Make Money, Thank Money
What Money Can Teach Us about Self-Acceptance & Financial Abundance.
How to heal your relationship with money, build your financial EQ and become a money magnet.
// About The Episode:
Throughout this episode you will start to understand and unlock your capacity to receive money, use your money to its fullest potential, and channel your money towards the people and goals you believe in. You’ll start to understand money EQ, your relationship with money, and how it’s affecting you in unexpected ways. We’ll discuss the significance of gratitude, a Japanese art of mastering money, and you’ll see what hidden financial hang-ups, beliefs, and models of reality have held you back throughout your life as you gain clarity on the real reason wealth is important to you, in order to welcome abundance and shift your money mindset.
// Introduction:
I recently took a workshop through MindValley on money mindset, and I was so interested in the content I wanted to share it with you this week. The workshop was led by Ken Honda, author of over 50 books, including “Happy Money”, is a Japanese financial expert who trains professionals for no less than $30k for just a few months of support. Ken was mentored by the famed Wahei Takeda, who is known as the Warren Buffet of Japan... and btw did you know Japan has more millionaires per capita than anywhere else in the world? Pretty impressive. So, the workshop talked a lot about targeting the ‘money wounds’ embedded in your brain: which are similar to limiting beliefs that your mind holds onto. By releasing these beliefs, you’ll shift your money mindset and uncover secrets from some of the world's wealthiest people.
Get ready to get abundance on demand, by restructuring your money mindset, and finding peace with money. As you look at your relationship with money, your life will shift, and as you heal your money wounds your whole outlook on life will change. You’ll have better sleep, relationships, and finances. Once your belief system changes, your life will change. You will be able to trust life more and do what you want and need - you can take risks, which really is just following your heart and intuition. It all starts with transforming your mind. Get ready to start your new money life today.
Forgiveness for the past can be a fortune for the future. It’s important to look at past pain and resentment that’s silently dragging down your financial success in the present. A lot of our beliefs of money that take place are rooted in the house we grew up in. Our parents wounds and our younger wounds become our current wounds
How did your parents view money when you were a child? How did they talk about it? Did they say or imply rich people were mean, bad, and selfish? Did people who have little money try to take from those who “worked harder” for their money, thus making them less deserving? Did you come from a family that said you need to be careful of money, or beware of where you put it? Did you hear your parents always saying, “we don't have enough money for this or that?”
I’ve found we need to recognize the knowledge in doses like this, I like to call it life’s micro-learning. Through the exercises today you will learn why you may no thave the bank account you want, or are in debt because you don’t have the right mentors to teach you about money.
For most, our mentors are our parents or guardians, but remember they have their own wounds too (from their own childhood and life experiences)! We are not taught the skills to acknowledge and heal these wounds growing up, but it’s important to learn them now, because it’s never too late for your SHIFT.
For my money wounds, for example, I’m reminded of my childhood when my dad would have to output money. My dad would always be very cranky and angry when it was that time of the month to pay bills. He would be visibly upset, and as a young girl my thought pattern was this:
Well, money, and paying out money makes you mad and upset. So to be happy, I must get, make and keep my money. My fear of having too little became an obsession as I got older to strive to always make more and do more, thus leading to professional burnout and emotional fatigue.
I now understand that I can remove the imprints and wounds of money from my family, and instead make my own new imprints.
Maybe try to interview your parents, grandparents or whoever raised you -- and ask them their views on money (both when they were a kid and now). Then draw comparisons and see if you now fall into the same patterns and beliefs.
See, money is energy. It’s an exchange of energy. You can decide if you want it to be a good exchange or a bad exchange. If you want to get angry when it goes out, that’s your choice emotionally. If you want to be grateful when it goes out, that’s also your choice.
IQ, as we know, has to do with intelligence, and you may have heard of EQ - connecting to emotional intelligence. It’s important to know that EQ also pertains to money, since, as we just learned, money is energy. The methodology for Money EQ Will transform your relationship with money, and in turn skyrocket your success in money and in life. It’s a proven process that countless people across the world have already benefited from, too.
A high money IQ (meaning the hard skills of money like saving and investing) can help you grow your money in the short-term… But without a high money EQ (your relationship with money) you will never achieve lasting wealth or peace of mind with your money.
// Method to Manifesting 101:
As much as we want it, we are either afraid of money or obsessed with money. Why is it that when we need to make a decision to buy something, like a car or a house - we feel like you cant make any mistakes and are almost paralyzed in fear. It’s because we don’t have a good relationship with money, and we aren't accepting the input and output of energy itself.
