from time-to-time, life is too short to hold grudges. Although arguments may seem monumental at the time, they're often trivial in the grand scheme of things.  So why not take the high road... be the first to apologize.... bury the hatchet and let bygones be bygones. Kiss and make up... even if it's just you!

Don't just sit there and let your pain hang on to your heart and eat away your joy. Forgiving is a way to heal YOUR own pain.  Holding a serious grudge can possibly:
  • cause stress, which has a toxic effect on your body
  • raise your blood pressure
  • put you at risk of a stroke and heart attack
  • trigger depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder, because of the guilt you carry.

The Inner Path: It's Never too Late to Start... Anything!

“For what it’s worth: it’s never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the courage to start all over again.”~ Eric Roth, 

Have you ever found yourself saying, "Oh no, I’m too old for that,  Not at this time of my life or That ship has sailed." It's a pity that we adopt this belief through our own perceptions of what others view as acceptable for us... that age is seen as something of a restriction. It's never too late to begin again. Every moment is an opportunity to start over. Make an attempt and gain some clarity about what it is you want from life. With age comes responsibility but it also brings with it new outlooks on life. It brings with it feelings of self-awareness and clarity that may not have been there in your earlier years.

How old would you think you are if you didn’t know and couldn’t see yourself in the mirror? Age is just a number.  What’s important is how you feel. Your dreams and desires can take many years to truly form into something that resembles your true path, and that could continue for the rest of your life, but if you let age get in your way, then you may just be allowing that process to end too early... which would be terrible.  So never become too old to dream and have the confidence to act on those dreams at any time along your journey.  The concept to live your life fully does not end when you reach a certain age. 

Actually, the human spirit is constantly in a time of growth and challenge, in whichever form this takes, at whatever age you are, so embrace that challenge, even if it is to learn how to do nothing, which is actually much harder than it sounds. If there isn't anything to aspire or look forward to in life, we end up feeling like we're going nowhere, and we stagnate.  When I  feel this way I start a new project, no matter how small or insignificant.

Don't let those limiting thoughts of age hold you back from living the truly fruitful life you deserve. Age, if anything, is on your side, because as you grow older, your goals and dreams should really, by virtue of your life experiences, be more attainable.  Many people don't realize that it takes time to learn how to own your life, nurture your goals, and realize your dreams, but fortunately you have time if you’re willing to seize it.
 
There is no need to go back and make a brand new start... you can start from now and make a brand new ending for yourself. Get rid of the life you've planned so you can have the life that is waiting for you. Your old skin has to be shed before the new one can come... don't hold on to your past, it's gone. If you’re determined to do something, it's never too late to start. Don’t let age stop you from going after your dreams. You are never too old and it's never too late, to set another goal or to dream a new dream or to start... anything.