My dad owned the most beautiful car, an Oldsmobile Delta 88.It was navy blue on the outside and aqua blue on the inside, and I just loved that car.One day I came home from school and found a Cadillac in the driveway. It was grey on the outside and black on the inside. I remember standing on the front lawn, horrified, because it was so ugly and ostentatious that I cried.
I grew up in an upper middle class to wealthy neighborhood.It was not easy living in an environment where money was so important that conspicuous consumptions was everywhere.That stress really had an impact on me, and still does, as I have issues with money (who doesn’t).But I have learned to balance my need to stay below the radar and occasionally enjoy a few nice splurges.
It's so important that we recognize our issues with money because they impact our relationships with other people and ourselves.Too many times, I have seen people living in extremes because they didn’t work out how money formed their early years and how it now impacts their adulthood.
One day I am going to become a money therapist, and in the meantime, don’t hesitate to reach out if you are struggling.