Money is a reflection of ourselves on both a superficial and deep level. It expresses who we are through our appearance and reveals our thoughts, behaviors, and choices on a daily basis. Even when we think we are avoiding finances, the situations it creates or halts are reflective points from which we can learn truths about ourselves. It is, in fact, a powerful key to self-growth. Money — or more specifically, prosperity, wealth, and abundance — is a common barrier for many of us. And yet, money is a powerful tool waiting for us to infuse it with meaning. By itself, it’s meaningless — like air, paper, and metal. Joined with intention, it has the potential to change the world. How we feel and think about ourselves and our place in the world is reflected through how we handle our money and our spending habits. For many people, it can be either the last or the largest barrier to overcoming internal areas of resistance and to self-growth. RELATED: 6 Signs Money Issues Are The Root Of Your Relationship Problems Therefore, working through the mindset and the practical components of it can free us much more than we might anticipate when we examine our money issues. It is often a key element to fully aligning with a life of purpose. Money answers don’t necessarily come easily or automatically even when we are in alignment with our life. By staying within our values and integrity, we can unravel our attitudes, uncover our resistance and blocks and choose potent action determined by our life purpose, mission, and vision.
When you learn how to budget and how to save money, the keys to self-growth reveal themselves:
1. How you spend money uncovers life lessons and patterns.
Patterns are revealed over time. Once you separate them and consider both the similarities between them and the idiosyncrasies, you begin to see and understand where you make repetitive choices. Those repeating themes can help you learn how to move forward by identifying the underlying lessons.
2. Your spending habits clarify your values.
Money is a representation of valuation. Your core values represent what you consider your most important life principles. Deepest of all is how you value yourself — what you will spend money on and how in order to further yourself and your objectives.
3. Your relationship with money can help you understand and release self-limiting beliefs.
When you examine how you self-sabotage, you can uncover your underlying fears. You can see how your attitude, beliefs, and emotions contribute to your behaviors towards money — and how you might be holding yourself back. Once you understand and acknowledge those, you can clear resistance to prosperity — not being able to see your belief was the limit. From there, you have the opportunity to encourage new potential and foster growth.
4. How you save money holds you accountable for results and growth.
You need to act on your conviction for lasting results. It isn’t sufficient to simply understand where you’re holding yourself back but not take action. For example, if you want to go back to school for a second degree, then you should be setting aside a portion of your extra monthly income in an allocated savings fund for it — rather than spending extra income on restaurant meals and movies. Getting to your end result requires you to be accountable for the actions that lead you there. RELATED: How To Talk About Money In A New Relationship (To Spare You Both A Lot Of Pain)
5. The way you spend money reinforces your personal boundaries.
Money can be used to express your values and demonstrate deliberate choices. When you apply it in that way, it requires you to say “no” to other options that don’t fit your value criteria. Inevitably, you will be faced with situations where you’ll need to set boundaries for yourself, in order to achieve what you say you want.
6. Money is the ultimate tool for personal growth.
With money as a tool, we have the ability to express our preferences and live our purpose, mission, and enact our vision. It can help us connect with others, expand our world, and be an instrument for world change. The choice is ours to make. The full empowerment of self is deepened when we have the ability to completely accept — and honor — ourselves. That doesn’t mean we always get everything right. It means that when we don’t, we have the ability to forgive ourselves, learn from our actions, and move on. It is a way we can honor the divinity that is within each of us. As with any other key to self-development, the choice is ours to make. Growth doesn’t happen without our willingness to examine situations, inquire within, and consider the knowledge that occurs. RELATED: 3 Reasons Why Married Couples Argue About Money (Even When They’re Happy) Jan L. Bowen is a passionately authentic thought leader and coach who helps clients align their lives to find more joy and greater connection through articulating and living their purpose. Having trouble figuring out your purpose? Get help on how to do that by taking Jan’s Purpose Quiz now! This article was originally published at JanLBowen.com. Reprinted with permission from the author.
