To break free of the money trap we start by stopping to define ourselves by the amount in our bank accounts (part one). We then understand when we are being responsible and when we are in Fantasy Land while keeping ourselves grounded in sufficiency (part two). The third and final step is to

reallocate the flow of your money toward the people, causes and organizations that speak to you, that honor what you think is important.

This will allow you to be a steward of the planet in your own way

When I think about money I usually think about how much I have saved (or not) and how much I will need for retirement more than 20 years from now. However I was intrigued when I read Lynne Twist’s Soul of Money she says,

“. . . money is like water. Money flows through all our lives, sometimes like a rushing river, and sometimes like a trickle. When it is flowing, it can purify, cleanse, create growth, and nourish. But when it is blocked or held too long, it can grow stagnant and toxic to those withholding or hording it.” (Twist, 2003)

I began to wonder: is my savings hording and has my money become toxic? Then I remember responsibility and the reality that I will need money for when I am older or if I get sick, and I started looking at what I was spending money on. Where are my resources going here and now? A quick scan of my recent spending shows me Best Buy, Amazon, Target, Whole Foods, Banana Republic, Coke-a-cola, Comcast, Staples and Hess.

Think of your last five financial transactions . . . did money flow toward responsibility and sufficiency or toward scarcity or fantasy land?

Is there a way for me to reallocate my money from large for-profit corporations toward local family own establishments? Can I alter some of my spending habits and redirect them toward organizations that make a difference for me? This year I have given to my church, Cornell Women’s Soccer Team, the Pan Mass Challenge, Humanity Unites Brilliance, The Global Sufficiency Network and the Pachamama Alliance to name a few.

For some of us, reallocating our money may be internal focusing on debt reduction or being responsible about paying off a loan from a relative, buying long term care insurance or saving for a child’s future education.

 Finally, reallocation could look like an investment in yourself or your business to develop and expand to the next level.

What organizations or causes speak to you and honor what you think is important?

Can you reallocate a portion of your spending to fund what you say is important?