Lately, I’m often telling myself, “A wise woman once said, It’s Not About The Money!” You’d think I’d remember. But when I’m in one of my stuck places and/or feeling emotional angst, I find myself blaming money. Here’s a good example.
I took my middle son to buy dress clothes for my mother’s funeral. Of course, that’s not his favorite thing to wear (nor is shopping), so I wanted to keep the cost down. But, I soon found out that a size 52Long isn’t something you find easily at most stores, so we ended up at Men’s Wearhouse – not the cheapest place. The clerk was incredibly helpful even though I told him I needed to outfit Kilian “as cheaply as possible”.
Suit jacket on sale for $109: yeah! Trousers not on sale: $90, oh, alright. Then, I asked for the cheapest shirt possible. He handed me one for $45. Okay, now it’s all too much. No, problem, “I’ll go somewhere else to find one on sale”. And, then he said, “you’re going to have a hard time finding one in his size”. One last shove over that emotional cliff!
But, after I calmed myself down, I knew – it’s not about the money. Oh sure, I tried my hardest to make it all about the money. But when I stopped and let myself feel what it really was about, I knew money had nothing to do with it.
So next time you find yourself emotionally stuck in money problems, take some time to feel what’s really going on. It may not be as obvious as my story, but I’ll bet you 9 times out of 10, the angst you’re feeling doesn’t have a thing to do with money – it’s just easier to go there.
All is well. I bought the shirt; he looked wonderful. Case closed.
