Dear Money Adventurer,
We live in a busy world. Between building our careers, nurturing our families, and taking care of the day-to-day, we’re so preoccupied with what needs to be done that we miss out on being present in the moment. Physically we’re here, of course, but our minds are worlds away, leaping ahead to the next task on our To Do list.
It happens in our daily lives, in our work, and even in our relationship with money.
It can be especially challenging to bring ourselves to be present in the moment when a difficult or painful chapter is unfolding in our lives. When we are overwhelmed by external events and all the thoughts and emotions coming up for us, sitting with them might feel unbearable or even impossible.
We’ve become so accustomed to running around doing all the things that even when we try to bring more awareness to the moment, our brains and bodies rebel, running back to busyness as an unconscious habit or a coping mechanism.
We have been taught to find value and solace in doing the practical, external work–and yes, we need to choose a bookkeeping system, establish our support team, and learn how to work with our numbers.
But it is in the internal work of learning to be present and aware that we uncover our values and find healing, even in the midst of discomfort. Here, we give meaning and direction to the journey as it unfolds.
So, whether you are new to this journey or a seasoned traveler on this gentle path, in these moments of presence, you are uncovering new depths to your money emotions, and your money story, and unraveling beliefs that no longer serve you.
This work is brave and beautiful, and it is constantly unfolding. There is no finish line, no first place, no last place, no disqualifier.
If you are struggling to sit with your money emotions…
If you’re having a hard time hearing what your body has to say about money…
If you’re trying to be more mindful about your money decisions, but sometimes you feel overwhelmed, and sometimes you just go blank…
If you thought you were making progress, but then you and your sweetie had an argument about the credit card bill again…
That’s okay. It happens to all of us. This, too, is part of the journey.
Even after getting a Master’s Degree in Somatic Therapy, even after twenty years of teaching and developing the Art of Money, decades of practicing mindfulness, of bringing intention and presence to my own relationship with money, there are still moments when I struggle to be present.
The truth is, sometimes even our most present selves are scrambling to cope, as I did years ago, when Forest and I had an impromptu money date at a car dealership to help ground me in my body and our choice to buy a new car in intention. Or, more recently, when we were working through the estate planning process, and it took everything I had not to get up and run screaming from the room.
Sometimes presence is a gentle, intentional awareness, and sometimes it is feeling the desire to flee from difficult money emotions, but choosing to stay. To take a deep breath. To do a Body Check-in. To try again.
Learning how to balance the practical steps and the internal, intimately personal work is part of the journey.
Learning how to be present with our thoughts and emotions is part of the journey.
Learning what we need to feel safe and empowered in our presence is part of the journey.
There will be moments when you stumble and moments when you soar, but your money journey is not a race, and there is no finish line.
So please, take a deep breath and give yourself permission to slow down, to honor your own pace and challenges, to celebrate your successes, and to practice being present with them all.
With all my love and dearest wishes,
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