There is a lot of talk about budgeting, financial management, and things we should do to be “good, responsible” people with our money.
Unfortunately, there is a lot of shame built into conversations about money and we know that shame shuts down, it doesn’t motivate.
We can’t learn in shame. We can’t heal in shame. We can’t care for ourselves and our futures in shame.
Shame does not create wellness around anything, especially money.
Wellness is holistic.
Wellness is balance.
Wellness if fluid.
Wellness is responsive.
Financial Wellness is aligned.
Financial Wellness is holistic. This means that we look at the whole picture (practical, emotional, and systemic) of a person’s financial life and we consider many factors when identifying financial goals and creating financial behaviors.
Financial Wellness is balance. We consider a variety of needs and values when it comes to money management to develop goals and behaviors that are responsive to individual needs and values.
Financial Wellness is fluid. We need to be in relationship with our money in a way that we can shift and change with the events of life. Goals and strategies that do not incorporate unexpected events and expenses or changes in circumstances and values don’t work over time.
Financial Wellness is responsive. We can live with our money so that it works for us rather than us working for it. We can live with our money in this way no matter our circumstances. It is not about wealth, but health when it comes to effective money management.
Financial Wellness is aligned. When we are clear about our true values, we can shift from fear-based behaviors to empowered behaviors that are aligned with our values.
When we stop thinking about money in shame-based ways, we become free to create a relationship with our money that is focused on achieving Financial Wellness.
Financial Wellness Tip:
Do you have a shame-based inner dialogue about money? What if you shifted your language from “financial responsibility” to “financial wellness?” What happens in your body when you adopt wellness language? What about “aligned,” “fluid,” or “responsive?” How do these words land in your being? Do any of them create more space?
Whatever word feels best, write down what “financial ____________” means to you. Are you surprised by what you wrote?