"What is your worth?" How do you answer this question?
Many people typically respond by assigning numeric value to their worth. One's response: "I am worth" is often followed by a disclosure of a numeric value based on their accumulated assets, etc.
If you take out the notion of assigning numeric value to your worth, however, and ask yourself: "What am I really worth?" What comes up for you? What thoughts, feelings, physical sensations arise?
In all the literature I have read on financial and work success, I consistently come across a theme, which entails: how we view our "work" and money originates from before we worked and made our own money. Life circumstances including: consistently present and available caregivers, abuse or other trauma (whether we witnessed or were direct victims of it), socio-economic status, as well as how the adults around us acted and communicated about money and work, all play a significant role in the development of our money and work templates.
As a therapist who specializes in trauma, addiction and relationship recovery, I have witnessed time and time again clients and/or their spouses who initially come to therapy for relationship struggles. Once we dive a little deeper, they typically admit that their relationships are impacted by their or someone else's addiction--aversion to-- (love, sex, relationship, food, money obsession, workaholism, gambling, porn, etc., etc.), which stems from one's past (trauma), usually with their parents or caregivers. Clients are often curious when, during my assessment, or mid-way through treatment, I begin asking questions involving their beliefs about money and work. After all, most people don't realize that everything we believe as adults (from money to food to work to sex), including how we behave in all areas of our lives (these areas included) comes from core beliefs we developed from our youth.
You may be asking yourself, "What can I do to change my beliefs about work and money?!" I believe that talking to someone who specializes in healing specific disorders is key, as it allows you a deep understanding of the relationship between where you came from and where you are now as well as the necessary guidance, support, and tools for healing your relationships with people, food, sex, money, work, etc, etc.
In therapy, I offer various techniques to begin changing one's outlook on life, including their outlook on work and money. For example, I have adapted an exercise called "Core Belief Process" that was developed by Marc Allen, seminar leader, entrepreneur, composer, and author, as described in Law of Attraction magazine (Spring 2013). Challenge: Practice the following steps when you have an issue or struggle arise for the next 30 days. Notice the difference in your thinking and feeling:
1. Describe the problem (journal or write about it in 1 or 2 minutes, or talk it through with someone) 2. Describe the emotions you are feeling. Naming the feelings can begin shifting how you feel. 3. Notice the physical sensations arising in your body. Again, write them down or talk with someone. Many times, when a client and I begin to talk about distressing memories related to childhood, they will describe feeling sick in their stomach, or heavy in their heart. It is good to connect feelings to where you hold it in your body (E-motions are energy in motion that in reality are feelings that have gotten stuck and can't move. Stuck energy becomes pain in our bodies). 4. Notice your thoughts and say them out loud with someone or write them down. Note if there is a repetitive stream of thoughts and if they are negative, positive (thoughts become things). 5. Write out the worst case scenario for the situation (if I quit this job I hate to go after my dream, my passion, I fear that....) 6. Write out the best case scenario for the situation (if I quit this job I hate to go after my dream, my passion, I envision...) 7. What fear and limited beliefs (likely from childhood) are creating a road block to you taking the leap?? 8. Review the positive decisions you have made in your life: For instance, when in your life did you make decisions that looking back created positive outcomes? Note all the ways you are a good decision maker. 9. Come up with an affirmation (or more than one) that you can reflect on every day. What we think we create. So, for instance, "I am open and receptive to new avenues of income now." Or, "I now create the perfect new job, or work situation, or customer, or client...one that (be descriptive!)." 10. Trust that if what you want is in the highest good for all, you will have what you want! Stay focused on what you want, NOT what you don't want. 11. Write a daily gratitude list, even if it has one or two things on it. Again, I cannot stress enough that what we focus on we create (review all the times you have had this happen!). Gratitude is an attitude of abundance. Start today!
Namaste Consulting, LLC offers an assessment called the MAWASI, Money and Work Adaptive Scales Inventory, which provides a detailed profile of one's obsessions or aversions to work, money.
Along with this, on March 16th and March 30th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. I am offering a Financial and Work Disorders workshop to assist men and women in exploring their distorted beliefs about work and money, the origins of these beliefs (family of origin issues), how these 2 addictive behaviors often correlate with other addictions or issues (especially in relationships), and tools for overcoming one's money and work obsessions/aversions.
If you are interested in completing a MAWASI assessment and beginning your recovery path from Money and Work addictions, or if you would like to attend Healing Financial and Work Disorders workshop, you may contact Candice today at namasteadvice@gmail.com or 240-257-6463. Healing begins with you!
Live abundantly in ALL areas of your life. It is your divine birthright to be happy, healthy and prosperous. Namaste~