That’s A Lot Of Money!

When I lived in Italy, currency was still the Lira. Average cost for dinner out was 10,000-20,000 Lira, which converted to $10-$20. I remember it took a long time for 20,000 Lira to not seem like a lot of money.

20,000 anything occurred as A LOT for me. And even though I knew 20,000 Lira was only $20, it required mental gymnastics to not feel like I was buying a car each time I paid for dinner.

Here’s the thing you need to know about a lot of money: “A lot” is a learned and relative perception. You have a definition in your head of what “a lot” of money is. It’s different than mine, or a millionaire’s, or a homeless person’s, or a 10 year old’s. $1,000 may be pocket change for Bill Gates and a life savings for a college kid.

You rarely see money as just money. You see it as either a lot of money or a little money. You relate to your perception or judgment of that particular amount of money. And it’s the judgment that’s impacting what you do and don’t do as a result. It’s the judgment that is having you either stop or continue.

What if $100,000 was just $100,000? Not a lot, not a little. It almost seems impossible to NOT call it a lot or a little, doesn’t it? That’s how deeply your perception goes. And as long as you see a certain amount of money as a lot, it actually gets in the way of you creating it for yourself.  Notice wherever you see an amount of money as a lot, you most likely stop going after what you want.

I’d like you to identify something you would like to do or buy, but are telling yourself some variation of, “It’s too expensive,” or “I can’t afford it.”  It could be something you want for yourself or someone else; maybe it is a contribution you would like to make for your community or a movement. How much does it cost? $50? $500? $5,000? $50,000? Just try out the position that whatever the amount, it’s not a lot of money; it’s just the amount of money that it is. What if $5,000 is just $5,000—nothing else attached to it? What becomes available to you when it’s no longer a lot? What actions become available when you’re no longer looking through the lens of “a lot” or “too much”?

Remember, the servant never dictates to the master what can or can’t be done. You may think you are in control of your money, spending and budgeting wisely, but if the amount of money you have or don’t have is telling you what is and isn’t possible, then who is the real master here? How much longer are you willing for $5,000 or $50,000 or $500,000 to be a lot of money for you? Who would you be in the world if that wasn’t getting in your way?  If you are ready to transform your relationship with money, call me!

Blind Spots is an ongoing conversation.  Check out previous posts here.

Be Great!

Becky