It’s already in you. This exercise is to help you see it clearly by writing it down so that you can make some decisions about how well it has been serving you, and whether or not you need to make some adjustments. The prompts below are just a guide. They can help get you thinking, but don’t limit yourself to this. Whatever comes to mind, whatever feels important or meaningful, especially things that trigger strong emotion, are worthy of inspection. Take some time to jot down answers to the questions below using simple keywords or phrases.
Then you can refer back to them as you write your narrative.
Who have been the two or three most influential people in your life, financially, and how do/did each of them view money?
If money were a character in your life’s story, up to this point would you say it has been a friend or an enemy?
What kinds of money messages did you receive growing up?
Did the people around you see money as good or evil, sacred or profane? How did their views influence your own perspective?
What words come to mind to finish the sentence, “Money is. . . .” Or, “In my life, money has been. . . .
What emotions do you most strongly associate with money?
Now, grab some paper or pull up your laptop and using your answers to the questions above, write your financial story in two pages or less.