Where’d We Get the Money Guilt?

Every Friday morning I take 4 of my kids out to breakfast at a local coffee shop. We sit there eating oatmeal, egg sandwiches and the occasional chocolate covered biscotti.

We’re quite a sight.

The latte art (pictured on the right) they do there is particularly cool.

Last week, I was sitting beside two women and I listened to their conversation…

The one woman was talking about her son and how much of a business person he was.

She told the story of how he, when given a few hundred dollars to help someone move some stuff, went out and hired a few kids at a few bucks an hour to do the work instead.

The kid pocketed the difference and made out pretty nicely.

You could tell that half of her was proud, and half of her was a bit embarrassed about her son’s behavior.

The mother of the kid said something like, “I’d feel guilty just taking the money like that…”

The woman she was sitting with said something like, “Well I would at least have helped do some of the work.”

Two different stories about money right there. The stories are completely made up, but they’re totally true for the women that own them.

The whole exchange really jumped out at me.

Because the thing is, I’ve been thinking that way for YEARS.

I’m not worthy…

I don’t deserve it…

I deserve “enough” but not “too much…”

I shouldn’t shine too much because it might make someone feel small.

In the end, I realized that all of it is just a story. Everyone has their own. And we believe them.

Stories are great I guess, except when they hold you back.

So where’d we get the money guilt?

Where’d we get the feeling that we shouldn’t have it all?

Are we born with it?

Did we inherit it from other people who believed it?

You can’t have your cake and eat it too, right?

What a load of BS.

So I ask myself why I’m haven’t created the wealth I want yet?

On some level, it’s clear that I don’t think I deserve it.

I certainly have the skills to create it…

I certainly have plenty of opportunities to apply those skills…

And yet, it’s not here… not yet.

More and more, I am starting to realize it’s less about doing the things to get the money and more about not doing the things that keep it from flowing to me.

The “things” will do themselves once the barriers and blocks are gone.

So is it right to want money?

Is it wrong?

Is it greedy?

The answer is obviously whatever you think it is.

What’s YOUR answer?

Related posts:

1. You Don’t Deserve the Money
2. I Picked Up My Phone and Money Came Out
3. Failure is NOT an Option
4. This is Not an Affiliate Link (Click Here)
5. You Cold, Callous Mr. Business Man. Good Job!