There are 3 Systemic Models, or money types that people fall into, often taken from when you were a kid, and stuck onto you like glue as the adult you are today. When you can identify your money EQ type - it will help you see where your money block may be, and when you recognize the block, you can start to clear it.
The 3 money types are:
Control
Indifferent
Fear
So let’s get into that a bit...
- The “control” money type: Someone who wants to control everything and save money, make money and increase it. Do-ers. Anxiety-ridden sometimes, and often didn’t come from a home that had money, so they want to control the amount they bring in, in order to control their happiness or emotions. May have thought if they had more money they could be happier or avoid pain or escape suffering.
Statements that may resonate with the control money type are:
I spend a lot of time thinking about what I will do with my money. Save it, earn it, spend it.
I would like more money in my life and have many plans for what I would do with it
I am happier when I am actively doing something to change my finances
- The “indifferent” money type: Often school teachers, homemaker, volunteer workers. They don't really care about it, or don’t know how to manage it, so they often do good, meaningful work in the world but can be broke or make less money than they’re worth. Often brought up in a nice or okay middle class home. Given what they need, good presents, so they are indifferent and they don’t have to worry about it much.
Statements that may resonate with the indifferent money type are:
I am generally not motivated by money
Money seems to flow to me without much effort
I don’t spend much time thinking about money
- The “fear” money type: They are afraid, judge or try to run away from money. They often think people who have lots of money are dirty or evil and people who have it are bad people, or had to step on others to make it to the top. They are often afraid, freeze or try to run away from systems - hippie types or anti-rule followers, and don’t want to have anything to do with it, though they likely still complain about not having enough money.
Statements that may resonate with the fear money type are:
I spend a lot of time worrying about money
I often find myself frozen when it comes to making financial decisions
I will often ignore my finances or keep money at a distance.
It’s also important to remember that you can have more than one money type. I’m sort of a mix of control and fear, but control is more dominant for me. Now that I recognize that, I can understand when I receive or spend money, how I feel about it, and I can create my own financial freedom.
Think about what money type you are, and say out loud, “I am not my past money wounds, as of today, I am lovingly healing my relationship with money, and welcoming it with positive energy, flow, appreciation and gratitude.”
// Ancient Ancestors:
Arigato is a Japanese word, meaning thank you. It directly translates to something being impossible or difficult, and to explain why this is, arigato is used to address a thank you to the person who has done something impossible for you.
You’ll find traces of the word arigato as far back as the 794-1192, in the Heian period, and you can even find it in the Pillow Book, also known as “Makura no Soshi”. The Pillow Book is comprised of a bunch of entries written by court lady Sei Shonagon. It was finished in 1002, and Shonagon included excerpts of musings and bits of her life; poems, quotes, passages, message bits, essays, etcetera. She also happened to write down “Arigatakimono”, which expressed some sentiments that she found it hard to exist in this world.
The word would later evolve with the widespread religion of Buddhism in Japan. People connected arigato with the idea of gratefulness of the blessings given by Buddha. To this day, this is still the way people perceive the gratitude behind arigato.
It’s no secret that words have power, feel free to head back to episode 2 to listen to the reality of words for more info here… but the spiritual power of words is also a biggie in the Japanese Language and culture.
Japan has a traditional philosophy called kotodama. People in ancient times referred to Japan as “The country where kotodama brings happiness”, and the idea still holds true today. Gratitude and thanks bring about happiness.
Today, I want to tell you a secret technique, used by billionaires worldwide.
It’s called The Arigato Technique.
Years ago, Takeda (remember the Warren Buffet of Japan) was asked - “What is the secret to wealth?” To which he replied, “There is only one secret: Arigato your money and smile.
So we know now that Arigato means “thank you” in Japanese, and Takeda said the #1 secret to wealth is by saying thank you. You might be thinking, wait… that’s it? That can’t be it. Takeda is a billionaire, how is this the most important secret. But when was the last time you thanked your money? If ever? Can this method be that simple? Thes short answer is yes.
When the money comes in, you must appreciate it. When the money goes out, you must also appreciate it. By thanking the money output, and input, you are recognizing the appreciation and gratitude of it, and also the circular flow of the money itself, thus making it “happy money”.
“Arigato In. Arigato Out.”
