Can Financial Planning Keep You From Sinning?

“She’s really writing that? Who does she think she is?!”

I am a financial planner who is trying to make the world a better place, that’s who I am.

And for the world to be a better place, we all need to behave in ways that support what “better” looks like. And while that is open for interpretation, in general most people want to be loved, respected, accepted and valued.

We become upset when we are not loved, respected, accepted and valued.
When we are upset, we can do things that aren’t so nice (i.e. be jealous, steal, lie, etc. = sins), causing others to feel unloved, disrespected, not acceptable (not good enough) and not valuable. And on it goes. Yuck!
Therefore, I have a lot of work to do with the medium I know best: money.

Since I also study faith and belief systems as a hobby, I can easily find the common denominator present in all faith (and non-faith) belief systems: The Golden Rule.

I think you’d agree that most of us want world peace. But we can and will only have world peace when we actively choose it- every second of the day – over our pride and desires in our corner of the world. That’s where financial planning can help. Stick with me here.

I came across this at a networking meeting, a Danielle LaPorte “truthbomb:”

I pondered this thought for days after the event. What did I desire so much that it felt greedy? Result: I wanted certain family members and friends to acknowledge the value of the work I do, and I thought producing a certain amount of income (I have no idea how much) from the work I do would prove my work’s value; my value.

WRONG.

But there it is. I can now better understand myself and my motives and can extend that understanding to others through the work I do as a financial planner.

Desire, that’s a big part of the equation. Our desire for material things increases exponentially when our needs for love, respect, acceptance and being valued aren’t being met.

If we do not have the resources to purchase what we believe will help us feel loved, respected, accepted and valued, we may resort to theft, gambling, debt and other ways of obtaining what we believe we need…and down the less-virtuous rabbit hole we go.

Financial planning, when done in a compassionate atmosphere, has the ability to shine a light on your life and what you would have it to be and then look to your resources and how you can make decisions with them in order to have the life you envision, to be your authentic self, without the need for outside validation. This leads to self preservation and self-growth; the two beautifully illustrated elements in my company’s logo (the shield and the flower, respectively).

Financial planning will help make clear what resources you actually need and how to obtain them to have a fulfilling life, to feel secure, and to be generous, loving and respectful towards others.

You know the truth, that money won’t buy you happiness or love
but you might be afraid to live by it.

I think it’s because you would have to abandon
what you’ve learned about money, people and life
and that may feel like a betrayal of your own thoughts.

I invite you to just try this truth on like you would a pair of shoes
and see where those new shoes lead you.
“Lead us not into temptation…”

Want more than just a blog post? I help people of all levels of income and wealth (or no wealth, yet) take control of their finances, make good decisions and experience peace & abundance. http://www.lauberfinancialplanning.com