Our fight or flight response is automatic and part of our amygdala, that part of our brain that dates back centuries and was meant to protect us from saber tooth tigers. Given our evolution you’d think that that part of our brains would no longer be active however, it’s still very active and that’s a good thing, in many situations!
For example, if we find ourselves in a burning building or if our senses tell us someone is getting too close for comfort, our brains alert us to take action, to run or defend ourselves.
But thinking about or discussing the topic of money can sometimes elicit a similar response. It could be that the perceived threat that creates our fear or anxiety is being triggered because we’ve avoided addressing our money situation, or what we’re doing with our money and how we’re intending to take care of our needs in the future.
What we’ve also found is this; people’s fears are often much greater than what is warranted. In fact, fear and anxiety interfere with our ability to think things through in order to obtain a clear picture of what is.
We need to be aware of these emotions and find ways to constructively deal with them to recognize that we do have a relationship with money that is unique to each of us.
We want to encourage you to find ways to approach money as your dance partner (not the saber tooth tiger!) and recognize that any dance we learn with a partner starts off rather tentative and awkward. In time, the more we engage and practice the steps based on whatever dance we want to learn, we can improve and enjoy the experience.
Till next time
Betty-Anne Howard / Athena Wealth and Legacy Solutions
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