Deeper Than We Think
I received a bevy of criticism after yesterday's post. To summarize, I shared the story of a friend who is continually scared to spend money on wants because, all his life, he has been told that spending on things we don't need (especially expensive things) is "irresponsible." I challenged him to buy a $500+ ticket to watch his favorite team play in person for the first time ever.
The criticism:
"You're encouraging people to be irresponsible!"
"You should be telling people to save money not waste it."
"Good luck retiring someday."
Do you see the irony in this? I write a piece about how a grown man who has done a wonderful job with finances is terrified to spend money on anything fun because all he's been told his whole life is that spending on wants is "irresponsible," then immediately receive a string of responses telling me that he's being irresponsible (and I'm as equally irresponsible for egging him on).
This stuff runs deep, guys! In our culture, we tend to hear the stories about people who are out there recklessly spending; it's almost become a joke. They are certainly out there! Part of the reason we talk about it is that it's so public. We often see the public side of these decisions: big, shiny, new, exotic, and fancy purchases plastered all over social media.
However, those who suffer on the other side of this coin typically suffer in silence. They often feel guilty, sometimes embarrassed, about not being able to spend money on wants. Years and years of criticism are taking their toll. Those words heard when they were children and teenagers sound as loud in their heads today as they did when first spoken.
A few encouragements today:
If this is you, you're not alone. Find a way to break through, even if just something small. A start is a start.
If you have influence over someone, and I suspect you do, encourage them to spend some of their resources onwants. Not all.....some.
Lean into YOUR values. Don't spend money just to spend money. Find what matters most to you, and invest those dollars there.
Enjoy the process!
Have an awesome day.
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