Hey, welcome back to Rooted&Real, and this is Lynda, your pal.
So we're still doing this series of, if you knew then what you know now, would things
have been different?
Would things be better than they are now?
And today we're dealing with, if I knew then what I know now, I would have had a different
relationship with money.
Not because I needed more of it, but because I misunderstood what it was for.
Let me tell you, money is good, it is awesome, when it's doing its job. It's paying rent,
it's paying bills, it's buying groceries, it even lets you take your person out for
lunch without checking your balances first.
Ma! I remember the first time I had extra in my account, I didn't panic, but the freedom
I felt... Heh! 'Wacha tu' (I can't even explain it).
Money is a tool, and when it works, it gives you peace.
And then, there's this other side of money, when that money becomes your boss, that is
bad.
Credit cards for things you couldn't even afford, saying yes to keep up with the, I
call them the Jonas's, the neighbours next door, 'ama' (or) your friends from your alumni
group, eh?
You want to show you got it.
And at some point, it becomes a bit shameful when you can't keep up, so you guess your
way through it, and you know what?
Nobody teaches you that back in school, you just learn by messing up.
And I'm telling you, my dear, I messed up, not once, not twice.
And then, there's that other ugly side of money, when, especially the fights that money
causes, the anxiety that comes with lack of it at 2 a.m., when you start thinking about
the project that you had thought about to do, when you're still thinking about it at
2 a.m., and you're still saying, I'll start next month.
And that next month turns into years.
Now, the ugliest bit is realizing that you have tied your worth to your wallet, that
if you had more, you'd be more, and you have less, so you are less.
THAT IS A LIE.
And I believed that lie for so long.
So, if you are stressed about money right now, I SEE YOU.
I totally feel you.
And if I knew then what I know now, I would have started talking about it sooner.
I would have asked questions.
I would have made a plan, even a messy one.
Money is just money, and you're the one who gives it meaning.
So give yourself some grace, learn it, talk about it, but you've got to start today.
You're doing much better than you think.
Thank you so much for listening.
Be blessed!