“The Soul of Money” & “The Richest Man in Babylon” are two of my favorite financial texts because they simplify finances.

In The Soul of Money, finance is referred to as an energetic exchange; money is a representation of value. Just as one volunteers their time to an organization they believe in, or an organization that at one time came to their aid; just as I joyously embrace a hug when my friend opens the birthday gift I created for her; just as an individual works overtime without demand - simply because they desire to submit a product that meets their own standards… These situations represent alternative energetic exchanges, & could be replaced by the exchange of cash: cash to an organization, money to reimburse or thank, money asked in acknowledgment of quality & work.

Money is an attempt to quantify belief, trust, appreciation, & honor. It is a way to say “I see you,” “Yes, continue,” and “The world needs this.” Money is a way of welcoming, with a balance of humility & pride, “This is worthy; I am worthy.”

The Richest Man in Babylon considers how the origin of finances & investments, grounded in days of trade, can provide a clear perspective on an ideology that today feels abstract - from representations of value through paper & coin to numbers on a screen representing the representations (whoa).

Babylon fosters clear consideration: if I receive 10 coins on payday - can I trust I will get by on 9 when I immediately place one coin in my savings pouch? Should I risk some of my stock to aid the man willing to traverse the desert, but needs cost covered upfront; a man who promises to return with one camel for me worth more than my loaned tokens?

By considering investments & money management in metaphor to what once was, decisions become refreshing & new - relieved of the confusion, temptations, & persuasion that can mud financial beliefs & actions today.

My review of these two texts guide me to feel empowered with my financial decisions. I ask for & receive money with understanding of my worth, acknowledgement of the gifts I am called to uniquely share with our world - and thus what is required so I have the ability to share them, and alignment with the value I confidently provide. I also pay & freely spend money with belief in the worth of others, recognition of what I value and intentionally promote, and trust that because money is energy - it is not scarce, but an abundant flow to encourage rather than hoard.

Out of curiosity after a recent discussion with one of my clients, I calculated how much money I’ve spent on coaches in my current session of development & support. Over the past year and a half, I have freely invested $5,751 to have a coach by my side. For comparison, I’ve spent $9,216 on rent, $3,175 on groceries, $226 on clothes, and $254 on ice cream (let’s be real - the “fast food” bucket in my budget is 99% Culver’s concrete mixers).

Before we get too far in the clouds with numbers - I want to bring it back to our lovely text guides. I feel amazing about the dollar figure attached to my coaching investments. I feel good about my clothes spending. I laugh at the actuality of my love for ice cream. And yes, I spent more on ice cream in the previous two years than I did on clothes; that feels right, because I don’t value clothes - and yes, somehow, I value the experience of my delicious peanut butter chocolate concrete mixer a bit more. I intentionally wrote “freely given” with regard to my coaching expense - because although this dollar figure is high, it is something I absolutely believe in. It is money I love paying to the individuals who aid in my ability to live a life I am crazy in love with. It is equal - and more - to what I spend on food because I value it as an investment toward my health & wellbeing just as much.

Money is an energetic exchange. It is as simple as asking whether I want my two extra coins to go toward the new camel adventurer or the reliable town banker. It is a representation of value & belief, it is an opportunity to make the statement: “I stand by this,” “I choose not to value that,” “My unique presence includes the embrace of ice cream deliciousness,” and, importantly, “I am worthy - & so are you.”

Where do your finances feel aligned? Where do they feel dissonant, or incongruent with your desires & beliefs? How can you shift, by even one coin, toward your own financial empowerment?