I have been grappling lately with the intention and purpose behind this blog. At first, it was meant to be a collection of thoughts from my journal about what it was like for me to be in a graduate program. For a while I have lost the drive to delve into those topics and have been waiting for inspiration to hit. Now it has. I know what I want to focus on right now. I reserve the right to change the topics of this blog as needs change and of course, life is constantly in flux.
Why finances?
Finances have been a foreign and scary concept to me for so so long. The more I talk to my friends about finances, the more pronounced I see that most people my age struggle with finances. Not just finances, but money. What is money really? Deep down what is it other than some pieces of paper and metal? I see that money is really an arbitrary construct. We could have denoted anything in place of money and created a virtually identical system to the one in place now. For me, money is a representation of worth. Whether I am conscious of it or not, the jobs I seek and hold are a reflection of my sense of personal value and worthiness. This assessment is then reflected in the currency I receive and exchange.
Money is a form of energy really. What I am putting out into the world I get in return. This return is correlated with the value I serve in whatever capacity I am filling. I will admit that there are people who feel pretty crummy about themselves, weighed down by a sense of depression and lack that actually sustain very high incomes of wealth. The thing is, at some point when we start really inquiring about the state of our days and the way we are living our lives, eventually, our finances will be implicated by our self-concept. Wealth, truly at the very core, is so much bigger than money. Nevertheless, the tangible aspects of balancing inflows and outflows can be overwhelming, complicated, and need to be the priority. As I learn more about balancing a checkbook, repaying loans, saving for kids and retirement, investing, and the lot, I see how crucial it is to be balanced in other areas of life like relationships and goals and personal fulfillment.
I hope that as I learn about money and being a grown-up, that this blog can serve as a companion to others who face the same struggles as I do and that I can lend some advice as I learn and grow over time. Let my experiences, good and bad, be teachers for you about what to do and what not to do. I welcome suggestions and questions and comments from anyone and everyone. As long as I have one reader I will consider this blog a success. Bon chance and let the wealth be with you!
