Among the most common themes that I find come up for leaders is their beliefs around money.
Today sharing a twitter thread from a man who I first talked to about this topic when we met on snowshoes on a mountain in the Alps. Tom Nixon is a wise man in many ways, his work and study of the topic of money of high value to follow. Tom works to support founders and their organisations. I find that the founders of early-stage growth companies can be significantly impacted by money beliefs, so working with Tom is really supportive for leaders of such early-stage businesses.
I’ve “unrolled” the thread beyond the “more” link for you to read in full. It is full of nuggets of wisdom. For now, this is worth musing on:
Money has no fundamental nature, good or bad. It has no will to do good or bad. It is neutral. Money works like a mirror. It reflects parts of yourself that you want, and parts of yourself you try to suppress.
An 18-Tweet mega-thread! How to be secure, free and fuelled… with AND without money. Contains NO get-rich-quick (or get rich at all) schemes.??
1/ When you think about money, what is it to you?
Something you seek? Security, freedom, success, fuel, energy… Or something negative? Dirty, evil, unfair, boring, a barrier… Or perhaps a combination of good and bad things?
2/ Peter Koenig spent 30 years researching the nature of money and how humans relate to it. The truth is not what you think. Here’s what he discovered, and how it can transform your life.
3/ Money has no fundamental nature, good or bad.
Money has no will to do good or bad.
Money is neutral.
4/ Money works like a mirror. It reflects parts of yourself that you want, and parts of yourself you try to suppress. Think money is security & fuel? It’s reflecting your wish to be secure and fuelled. Think money is dirty & boring? You’re denying the dirty, boring part of YOU.
5/ Psychologists call this “projection”. That’s how money works. Without projection, money is just metal, paper and computer bits. You may think money has potent qualities and powers, but really these qualities and powers are parts of you.
6/ Your money stories feel true to you, but they are just stories. Like many of your other beliefs, they come from your upbringing. Think through your past and recall the moments where money showed for better or worse. This is where your money stories became real for you.
7/ Here’s what happens when you project positive qualities onto money: You pursue money to give you security, freedom, fuel and more. But it’s a trap. True security and freedom never arrive. You’ll keep chasing money yet never feel truly fulfilled.
8/ At times when money isn’t flowing well, you’ll feel disempowered. This is why even millionaires still want more money. As crazy as it sounds, money does not give anyone any real power. The power is only perceived through our stories.
9/ When you project negative qualities onto money, like dirty, evil, boring, you’ll subconsciously push money away. Then find you don’t have it when you need it. If you have BOTH positive and negative money stories you’ll attract money then wash it away in an endless spin cycle.
10/ So what’s your money type? Chasing; pushing away; or washing machine? Whatever it is, let me share some good news: You can be secure, free, fuelled, successful and enabled, RIGHT NOW, both with AND without money. Yes, really.
11/ Because the powers you assume come from money are within you already. They’re not from the external world. So repeat after me: “I am secure, with and without money”; “I am free, with and without money”; “I am fuelled, with and without money.” Get the idea?
12/ Don’t believe it? These might be the most useful lies you can tell yourself. Now, of course, we live in a system that runs on money stories. A system that victimises many people. Yet it’s a choice to adopt the identity of a victim.
13/ There is far more within your control than you might realise. You can change your stories and change your life. As more of us change our stories, together we can change the system.
14/ It pays to also reclaim any negative projections onto money that you have. Repeat after me: “I am dirty and it’s OK”; “I am boring and it’s good”; “I am the root of all evil and I fucking love it!” Even if these feel like lies, plant some seeds in your mind.
15/ Learning to love the parts of yourself you want to reject is a path to wholeness, and it stops these parts of yourself erupting unexpectedly. AND you can step off the treadmill of the industrialised world. Reject the industrial story that says “You have to earn your living.”
16/ The industrial story says you must work, to earn money, to secure your existence. It’s a lie! You exist because you were born and you haven’t died yet. Humans are the only species on earth that think they have to earn their living. Hilarious, huh?
17/ You have every right to exist without earning it. Instead, you can live a creative life. A life of having ideas and working hard to realise them. You can meet your needs in life directly by living a creative life. You can and attract the help and money you need.
18/ Fulfilment is available to you the moment you change your story. Start today. You may or may not amass great riches but you’ll lead a rich life. And die feeling like it was all worth it. Who’s in? ? THREAD ENDS ?