Does your money carry energy?  How happy money can help you live a richer life.

When was the last time to took at look at your money and said thank you?  How does your money make you feel?  For most people, it’s not a conscious thought.  Money is there, we earn it and use it buy things, and that’s that. 

But what if we were to create more mindfulness around our money?  Our conscious thoughts about how we earn, spend, and save it could tell us a lot about our relationship with money and the impact it has on our life.

Let’s say you have just received a bonus at work.  No doubt that money will bring you joy and add a little pep to your step.  But let’s dig a little deeper.  How was that bonus money earned?  Was it the result of late nights, missed time with family and friends, high levels of stress?  Although on the surface that extra cash may be a blessing, it came to you as a cost to your happiness.  This, in turn, gives the money a vibe – or energy – that can impact your overall state of well being.  

Ken Honda, author of “Happy Money: the Japanese Art of Making Peace with your Money”, believes that your money can carry energy depending on how it was given or received.  He says, “If it is given out of guilt, anger, or sadness, the money will be ‘crying”.  In contrast, if it is given out of love, gratitude, or happiness, the money will be smiling – even laughing – because it will be imbued with the positive energy from the giver.”

Money is layered with emotion, and often, it’s negative.  There is jealousy for others who may appear to have more of it.  There’s stress when we see mounting debt that needs to be paid. We operate from a scarcity mindset and impose limiting beliefs on our own stories about our ability to enjoy it.  

This also applies to the energy attached to the money we release back into the world.  Just recently, I experienced my own emotions when I received an unexpected tax bill.  I was shocked and angry.  How could I have let this happen? But I quickly worked to shift my mindset.  My first thought was this was a setback, but I acknowledged that this tax bill was a gift and one that I should appreciate.  Why?  Because it provided me a learning opportunity about tax minimization strategies that I could then go forward to teach others in my business. And just like that, the energy of the money I owed, and would give, changed.

Being mindful of your money and allowing it to come and go with positive energy can deeply impact the relationship you have with it. Because money is so entwined with our daily lives, creating mindfulness around it will also shift the flow of energy in your life. Happy money means you will be more fulfilled, and ultimately find more richness in your life outside of material and monetary means.

The next time you find yourself with negative thought associated with money, pause and ask yourself:

1. Why do you feel this way? Acknowledge your emotions in the moment
2. How can you make the most of this situation? Is there a lesson or positive impact as a result?  
3. Appreciate what you have and show gratitude for the love and joy in your life.

I often work with clients to help them “flip the script” when it comes to their emotions with money. Of course, shifting energy and creating mindfulness is much easier said than done.  Everyone has the ability to implement conscious thought with their money, it’s a matter of choosing whether you want to or not. 

When you are working towards achieving financial goals, this shift in mindset can lead to a more engaged and positive experience.  New behaviours take time, and being mindful of your thought pattern can positively influence the outcomes you are seeking to achieve. 

Being mindful about money is a daily practice within in my own life, and it’s a skill that I will continue to master because I do believe that when you have happy money, you have a happy life. 

 

Stephanie Wolfe is a certified money coach and financial educator who lives in Toronto and practices mindfulness with her money everyday.