I can’t get my head around why we women are too afraid to say “I want to be wealthy, rich and financially free. I want to be able to go shopping or travelling, and be free to start projects I love without having a panic attack about my bank balance.“
Why are so many women reluctant to talk openly about the role money plays in their lives? Do we think in some strange way our position as a mother, woman, and wife will be tainted if we utter the word MONEY, MONEY, MONEY? Is it true that men and women have a different relationship with money, or is it just a myth that society has given and we have chosen to hide behind it?
Or maybe we just don’t say it because we don’t like the responsibility we must take to obtain it?
I want to shout out loud: “I want that beautiful house, a closet full of gorgeous clothes and stunning shoes, a great family holiday – I want the lot!“
How does that sound? Am I any less than I was yesterday?
I bet you Alan across the road is not feeling guilty for buying his Aston Martin.
That does make me smile.
I am sure that many of us think that rich people are all greedy, and that most of them had probably sold their souls to the devil in order to attain lots of cash.
That’s a load of horse manure, by the way. Whatever the point of view, not understanding the purpose of money will simply restrict our own growth.
For so many years I used to think that the idea of ‘wanting more money‘ seemed unrealistic, so I softened my words and just said I need enough money to be comfortable and that would be ok. Ha! And guess what? I got just that, and then spent the next month feeling anxious before the next pay check arrived.
I’ve now realised money creates freedom, freedom to do what I want. It frees up my creative juices to start projects where I can achieve and feel useful to the society. It’s tough to hire a baby sitter to free up my time if I don’t have any cash!
I feel we, girls, need to embrace the truth about life and honour all of our desires, and money clearly is one of them.
Here are a few ideas that I’ve found useful when befriending with money.
1) Take an inventory of your life. Look at the areas you would like to improve. You may not like it but you need to take control of the financial situation in order to make things happen. And don’t rely on your spouse on this aspect!
2) Set your goals and create a plan of action. This will give you a focus and an understanding how to go forward.
3) Educate yourself about money. Read small parts of the financial pages about investments that may be of interest to you, properties ect. It may seem strange at first having a small insight on how money grows but it strengthens your awareness.
4) Find a couple of mentors, individuals you have watched grow and create their wealth. Or if such individuals are hard to find in person, you can read memoirs or follow successful bloggers.
5) Create a mission statement. Write it down and read it out loud once or twice day. You have to believe in what you are about in order to create a financial flow.
Also check out the book recommendations from the DrivenWoman reading list.
Having financial freedom gives you the ability to maintain a comfortable lifestyle while saving for the future and staying out of debt. Achieving it requires careful planning. The reward is stability and peace of mind, and the ability to take a break and have fun when you want and eventually enjoy a comfortable retirement.
Please share your experiences with money in the comments.
~ Jennifer
In August DrivenWoman will talking about money. Join our Wealthy Woman Workshop on 4th of September in London or stay tuned to this blog for more money & good life -insights.
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