money talks

📷 Sharon McCutcheon

We've all heard the phrase, "Money talks." I, for one, find it a little obnoxious as it immediately creates an image of a well-manicured man in a pinstripe suit dropping hundreds of dollars on frivolous luxuries and over-priced toys. Movies like Wall Street make my skin crawl - if only because we witness the implications of misdirected greed and ambition on a daily basis.

But putting all that aside, money does indeed talk. In fact, how we spend money speaks volumes about what's important to us; what we value. And, realizing this, is radically changing my relationship with money. I've never over-spent (in fact quite the opposite) but I've never felt comfortable earning and saving either. And, as a result, I've never invited prosperity into my life. Sure, my husband and I have always had more than enough, even while living in one of the most expensive places in the world. But I think it's because we've been afraid of failure. Afraid to be the guys from Salt Lake City, Utah who couldn't make it in the bad big apple. For many years, I rarely took risks which meant there was little chance of failure.

But I've found, over the last few months, my relationship with money has changed. I understand that spending money and more importantly earning money isn't inherently a bad thing. I should embrace my potential and steer towards prosperous opportunities. And I should do this with one thing in mind: what I value - love, family, loyalty, integrity, beauty and compassion - can and will be reflected in how I choose to spend (or don't spend) the money I earn.

What about you? What does your relationship with money say about you?