of faith.
An unexpected and wonderful opportunity occurred shortly after I left my career. An invitation arrived to attend a gala event, along with my former team, to receive a prestigious award for our work making a difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of children, youths, and their families. This award of excellence is given only to a select few, so I cherish it as the perfect ending to my public service career, knowing that I made an impact.
The Call
Life is like a beautiful mosaic in which all the intricate pieces of our experiences fit together to prepare us for the next step of our journey. No one experience is a waste, even if we regard it as minor or insignificant. My years of experience in senior leadership positions granted me firsthand experience of women’s empowerment and the importance of realizing financial independence and self-responsibility in regard to money.
When I began working with women as a life coach, I noticed that sooner or later, the conversation always turned to the topic of money. Money was a source of either worry or fear, or both. It seemed to be the key factor that people attributed either to a life well lived or to a life that was difficult and constrained. Somehow we started to equate having money with having permission to live fully and well.
As I began to work with women entrepreneurs, I realized that money is emotional currency for women and is innately connected to their sense of self-confidence and self-worth, and that these emotions are further heightened when these entrepreneurs are generating income in their businesses.
Personally, I believed I had harmonized my own relationship with money long ago. Yet when I became an entrepreneur, it took me back to my childhood and my feelings about money and past experiences that I had forgotten. I had to say, “Oh hello, old friend. You’re back.” This made me realize that there is always room for more personal growth and that this growth had to start with further healing and harmonizing my relationship with money. I resolved to work with top coaches and mentors, who assisted me in breaking through my mental and emotional blocks and resistance regarding money, helping me to move forward.
This work included releasing and changing my old money story, related to old habits of overspending, which had kept me stuck, frustrated, and disconnected from manifesting wealth in greater abundance. There was a misalignment between what I believed I deserved and what I truly believed was possible for me to manifest into reality. Once I started to believe that my ability to transform people’s lives and create a positive ripple effect was a direct reflection of the prosperity that could also come into my life, everything began to fall into place with greater flow and abundance.
Full Circle
Sensing a great need to help women transform their relationship with money, I began to focus my efforts on learning more about this captivating relationship, receiving certification and training specifically in the area of women and money, as well as creating tools and strategies to help women make breakthroughs from within. I founded my company and combined my twenty-year leadership experience, expertise, and training, as well as my lived experience, into expressing my life’s work. Today I am on a mission to empower women to rise and thrive as leaders, as entrepreneurs, and as professionals — living lives of purpose, wealth, and significance while being a force for good in the world. In many ways it feels as if I have come full circle. Am I entirely free of money-related anxieties? Certainly not. Nor are those with vast incomes. Here is an example: In the last season of her TV show, Oprah Winfrey interviewed J. K. Rowling, author of the bestselling Harry Potter series. She asked Rowling about her feelings regarding money, and her perception of herself now that she is known as the first billionaire author. Rowling noted that the great gift of money is freedom from anxiety, but given her past experiences as a single mother living on government benefits, she will never take it for granted and never completely stop worrying about it. Both Winfrey and Rowling came from humble beginnings, have attained enormous fame, and are self-made billionaires, yet they still think about the security of their wealth.
I believe that nurturing, strengthening, and being at peace with my relationship with money is a lifelong commitment. Some situations still trigger emotions for me; however, I have the mind-set, tools, and strategies in place to help me move forward with greater joy, grace, and ease than ever before. You can have this too. It gives me great pleasure to be able to share my journey with you.
CHAPTER SUMMARY
• Whatever your past or current challenges with money are, they do not define who you are or dictate your future. You are in charge of your destiny. You can make powerful choices to create the prosperous life and future you desire.
• You have the power to let go of your family’s history with money.
• You can create your new empowered money story and realize positive results when you start to believe that what you desire is truly possible to achieve.
• You already possess the ability to be a powerful manifester. Whatever you have in your life is something that you manifested — both the good and the not so good.
• When you are aligned with the intention of what you want to achieve and you take inspired actions, the Universe, through experiences, resources, people, and synchronicities of events, will support you.
• Be mindful and purposeful with money in how you earn it, spend it, and keep it. This will enable you to use money not only as a tool for fulfilling your goals but also as a force for good.
• Nurturing and strengthening your relationship with money is a lifelong commitment.
• All your experiences matter, even if you regard some as minor or insignificant.
• Your life is like a beautiful mosaic in which all the intricate pieces of your experiences, expertise, talents, and accomplishments fit perfectly together to prepare you for the next step of your life’s journey.
We are progressing in virtually all other areas of our lives. Money issues are a kind of a last frontier in our development.
— DR. C. DIANE EALY AND DR. KAY LESH
DID YOU KNOW that the word money comes from the name of the Roman goddess Juno Moneta? She guarded the Roman Empire’s finances, and a temple overlooking the Roman Forum was built in her honor in 344 BCE. Every time we use the word money, we are invoking the goddess’s name.
Though the Romans chose a female deity to guard over their finances, as time went on, there was little mention of women’s connection to power and money. Instead, for centuries, because of regressive laws, women’s financial existence was dependent on men — their fathers, husbands, brothers, uncles, and sons.
This is no longer the case in many countries, especially in the Western world. As already noted, 70 percent of women in the United States with children under the age of eighteen participate in the labor force and contribute to overall family income. Many are actively seeking ways to increase their financial security by purchasing books, going to money management workshops and seminars, seeking help from financial advisors, experts, and so on.
Yet I’ve learned from my experience in working with women that more knowledge alone will not help you create financial independence and security unless you first examine and improve your overall relationship with money. Do you wonder what shapes your relationship
