Weekend Reading: Money Isn't Real
This article appears as part of Casey Weade's Weekend Reading for Retirees series. Every Friday, Casey highlights four hand-picked articles on trending retirement topics and delivers them straight to your email inbox. Get on the list here.
Money undeniably holds a significant place in your life. The stress and anxiety experienced when bills are due, for example, highlights the emotional impact it can create. Recognizing that money is a construct, however, can help you approach your finances more rationally.
READ THE ARTICLEPersonal finance is personal: Your mood can be influenced by the fluctuations in your finances, the excitement of winning money or the fear of running out. Understanding this emotional connection can help you improve your emotional state. Further, engaging in physical activity, such as walking, yoga or even standing up, can help change your mood and put your financial stress into perspective.
Money as a means: It's crucial to differentiate between money problems and life problems. Money can solve money problems, but it cannot solve life problems. As such, recognizing that money is a form of storage can help you identify when you’re trying to use it to address life issues. And ultimately, understanding the problem you’re trying to solve with money can help you determine whether money is the appropriate solution.
When you develop an intentional vision of the life you want to live, it allows you to view money as a tool, versus an object. Money is simply a component of reaching your goals, and embracing this mindset can help free you to make choices aligned with the future you desire.