So here’s the trick to the Japanese Art of Mastering Your Money - say out loud, “thank you” to the check, or money or whatever you get - and when I spend on money with your credit card online or at the store, or write a check for your rent or mortgage or bills, say out loud “thank you” and direct it to the money. You can say it in any language, it doesn’t matter - the universe picks up on the ENERGY of gratitude… though I do say “Arigato” because that resonates with me personally. Try to say it out loud when you say it, but if you really are in a place where you can't, be sure to say it in your head.
By using the Arigato Technique, you are blessing the money, and the next person and the next person - imagine the journey of it - think about - when you pay for food at the store, it goes to the farmer who made it, the cashier’s hourly wage, the rent or electricity to have a store down the street from you. The money energy is something that connects all of it, and we never even think about it. If the energy is not appreciated, it will not flow.
This way, it becomes a circular money - it will flow all around your, and you will realize you can access it at any time. It becomes easily accessible because there is a constant flow of money as if you are BREATHING it.
It’s such a healthy mental model! It will attract new opportunities and levels of money and financial abundance for you. The technique is simple, but the results are profound. Others will do it back and reflect it to you, too, if we’re all appreciative of the money. The Mental models from our past hold us back, but with the Arigato Technique, you will begin to welcome miracles into your life, you’ll see.
// Mindful & Metaphysical:
We now know that we must clear the money myths and shift our mindset, and we’ve learned that thanking your money with the Arigato technique is the secret to welcoming more of it, as we recognize the circular pattern of the energy of money.
Now, I want you to think about your money mindset.
I want you to think “money is air” …now say it out loud - “money is air”
That’s an easier concept for our younger generation to think about right? Money is air -- we use apple cards, venmo, and text people money. We rarely have cash or coins, and have leaned on plastic for years now. So it’s not like we have to feel tied or connected to a dollar in our bank account. If we can imagine a room with plentiful air, could we imagine an account with plentiful funds. Yes, you can!
According to Wahei Takeda and Ken Honda, there are 3 levels of money. I think of these like levels that you graduate through.
Money is like ice, you will not move through it or get more of it if you fight it
Money is like a river, you can feel comfortable on it, but it could carry you away
If you go to the highest level, money is like air, you don't even know you’re breathing because it’s everywhere, all around you, ever abundant.
Think of it this way, we don’t wake up in the morning thinking, “Is there going to be enough air for me to breath today?” Because it’s ever-flowing all around us. Try to think of money that way.
You may never feel rich UNTIL you shift your mindset around money to the mental model - If you level up, and think of the energy of money like air, then the money will come like air. Say right now with me, “The money I need flows to me whenever I need it.”
I will say, money energy can’t be selfish either. You can’t be like… I want a million dollars to help myself and sit in a vat of gold while eating truffles and drinking champagne. Think about money, why you feel like you need it, or who/what it can help. Remember the importance of having a servant’s heart, and how you can be living a life of altruism.
There was a fascinating discovery revealed after Ken interviewed over 12,000 self-made millionaires in his home country of Japan. While many of these millionaires had more than enough cash in their bank accounts, some of them still did not feel financially secure. Keep in mind, some of them were multi-millionaires. Some even had private jets. And yet, these people were still fraught with financial worries. So if it’s not the number in our bank accounts that can help us dissolve the stresses we so often experience with handling money, what can? That’s when Ken pieced the puzzle together.
You’ll also be chasing but never feel fulfilled. Ya know, don’t aim for a jet, because there will always be something else you want, like chasing a horizon. The closer you get, the farther it goes.
All you need is the capability to thank the money and welcome it.
It's not just the money - once you trust the universe is nice and friendly to you, it will come. I always say the universe is always conspiring with you, not against you. You can co-create your future in every aspect of your life! This is one of the most powerful things you can learn in this human life -
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As always, thank you for reading along, listening to, sharing, and subscribing, and don’t forget to stay Mindful & Divine.
x.shana
Podcast • YouTube • Book • Instagram
Questions? Want to Work Together or Discuss a Future Project? Email shana@mindfuldivine.com
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Additional Sources I enjoyed reading and researching while writing this episode / post:
https://www.speakingtree.in/allslides/money-energy-is-spiritual-energy
https://blog.mindvalley.com/how-to-attract-money/
https://shellybullard.com/blog-manifest-abundance/why-money-is-spiritual
https://spiritualarts.org/blog/evolving-your-soul/the-spiritual-purpose-of-money/
https://tobemagnetic.com/free-native-1/2017/9/11/the-energetics-of-money-manifestation
I took the mini-workshop, but the full online course can be found here: https://www.mindvalley.com/money/masterclass