In this episode, Juliet and I explore the topic of money. A real hot topic for most people. We get vulnerable around our experience with money and riff on this topic to see what we might see fresh around abundance and scarcity. As educated, white women, we acknowledge we are speaking from a place of privilege around money and yet still want to explore to see what else we can discover that might be helpful for listeners. We also want to acknowledge that we had some connectivity issues which led to some audio distortions from time to time. Thank you for your patience.

Here’s what we explored:

• when we get curious we may notice hidden biases around money: judgement towards those with lots of money and/or judgement towards those without money

• our beliefs around money are often inherited from our families and cultures: disdain, desire, disavowal, resentment, fear, discomfort, deep need

• thinking around money can be laden with judgement and take up a huge amount of mental energy

• our money beliefs are often contradictory and unhelpful in our day to day life

• as we pay less attention to our beliefs, they tend to quieten down

• the level of anxious thinking is not determined by how much money you have

• both extreme wealth and poverty can be accompanied by a feeling of scarcity

• a feeling of abundance comes, less from WHAT you have and more from your relationship to what you have

• we recognize that there are many who are held down by systems of oppression which directly impact on their health, education and economic security

• we recognize, as white, educated women, it is a form of privilege to be able to self-sabotage ourselves around money

• and yet, we all have the possibility of connection with something bigger than ourselves

• many people in our world are suffering extreme hardship and opening our hearts to see where we can offer practical help, is common sense

• to create a world that is equitable where we share resources with everyone requires a change of heart on a mass scale

• fear of not having enough food, money, energy or love can leave us utterly destitute inside however much money we have

• that craving is a longing for connection which is not found outside ourselves

• get curious about your definition of abundance - there's no guarantee a feeling of abundance is to be found in material goods

• in agriculture, fields lie fallow to help maintain the soil in good heart

• unlimited growth, individually or as nations, simply doesn't work, it requires stimulants to keep going

• a deeper connection with self, others and nature is what brings a richer more abundant feeling which isn't tied to what we have in material terms

• simply recognizing what we are doing with our minds, that takes us away from 'being in good heart" is more helpful than 'rugby tackling' our beliefs around money

Quotes and References

• The Buy Nothing Project

• Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer