|
A Coach For 'Team You' Stand Up for Your Life: An Interview with Cheryl Richardson The New Times, by Susan Chiat
Case Study on the Return on Investment of Executive Coaching YOUR HEALTHY MONEY RELATIONSHIP By Laura L. Bain, Professional Coach Every one of us has a relationship with money. You may not be consciously aware of this relationship, but it is just as real and personal as your relationship with a brother, sister, or spouse. Just like the relationship with a family member, your personal money relationship may be healthy and nurturing or it may be dysfunctional and negative. You may have a relationship which is holistic and based on spiritual principles or you may have a relationship which is addictive and abusive. For most of us, our money relationship is a mixture of these and somewhere in-between. Can you relate to the person who hates to pick up their checkbook and bank statement and reconcile the account? How about the stack of bills or paperwork that collects until it is spilling over because no one wants to face it? Do you feel trapped by your job but cannot quit and follow your “dream” because of the money? These are pretty common behaviors which come from fear issues in our relationship with money. Some of us were taught that it was virtuous to save all our money and we pride ourselves on not spending. At the other extreme, we can addictively spend money beyond our means causing serious debt. Our credit card society actively encourages that. Actually, both of these behaviors can be a reflection of the same issue, a compulsive and codependent relationship with money. Any time money is a controlling factor in our behaviors, we are out of balance. We can examine our behaviors with money from the perspective of relationship issues. Is this a dysfunctional relationship? Is there abuse in this relationship or do we play the role of the victim? Do we wish to stay in this relationship or change it? We can learn what it means to have a healthy relationship and to be able to set realistic goals and meet them. This means having healthy boundaries, honest communication, and developing a relationship which enhances our self-esteem. What is the basis of our relationship with money? We create in our world that which we hold in our consciousness. Our relationship with money reflects our core belief system. If we believe that we are “not enough” or if we believe there is not enough in this world for all, our relationship with money will directly reflect this. We will act out the limiting belief system. For instance, if you believe you are “not enough” you may try to continually fill this hole with money and material possessions - a bigger house or a higher salary. If you believe there is not enough for all of us in this universe, then you may be in constant competition with others, or be unwilling to give and to share. If we believe in a world of suffering or in a punishing God, then that too will be played out in our relationship with money. It is important to look at our belief systems and our own consciousness when we want to understand and grow in our relationships. We have learned that emotions of themselves are neither good nor bad. It is how we handle them and express them which affects us. The same is true for money. Money is neither good nor bad. It is simply a tool, a form of barter which our social systems developed. Money is also a form of energy. It is how we react to money and use it that has value. We have all heard the saying, “Money is the root of all evil”. This has been distorted from that biblical saying “The love of money is the root of all evil”. We have also been taught that money is opposite to spirituality. Unfortunately, this has been plugged into our consciousness. It is no accident that we pay our teachers and our ministers less than our entertainers. What happens then, when we try to create a life as a good and spiritual person and in our consciousness we hold the belief system that money is bad? Right, we will be unable to create money in our life, or at the very least we will have a very uncomfortable relationship with money. When we are able to change our consciousness and to “transcend” money, to see it as a tool, to live so that it has no control over us, then our relationship with money becomes part of our growth and our spiritual life. Using effective prosperity principles we can learn to manifest the money we need for our highest good. These include setting goals, using visualization and positive affirmation to support these goals, and changing our consciousness. The problem with many prosperity teachings is that they do not first look at the core beliefs we carry inside. Many also teach money as a goal in itself. When we do that, money is still controlling our behavior. Our optimal goal is to live in a manner in which money is simply one means we use on our path to an enlightened, healthy existence. I believe in the universal law that as you give, so you receive. All our needs will be provided for in a universe which supports our growth. As we continue to consciously work at it, our relationships with money benefit. Our relationship with money and our businesses can be healthy, enlightened, and spiritual. This is also true for you. Together we are all a success! Copyright © 1997 Laura L. Bain. All rights reserved. You may copy or distribute this article or any of its contents providing this copyright notice and full information about contacting the author are attached. |
"|
home ∞ coaching ∞ consulting ∞ mediation ∞ training ∞ about ∞ resources ∞ site map |
||
| Solutions
Coaching & Consulting Laura Bain 2621 Monmouth Ave. Anchorage, Ak 99502 |
phone 907-243-3324 |
© Laura Bain, 2003 |
