Having Money Sent Me to the Doctor
Changing Your Money Mindset
I was standing in the bookstore when the sweat started dripping down my body. I threw our shopping bags down and immediately threw off my jacket. My daughter peeked around the bookshelves and asked,
“Are you okay? You don’t look so good.”
At 37 Years old, I thought I was experiencing early premenopause. My mother had a hysterectomy after I was born, and I knew I couldn’t rely on her to figure out when I would begin premenopause. Premenopause at 37 is unexpected but not unheard of, though it is uncommon.
This was not the first time I had had these symptoms, but it was the first time I decided enough was enough, and I knew I needed to make an appointment with my doctor.
I stood there for several minutes, regained my composure, picked our bags off the floor, and made our way to the checkout.
We got to the car, and I immediately called the doctor’s office. I knew if I didn’t do it now, then I probably wouldn’t.
On the day of my appointment, I walked into the office, relieved to finally be getting some answers about what was going on with my health.
After the doctor completed the exam and received my test results, I sat on the edge of my seat, waiting to hear what she had to say. Was it premenopause, my thyroid, or something else?
I pictured some dramatic drumroll or countdown, the anticipation and excitement building. It had been three months since the onset of my symptoms; I was finally going to know what was going on with my body and hopefully get the relief I desperately needed.
“You’re stressed.”
I couldn’t believe my ears. I took a deep breath and questioned her to ensure I heard her correctly.
“You’re stressed.”
Sure enough, I had heard her the first time.
How could that be? How could stress cause brain fog, hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, fatigue, and dizziness, to name a few of the symptoms I was experiencing?
Nine months have passed, and I’ve had time to reflect and find the source of all my stress.
Money. I was raised to believe that “Money is the route of all evil” and “Money is the devil.” No matter how much I wanted to have money and feel financially secure, I believed money was inherently bad.
I’d like to say that when I left the church, I also left behind all the negativity and trauma that came with it. However, growth is a process, and I realized the hold “Money is evil” still held on me. In addition, I didn’t believe I was “worthy enough” to have money.
So when money suddenly came into my life, I didn’t know how to handle it, I didn’t know how to cope, my money mindset was off, and I was stressed to the max.
In other words, I needed to shift my relationship to money, which meant shifting my beliefs about money and myself in relation to money.
Little did I know I had a common fear surrounding money: the fear of extinction, a fear of mutilation or bodily invasion. (Social Intelligence; The New Science of Success. Dr. Karl Albrecht)
There is an Australian and New Zealand myth that says,
“Don’t be the tall poppy that stands out in the field because you’ll be the first to be cut down.”
(Source here: “Tall Poppy Syndrome.”)
In other words, something terrible will happen if you do too well. While no one’s literally going to come and “cut someone down,” the brain can’t differentiate between real and imagined.
So when someone is worried about standing out and getting cut down, they are actually having the physical experience of I’m going to get cut. (Health Coach Institute)
When this happens, there needs to be inner game work and a mind transformation toward the mindset you are experiencing. In my case, it was a money mindset.
It was Chris Rock who said,
“Wealth is not about having a lot of money; it’s about having a lot of options.” — Chris Rock.
I was beginning to understand that I didn’t believe I was worthy of money or options, and I knew this needed to change.
It’s like I was shouting into the void,
“I grew up poor, and poor, I will stay!!”
In addition, I went through all of the money I had acquired in less than a year, and my stress dissolved.
I believed in the “I cannot have more and.”
I could not have more money and be happy. This was backward thinking that needed to be resolved as quickly as possible.
Take a moment to check out this article from Liberty Forrest: “I Let Go of My Fears About Money, and It Flowed Into My Life.” (You can check it out below):
When I read her story, I knew it was time I changed my mindset and began working on myself, for myself.
While I had gone through the money I had acquired, I knew I needed to learn how to obtain and keep money on my own.
The first step is understanding that you truly have control of your financial destiny, no matter how you were raised. Money and your finances don’t just happen to you.
In other words, you’re not a victim of circumstance when it comes to money. Whatever your current financial situation, you can make conscious and deliberate choices about what you want your financial life to look and feel like.
Whatever your financial situation is, it represents the old you and your old beliefs about money.
You can allow yourself to keep the money you make to create the lifestyle you’ve always wanted. It’s one thing to make it and another to keep it.
Take a moment and ask yourself:
“What must you do today to reframe your mindset towards money and set yourself up for future success?”
Thank you to everyone who read this to the end. In the comments, what is your current mindset on money? What would you do to change it? Would you change it?
Feel free to offer some claps of encouragement. XOXO, Tammie 🙂
To find the perfect summer anthem, please check out this article by ALEX KIRKLAND here:
*Tammie is an aspiring health and life coach with a background in the school system. She has worked with kids from preschool through sixth grade and the SPED and library departments. She has three kids, two dogs, and one amazing husband. You can often find her sitting on her front porch and watching all the cool kids play in her yard. You can also find her at https://www.tammie-fralick.com.
