"Whether we hoard, splurge, or give it all away, we perpetually repeat ineffective behavior patterns with money because we are accustomed to specific states of being where money is concerned. We are used to a particular level of anxiety or calm, craving or avoidance, scarcity or abundance," writes Brent Kessel, one of the top 250 financial advisors in the U.S. The author also brings to the table two decades of yoga and meditation practice and interviews with more than 20 of the world's top spiritual teachers including His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Rabbi Harold Kushner, Thich Nhat Hanh, Ram Dass, and others.
Kessel is convinced that we all carry a "Core Story" about money which informs how we relate to it and to its demands. He believes that a lot of trouble is caused by the wanting mind which always desires something new, better, or different. But as meditation teacher Christina Feldman warns us, "There is never enough in the world to satisfy the dissatisfied heart."
In a fascinating section of the book, Kessel outlines the eight most common ways that our Core Stories of money play out in our lives. The eight archetypes are: The Guardian, the Pleasure Seeker, the Idealist, the Saver, the Star, the Innocent, the Caretaker, and the Empire Builder. He moves beyond to identify emotional states commonly felt by people with each archetype', thoughts held by people, which can be healthy if cultivated in moderation but more often run the show in a distorted way; liberating wisdom on which to focus; and balancing archetypes you ought to emphasize more in your life. Other sections deal with the Middle Way of Money, The Conscious Investor, and the Yoga of Money.
For those who are serious about doing inner work on the role of money in their daily life, Kessel includes dozens of exercises, questions, spiritual practices, and meditations. Check out the one included in the excerpt.
