Welcome back everybody! I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving, eating a little too much, and spending time with those we care about. Family of origin, chosen family, or both.
It’s funny, we can’t choose our families. But we do choose our Chapters! And I don’t have to tell you how special Elevate is. I mean, let’s face it — a million dollars per month in passed business — we’re awesome!
And speaking of that new milestone… it is absolutely true that we members grow to care about each other. We not only learn about each others’ businesses, but also our interests, our families, our lives.
And yet, the thing that has us consistently get up in the dark on Wed mornings is to leverage our networking into business. And business is a conduit for a number of things, but we all know that the bottom line is our bottom line… MONEY.
So how’s it going? How’s money going for you? Got too little? Too much? As my late Grandpa Henry liked to say, “Rich or poor, it’s good to have money.”
This morning I invite us all to take a look at our relationships to money. We all have a story. Other than the obvious of course, what does money signify for you? Typically it comes down to one of three things: Power, Safety, Wholeness.
When I say Power, I mean the ability to do and have things. Safety is about security, and protection from harm. And Wholeness is a bit of both of the first two, but it also includes self esteem and the feeling or experience of being enough. “I have, so I am.” “I don’t have, so I’m not.”
Take a look, what do you know about yourself? Keep in mind that we all have a money story, and in every case it shapes how we relate to it. Some people are savers, some are spenders, some pursue it like our lives depend on it, and some avoid it like it’s going out of style. Perhaps that last category doesn’t apply in this room. But there is such a thing as “under earners.”
So what’s YOUR money story? How do you relate to it? Because that story affects the actions you take (or don’t) on a daily basis.
Remember, ultimately money is just counting. Money in, minus money out, equals money left. Period, the end.
Everything else is something we add to it. So if you want more, go make more. And if you think you don’t have enough, maybe you’re right and maybe you’re not. A good start is to simply take a look at your relationship to it, and to then get responsible for the role you have it play.
And like anything, a little bit of pressure can be motivation… fuel to keep the fire lit. But if we’re not careful, too much can either hinder our performance, or have us consumed and missing out on the other important aspects of our lives.
So take a look and get clear about your money story. Once we’re clear about that, we can create anything!
