Self Worth is More Than Net Worth

The most personal assets we own are our body and the fruit of our labor. This fruit typically takes the form of money and personal possessions. In our modern culture we measure if we are a valuable person by comparing what we earn and what we have to others. This comparison of self-worth is measured by earnings power, accumulated savings, and personal net worth. nn nIn order to live up to this societal appraisal, we tell ourselves elaborate stories about how we’re not good enough or we are really better than everyone. These inner stories reveal the true state of our self-worth. nn nIn their book Inner Security and Infinite Wealth: Merging Self Worth and Net Worth, Stuart Zimmermand and Jared Rosen suggest, setting aside these traditional and restrictive concepts of wealth in order to forge a sense of well-being beyond material success. This will ultimately lead to a more fulfilling relationship to money. Personal and financial security both spring from a source greater than material wealth. True security begins and ends with INNER SECURITY. nnnWhen you fully respect your value, your self-confidence automatically gets pumped up and you feel worthy to receive success. Money doesn’t make our dreams come true, remembering and believing we have value does! nnnSomeone recently gave me the 1992 edition of Your Money or Your Life - Transform Your Relationship With Money and Achieving Financial Independence by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin. The authors point out how we need a new financial road map that requires thinking in new ways. As I read, I was surprised and delighted by the relevancy this older material has to what Americans are dealing with right now. So many things are crashing down around us. Our outer lives are being dismantled. As we are being forced (and I mean forced) to change our ways, our inner financial lives will be inevitably transformed. nnnHave you lost your job, your retirement or your home? If you are attempting to move forward and sketch out a plan for the future you may find yourself staring in the mirror questioning everything. Why doesn’t my current value system work anymore? If I cannot go back, where do I go from here? nnnStart by writing down what success means to you. When do you feel most valued? Does it have anything to do with money? nnnMajor life shifts are a prime opportunity to consider how your self worth affects your bank account by: nn n• Evaluating your mindset of money management n• Noticing how your feelings determine the incoming & outgoing flow of money in your life n• Determining attitudes that guide your spending and investing choicesnn nYour Money or Your Life has a 9 step, hands on program that emphasizes “a whole systems" approach to life…the basics of making your spending (and hopefully your saving) of money into a clear mirror of your life values and purpose. It is about the most basic of freedoms-the freedom to think for yourself. (Isn’t this what America is all about?). The authors call this FI or financially independent thinking and it is for anyone who wants a clear, relaxed relationship with money. nnUntil you think independently and deliberately question your own inner road map you will: nn? spend more than you earn n? not like your job n? stay confused by money, leaving decisions to experts who will in turn feed on your ignorancennnI think these are very important points the authors are making. I have experienced being taken advantage of during a car deal and a home sale because of my lack of knowledge. My ignorance was someone else’s opportunity and I paid for it in a loss of self confidence and self trust. It took me awhile to piece together what happened. I have stopped beating myself up. I finally put aside my personal shame when I realized I am not the only one this has happened to especially in the last ten years. nnnRelationship with money encompasses more than just your earning, spending, debts and savings...it is reflected in the sense of satisfaction and fulfillment that you get from your connection to your family, your community and the planet. Through Financially Independent (FI) thinking and living you can attain a new sense of net worth and personal satisfaction in all areas of your life.n