Money leads to power…no doubt about it. Every powerful person or entity uses money to acquire and wield power…politicians, governments, churches, entertainers, and even Bond super-villains.
The danger is that power does not naturally make you or me better people. All power does is magnify whatever is already in our hearts. If my spirit and soul are full of sin, deceit or hate, money will simply empower me to spew this nastiness more widely. But if I have love and kindness inside, power will amplify those attributes and allow me to bless those around me.
Why do I talk about money and power here?
In my last BLOG post I discussed how women interact with money. By way of a quick summary, I noted that women tend to look for safety and security needs to be met by money. But, generally speaking, men do not see money in the same way.
No, men get an entirely different need met by money.
Yes, men tend to see money as a means of acquiring power, strength and influence. For us men, money is often tied directly to our sense of masculinity or “man-hood”.
Recently, I was working with a couple who had come to me to help improve their communication. The topic of money came up almost right away. During a session, the wife was talking about how they had struggled financially after the husband had made a career change. She casually said something to her husband like, “I’m glad you’re able to contribute more to the family these days”.
I was watching the husband and noticed something shift in his face. Interrupting, I asked what was going on with him. We went back and forth a bit and he finally said, “when I hear you say that I feel attacked…it’s like you are saying, ‘if you were more of a man you’d have contributed more and done a better job supporting your family’.”
This lead to a great conversation where both husband and wife were able to express their true feelings about their journey together. It was very healing for both and they were able to talk about their marriage from a unique perspective.
Money does have a gender and that gender is different for men and women. We all look to money to meet needs. At the end of the day, money itself does not meet emotional needs. But, if we use it as a catalyst, we can work together to better meet the needs of those around us.
Look for more BLOG posts on money as an emotional topic in the weeks to come.
Meanwhile, grab your free 30 minute strategy call with me. 30 minutes doesn’t sound like much time. But I guarantee you’ll get some new insight into your relationship with money. Again, it’s a free call with no strings attached. Grab your slot now!
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