How Does Money Affect Your Self Worth?

Money and self-worth are two topics that are deeply intertwined, yet often misunderstood. Your relationship with money is a reflection of your deeper beliefs and sense of self-worth. It is your beliefs that often shape your experiences with money and not external circumstances.

Many of us have been led to believe by our parents, culture and society-at-large, that our value and worth are tied to external factors such as our job title, income, and possessions. Many people feel like they are not enough unless they have acheived a certain amount of money or status, and this leads to a perpetual cycle of seeking and striving for more.

However, the truth is that your self-worth is not tied to external factors. You are inherently valuable and worthy, simply because you exist.

Unfortunately, I never received that message growing up. Both my parents owned their own businesses and worked hard day and night to be successful. Work was always a priority over play, pleasure or connection. This lead my young self to believe hard work and making money were how to get my parent’s attention and love.

So for most of my life I hustled to prove my worthiness by making lots of money. But it never succeeded in making me feel worthy.

All Of Us Are Innately Worthy

Eventually I learned that when you recognize your innate worthiness, you can then start to shift your relationship with money.

This shift in perspective requires you to start examining your beliefs around money and how you may have tied them to your self-worth.

You may need to let go of beliefs you unconsciously picked up like, “People like us are not worthy of wealth.” or “Money is inherently evil or corrupt.”

Instead, you can start choosing to see money as a tool that can help you live a more fulfilling life and to make a positive impact in the world.

It’s important to recognize that shifting your relationship with money and self-worth is not a one-time event, but a continuous process. You may still experience moments of doubt or fear. It’s important to acknowledge these feelings and recommit to your new beliefs and perspective.

How To Cultivate Gratitude

One simple way to shift your relationship with money is to cultivate a sense of gratitude for what you already have.

People often focus on what they don’t have instead of focusing on the abundance they already have in their lives, such as their health, relationships, and life experiences.

When you approach life from a place of gratitude and abundance, you will attract more positive experiences and opportunities into your life.

Whenever I catch myself feeling down or comparing myself to others, I change my focus to what I can appreciate about my life. It is a game changer!

Create Value For Others

Another way to shift your relationship with money is to focus on creating value and serving others. When you create value for others, whether it be through your work or personal relationships, you can experience a sense of fulfillment and purpose that goes beyond financial gain. By focusing on serving others, you can also attract more abundance and wealth into your life.

This does not have to be charity work. Serving others can be holding a door open for someone, acknowledging another person’s efforts or smiling at a stranger. Simple acts of kindness.

External Factors Create Unconscious Programming

One of the biggest challenges in shifting your relationship with money is the societal pressure and conditioning we all face.

From a young age, many of us were taught to measure our worth by external factors such as grades, awards, and achievements. We are told that success is determined by how much money you make or what you own, and this can create a sense of inadequacy and a constant need to prove ourselves.

However, when you recognize that your self-worth is not tied to external factors, you can start to let go of this need to constantly prove your self worth all the time.

You can focus on living a life that is true to yourself and your values, rather than one that is dictated by external pressures.

This shift in perspective can have a profound impact on your relationship with money. When you recognize that you are enough simply because you exist, you can start to approach money from a place of abundance and gratitude, rather than lack and scarcity.

Find Sources Of Joy

One way to shift your focus from money as the sole source of your self-worth is to explore other areas of your life that bring you joy and fulfillment.

For example, investing time in building meaningful relationships with loved ones, pursuing a hobby or passion project, or volunteering for a cause you care about can all contribute to a sense of purpose and fulfillment. These activities help you build your self-esteem and reinforce your sense of worth beyond your bank account.

This can start to help you cultivate a sense of contentment and reduce the need to constantly strive for more.

Get Support

I would love to support you in working through any deeper issues or challenges related to money and self-worth by uncovering and addressing any underlying emotional or psychological issues that may be impacting your financial abundance.

Our relationship with money is complex and deeply intertwined with our sense of self-worth. It’s important to recognize that our value as human beings extends far beyond our bank account, and that there are many different sources of joy and fulfillment in life. By challenging limiting beliefs, practicing gratitude, and seeking support when needed, we can begin to cultivate a healthier relationship with money and a greater sense of self-worth. Ultimately, when we are able to detach our self-worth from our financial status, we open ourselves up to a more authentic, fulfilling, and abundant life.