Wealth Redefined.

Last month I presented you with 5 characteristics of wealthy women.  These women are free of comparison, content with what they have, willing to learn, generous and led by faith, not fear.  When we allow ourselves to view wealth differently, all women are able to be wealthy.

This month I would like to introduce you to Hazel and Jan, two more women who are embracing a wealthy lifestyle. Hazel shows us that a wealthy woman is willing to learn and admit that she doesn’t know everything.  When she needs help, she confidently seeks advice from trusted professionals.  We can apply Hazel’s approach to learning to drive to our financial lives.  We don’t have to know everything, we just need to be willing to sit in the driver’s seat.

Jan has been a responsible saver her entire life.  Now newly retired, you may think that the traditional definition of wealth suits her just fine.  By the world’s standards, she is wealthy.  But Jan teaches us about the importance of generosity with our wealth.  Through her story we can see that often the amount of money we have does not always equal the amount of security we feel.  Her experiences help us see how our values affect how wealthy we actually feel.

Meet Hazel.

Hazel says “I can remember the first time I drove a car.  At that time, I knew how to start, stop, steer and work the radio.  In my mind, that was all I needed to get in the driver’s seat and move that 2000 lbs. of steel up the highway.  As I learned to drive, I had enough knowledge about my car to reach my destination, and when I needed more information than I had, I looked for a mechanic, or another professional who would help me figure out what I needed.”

When it comes to our financial knowledge, we often refuse to get involved because we don’t know everything.  Can you imagine how it would be if we approached driving this way.  What if instead of meeting a friend for breakfast, we said “I’m sorry I can’t meet you because I haven’t learned where the catalytic converter is and what it does yet.”

It sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it?  But we do it all the time with how we relate to our money.  I have seen many women in the financial driver’s seat, either by choice or circumstance.  They are often scared and feel they don’t belong there because they don’t know enough.

A wealthy woman doesn’t refuse to get in the financial driver’s seat.  She trusts herself, she trusts her instincts, and she seeks help when needed.  We need to adopt Hazel’s secret…a wealthy woman is willing to learn.

Meet Jan.

Jan has had a lengthy career as a registered nurse and went on to teach nursing classes at the collegiate level.  Several years ago, she helped to open a free medical clinic for underserved women.  She recently retired as the director of the clinic.  She and her husband have saved significantly, and all of their future needs will be covered. Jan says this:

“Every time I pay our monthly bills, I have to move money from one account to another.  It makes me feel guilty and ashamed.  Even though my husband says we are going to be fine, I constantly feel poor.  I wanted to be able to continue to support the clinic financially after I retired, but I don’t feel like I have enough money.”

Despite Jan’s apparent anxiety surrounding her financial life, her eyes light up as she talks about her work at the free clinic.  It is evident that this work is still important to her as well as the women she served.

Juggling money every month has kept Jan from supporting the causes near and dear to her heart. Because she doesn’t feel financial freedom, she doesn’t feel wealthy.  After a few budget tweaks, Jan can pay all of her bills without juggling funds between accounts.  Additionally, she adds charitable giving into her budget and starts supporting the clinic financially on a regular basis.  Because this work is so meaningful to her, it is imperative that it is included in her budget for her to actually feel wealthy.  Even though she has been told multiple times that she has saved more than enough for a comfortable retirement, she will never believe it if she doesn’t feel wealthy.  Jan shares that a wealthy woman is a generous woman.

A wealthy woman redefined.

By redefining wealth, we all gain access to it and can feel confident to actively participate in our own financial lives.

I have never met a woman that is 100% confident in her financial life 100% of the time.  Regardless of whether she lives independently or with a spouse, women have insecurity around money.  For many years we have been overlooked in financial conversations, looked down on or made to feel stupid when it comes to wealth.  Those actions have kept us from fully accepting ourselves as truly wealthy women.

It was never God’s intention for us to live in fear of our finances.  When you embrace these characteristics of a wealthy woman you can feel confident and relaxed in your financial life.  You will start to feel more comfortable looking at your bank statement, attending a financial planning meeting, and talking with financial professionals.  As we gain confidence in our newfound wealth, we feel more at ease to participate in our own financial life.  Not just sitting in the driver’s seat but actually taking the wheel and participating.

Use the form below if you are ready to feel like the wealthy woman you were created to be.  We can start chatting about how you can flourish as a truly wealthy woman.