Are You Feeling Hijacked By Money Stress?
Are Feeling Hijacked By Money Stress?
You are not alone.
Across the board money continues to pop up as one of the biggest contenders in the life ring of stress and anxiety. More often, it’s usually around the lack of it than it is too much of it; however anxiety disorders have appeared in the presence of financial abundance particularly when the attachment to it spills over into the identity of the person. It has been said of money that it is the root of all evil. Perhaps the truth behind this statement lies in the experience of attachment and identity, which surrounds our interaction with money.
An attachment is an emotional state of clinging due to the belief that without some thing, person or circumstance one cannot be happy. It is a vicious cycle, which creates unwanted fear and anxiety. As soon as one gets that which one desires, the fear of losing it quickly slithers into the mental radar often wreaking havoc on any chance at a good nights rest.
When we give power to anything outside of our internal knowing that we are capable of handling anything life throws our way, we render ourselves extremely vulnerable to rising and falling depending upon our outside circumstance, including the presence or absence of money. Studies continue to reveal that happiness, lack of stress, occurs when one is able to maintain an inner confidence in one’s ability to find solutions to life’s perceived challenges.
Some of the most incredible examples of happiness can be found in cultures who have very little money and monetary worries as the art of simplicity and focusing on the essentials seem to occupy the culture. On a trip to Honduras a family of 6 shared a small shack, the size of my bedroom, the laughter and love which poured out of that home was more than I had observed in a long time. Perhaps it is worth our attention to explore the statement: less is more.
The pursuit for material gain and its connection to our sense of worth and value has created behavior, which fuels the stress associated with money: greed; envy; lack of self-control. All three of these attributes are likened to a spoiled child: the more you give into its demands, the more it wants.
Greed. When is enough, enough? Not enoughness. The more you feed it the more it wants. It overrides the moral compass again and again in its ruthless pursuit for momentary hits of satisfaction due to personal gain, often times at the expense of others.
Greed has many different shadows often working under the radar of the moral compass and often involves the element of money: greed for attention; approval; affection; fame; position; popularity.
Envy. Wishing that you had what someone else has. Envy too shows up in disguise: gossip, judgment and ugly talk; feelings of embarrassment; thoughts of lack, less than, negative self talk fueled by feelings of unworthiness and lack of value; buying things against your better judgment to keep up with those around you; fits of jealousy and anger, due to the fear that someone will take what you feel is rightfully yours: promotion; relationship; fame.
Now we come to an attribute, which when practiced holds the key to your freedom. The lack of self-control as mentioned fuels stress and anxiety around money.
Self-control is the ability to delay gratification. Self-control is impulse control, which is often seen fleeing the scene of an over spending frenzy. It approximately 30 days to anchor a new behavior into the neurology of your brain. Current theory suggests anchoring the new desired behavior to a habit you already have. For example, let’s say you are in the habit of walking or driving down a particular road that you encounter people who are homeless. You want to expand generosity in your life. On the weekend put together a few bags with an apple, granola bar, water, socks and a card that says:I see you and you matter.
Generosity produces endorphins which reduce the stress hormone. Our greatest experience of joy is in the measure through which we give of our talent, treasure and time to those in need.
Can you imagine how much money you could save, give and spend from an intelligent space by simply expanding your ability to control your money impulses fueled by greed; envy and not enoughness? The cool thing about the attribute of self-control is that the more you practice it, the easier it becomes.
So next time you feel the urge to spend over your higher intelligence which knows you are already living in debt, pause, take a deep breath and ask yourself: what do I need to remember in order to make a healthy choice in this situation? Perhaps it’s that you are enough just as you are with or without this particular item or experience.
Being a good steward of financial gain in life requires a balance between giving, spending and saving all of which require the attribute of self-control for the greater good of all concerned. One of the strongest responses to stress and overwhelm occurs when we start to look for ways to be a blessing to people around us. The biggest blessings to others are free of charge: time, attention, encouragement and support.
Explore the 30 Day Journey:The Art of Stress Free Living CLICK HERE
