Let’s Talk About Money

Do you still remember what you were doing on Monday 20th July 2020? Chances are you don’t, unless a significant personal event took place on that day, or unless you are Jeff Bezos. Because the Amazon CEO and founder made a total of $13 billion just on that one day.

As solopreneurs, we are not likely to ever see this amount in our bank accounts (and if that was your intention, then I’d suggest the solopreneurial journey is probably not the best way to get there!)

I’m quite well-connected in the world of coaching and self-improvement, and I can tell you (as if you haven’t already noticed…) that there are quite a few ‘wealth coaches’ out there. They will speak to you about terms such as the law of attraction, abundance mindset, a millionaire or ‘wealth’ mindset etc. They will tell you all about the habits of billionaires, the dos and don’ts of successful people, the 5am club etc. 

Modern coaching is obsessed with wealth acquisition and riches. Of course there is nothing wrong with wanting to live a comfortable lifestyle, and having money in your account (or invested in property and bitcoin) is a sure way to get you a ticket to that lifestyle. 

But money is nothing more than an exchange of energy, so the important question to ask yourself is ‘what do I want or need this wealth for?’ Is it to have the freedom to do what you want, to live wherever you want, and work the hours you want (or just retire)? Do you want to give something back to family and friends, and maybe to the local community where you grew up? Do you wish to invest into innovation and technology for the sake of humanity? Or do you just want to enjoy a hedonistic lifestyle, without the stress of work or accountability to others?

Whatever the answer, it’s likely to be driven by your values. They determine not just what you do, but most importantly why you do the things you do. You may be driven towards freedom or towards connection; or driven away from poverty or pain. In each of these scenarios you are likely to have a different (and sometimes complicated) relationship with money.

Studies agree that money makes you happy inasmuch it removes actual (not just perceived!) poverty from your life and adds a sense of security instead, so that you can concentrate on the things you want, rather than the things you must do to survive.

But sometimes, people still act as if they are constantly moving away from the idea of poverty, even if actual poverty is no longer part of their lives. At other times, they might be involved in an imaginary war trying to outsmart others and getting obsessed with constantly ‘winning’. Such attitudes, will make their relationship with money tense and complicated.

Wealth is far from the sole determining factor of happiness and joy. Knowing why you want to acquire it, will help you understand what drives you as a person and will direct the energy of money towards your deepest values, giving you a sense of accomplishment and purpose.      

Wishing you a week full of abundance,
Kostas

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