Today I want to write about a topic that many of us either don’t pay a lot of attention to or find too superficial – if not downright dirty – to talk about.
Money!
”Money makes the world go round.”
”Money can’t buy you love.”
Google ”quotes with the word money” and you’ll find a treasure chest of them.
Including ”A wise person should have money in their head, but not in their heart” by Jonathan Swift.
Disconnecting money from our hearts?
But what if I told you that we should have money in our hearts. Disconnecting our money from our values, what we believe in, and what we care for, is what many times has led us to the place where we are currently at with our economies and our planet.
Money in the hands of our minds many times becomes a narrowly focussed tool to increase profits, accelerate growth, sell for the sake of selling only.
Money is like water
Money in the hands of the heart however can be used like water. We can use it to water the plants, organisations, causes, and individuals we believe in. And by watering these exact causes we can be influential in fostering the kind of change we wish to see in the world.
Keep this in mind this Christmas when you buy presents, vouchers and experiences for loved ones. Ask yourself if you are buying these gifts from service providers and businesses you believe make a positive difference on this planet? Is your money spent going to contribute towards the kind of society and environmental health you hope for?
A drop in the ocean?
Now before you laugh and ask ”what difference can a single person’s spending make?” hear these astounding numbers published in 2017 by Ernst & Young:
”By the year 2028, women will control close to 75% of discretionary spending worldwide.”*
This means that 75% of all Christmas purchases will be made by us. Can you image what that money can do in the hand of purpose driven professional women?
And yet we might be tempted to dismiss or underestimate the power of this simple idea. Because according to Lynne Twists’ life changing book ”The Soul Of Money”, the three biggest money myths we’ve been sold are ”there’s not enough”, ”more is better” and ”that’s just the way it is”.
Imagine!
So for once, take a minute and let yourself be carried away. Visualize a future where purpose driven women spend money on the kind of things we believe in. Toys, gifts and services that make a difference. That pay producers in other countries a fair price. Adhere to regenerative or syntropic practices. I mean – just imagine! What a fabulous place this would be.
Take ownership and pride in your spending this festive season and help grow the companies and organisation for a world with a future.
Happy holidays,
Manuela Damant
I feel our world, our organizations, and our lives are out of balance, and it is the feminine that many times is lacking. Feminine leadership brings back balance and joins hands with the healthy masculine to create a world with a future. As a OneOfMany certified women’s coach we call this concept SoftPower and I believe when we women start owning our voices, we will make the world a better place. Want to find out more? Contact me via manuela@azkua.eu
*Source Ernst & Young: http://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/Women_the_next_emerging_market/$FILE/WomenTheNextEmergingMarket.pdf