Written by: Lynette Chartier, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
What are the thoughts, beliefs, and emotions that run through your body when you stop to think about your money?
Perhaps you have more than enough to meet your needs, build a buffer in terms of savings, have investments for your retirement, and enjoy life. If so, that is awesome and yay You!!
Maybe you are struggling with money, and it has always been this way for you?
Perhaps you experience boom and bust cycles?
Or are you somewhere in between, your needs are met but thinking about money worries you?
Exploring the energetic and emotional dimensions of money
The financial services industry focuses on the physical reality of money, the tangible aspects, the actual number of dollars and cents in your accounts. It is not in their role description or repertoire to have you explore the other side of the coin – no pun intended – that is the dimension related to the energetic or spiritual aspects of money. After all, for these financial planners, it may not be forefront of mind nor part of their lived experience and it is not generally a part of their professional training.
A certain subset of financial service providers may even struggle to comprehend why smart hard-working individuals, face challenges in overcoming debt or building savings and investments, despite receiving what is considered to be sound effective advice and strategies. If you have ever found yourself in an office sitting across such a professional, feeling sick to your stomach, embarrassed at the thought of the chat ahead, or worse yet feeling the burden of shame… you know what I mean?
For many individuals the lack of financial resources lies not in the strategies themselves but in the subconscious programming, embedded in their nervous system; that is the beliefs, emotions, and events/ memories around the subject of money that is maintaining their current financial situation in place. There are actual psychological and emotional aspects to money that play a significant role in one’s personal finances, that go beyond the surface-level appearances and advice provided by the financial sector.
“Have I reached my tipping point of pain yet, or does my life path still seem okay?” Margaret Lynch author of Tapping into Wealth.
Your financial set point
This embedded programming creates a financial set point and takes root in the nervous system at a young age. If never examined, it continues to operate like a submarine, deep and silent, affecting your finances and leaving you to wonder why you can never get ahead.
You can think of your money setpoint as a monetary baseline or your financial equilibrium. Your baseline acts like a thermostat; just like a thermostat controls the temperature in your home, by activating heating or cooling systems.
When you are making more than your subconscious being is comfortable with, you will attract or create circumstances for this money to be spent or eliminated through unexpected expenses. On the other hand, when your money is at a lower point than your subconsciously programmed safety zone, your energy system will find a way to make more, attract clients, receive money from unexpected sources and so on. Not logical, but true!
When we come to understand that the thoughts, beliefs, and events reflected in our finances occurred first, and that our financial status reflects past experiences, we can start unpacking those uncomfortable perhaps even painful memories and heal them; leaving us equipped to create a more favorable environment for financial growth and prosperity.
In case by now you are thinking, “Lynette, the idea of a financial set point doesn’t make any sense!” Here is the proof…
When equals differ: Understanding the unobservable dynamics behind varied financial outcomes"
It's a common observation that individuals working within the same industry and at times even in the same organization encounter similar external factors and global events. Despite this shared professional landscape, the financial outcomes for these individuals can differ widely. It's intriguing to note that while one person thrives, earning a substantial income, another may find themselves grappling to make ends meet or never quite getting ahead.
Likewise, there are instances where one individual needs to expend significantly more time and effort, again within the same work environment and doing the same job, yet their salary /financial return remains comparable to someone who seemingly works less hours.
This phenomenon raises questions about the nuanced factors, not easily observed, that go beyond industry and global circumstances yet play a crucial role in determining financial security. This suggests that personal mindset, feelings, past financial and goal traumas, perhaps even the seeming inability to leverage opportunities might be contributing factors to these divergent outcomes within the same professional realm.
Unraveling the threads: Understanding the intricate dance between your past money programming and present financial reality
Now that you are considering the idea that there is an interplay between your early money programming and current money situation, let's start to explore how these factors came to be intertwined to shape your financial journey and results.
Although it is no fault of your own, you are the only one who can change your reality.
I invite you to stop what you are doing for a few minutes, get quiet, and think back to when you were between 5-8 years of age. See what you remember regarding your parents/caregivers around money. Some of the scenarios you may have witnessed as a child could have involved these same individuals:
Managing to pay their bills or facing challenges in meeting their financial obligations.
Talking openly about money or keeping those conversations secretive and away from you.
Teaching you how to become a good money manager or never teaching you about money.
Having different views – one adult always speaking of not having enough money while the other spent like there was enough.
