Lessons in the Goat: Day 2. March 20 Earth 🜃: The Body and the Mundane
Money Matters.
Financial health is not an inborn trait. We must learn how to create and hold ourselves to a financially healthy lifestyle, and importantly choose partners who hold similar values. Some of these habits are gleaned from the habits of our parents. I was privileged to have many people, family members and school teachers, nudging me to curb my spending, establish a realistic budget, to set income goals, and to be as debt-free as possible. Even then, I had to mature into it. I had to practice the un-American thing when I had materialistic desires: Patience.
Some family systems will discourage talking about money, discourage transparency, and instead promote overspending, inflated pride, miserly fears, avoidance, workaholism, desperate risks, and suspicion of others in need.
Related Expertise
“Financial health encompasses a lot, but the money habits you can start now to boost your financial security, lower stress and build wealth often come down to budgeting, saving, and being cautious about borrowing” (Waugh, 2023).
Inspired Action
Talk to someone you trust or admire or seek reputable professionals about your money management and values.
We can be open to learning how to manage even a small income in a big world of need. We can teach our children how to think about money and how to make it right-sized in relation to our focus and energy. Money can be a private matter, but it should not be a secretive one, where we might protect an illusion of security, or only hope we are not going to lose it.