Chatting about what they could buy with the money they had versus exploring how they could grow more with what they had earned.
Experiencing cycles of boom and bust.
Feeling at ease with their finances or witnessing them struggling.
Allow me to share a personal story… When I underwent processes developed by Margaret M. Lynch, the author of "Tapping Into Wealth," to explore my earliest money memories, I was genuinely surprised and, at times, astounded by the insights gained into the driving forces behind my financial decisions.
Here is but one example… for many years of my adult life, I never seem to be able to keep any substantial savings. I could create it, but then, somehow it all seemed to vanish. It wasn’t until I did my own deep inner work, related to this topic that I came to realize that at a young age there was an actual financial traumatic event that caused the eight-year-old me to adopt a false belief: “If you have more than enough money, you are not safe. If you have extra, someone might try to hurt you.”
The belief was created when as a family we were holidaying in western Canada. A week into the trip, my dad decided to call back home and check on his business. He was reluctantly informed by one of his staff that while we were away, someone had broken into our home, gotten into the basement, and set dynamite to the safe. Back then the business building and the house were attached. The memory I retained included my dad sitting on the edge of the pool with his feet in the deep end, looking devastated and in fear, wanting to head back home. Meanwhile, I was at the other end of the pool, overhearing but not fully comprehending my parents' conversation. It was during this reflection that I realized there was a part of me that created the belief that having extra money was not a safe thing to have.
Over the years, while working on other issues, the memory had popped into my mind, and I had deemed it insignificant. Yet it actually held a substantial emotional charge. That eight-year-old child made a promise to herself that to keep safe she wouldn’t have a lot of money.
“Allow me to give compassion and love to that little one. Let me attend to its deepest needs and feelings.” Tosha Silver – It’s Not Your Money – How to Live Fully from Divine Abundance.
There is no way I could have known this false belief, and the accompanying scared feelings were still playing havoc through my nervous system. The afore-mentioned scenario makes no logical sense to the adult I am today. However, over the years, my financial situation accurately mirrored this belief.
Roots of prosperity: Unveiling the subconscious blueprint of your early money paradigm
At an early age, we each come to an unspoken understanding that there is either an ease and comfort with money, perhaps an abundance of money in our life or there is a lack of this resource for people like us. In other words, you either felt safe and secure, or felt anxious and insecure. The beliefs and memories being formed were not happening on a conscious level, yet your nervous system was being imprinted. Your body will keep this impression until it is worked through your system and healed.
As young adults when we get into the workforce, our experiences start to reflect the early money paradigm we inherited; eventually more situations and events accumulate and reflect either the lack of money or the prosperity we could easefully access.
There are now scientifically research-based resources on the topic of lived experiences and what gets embedded in the body.
“The Body Keeps the Score” by Van Der Kolk M. D.
“When the Body Says No – the Cost of Hidden Stress” by Gabor Maté M.D.
Final thoughts: Transforming your money story
Like other aspects we seek to heal within ourselves, the process is no different when it comes to addressing our relationship with money and the associated feelings of safety and security. There are many layers to it as per SAM’s philosophy (including Soul aspects, past lives, karma to name a few) however it doesn’t need to be this way forever, nor take forever to change it. With EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) and other such gentle techniques it is possible to examine your money set points, to calm down the nervous system, stop the negative self-talk and start to build a new narrative and reality around money.
The uncovering of these layers might feel scary or uncomfortable, but gaining clarity is the first step to transformation and shifting what is. Embarking on this journey may be challenging, but remember, each step forward is a triumph in your personal financial journey.
Last but not least, it is important to have some self-compassion. We each did the best we could with the knowledge and tools we had.
If you're ready to unlock the mysteries of your earliest money paradigm and break free from what's been holding you back, I warmly invite you to schedule a complimentary clarity call. I'm here to guide you on a journey of insight and empowerment.
Lynette Chartier, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Lynette Chartier guides smart, motivated women who feel stuck, unfulfilled, or are playing small to overcome long-buried pain and fears that limit them. Drawing from over 17 years of experience in spiritual work rooted in SAM’s philosophy, as well as extensive study and accreditation as an EFT practitioner, Lynette offers a practical framework of empowerment and results-focused approaches. Having navigated personal challenges across various domains and transformed her own life, Lynette is dedicated to empowering women to make their desired transitions and enhance their quality of life.
