Show me the Money
But what's it for?
(Photo by micheile henderson on Unsplash)
Money is NOT the point.
Money is not evil.
People with money are not evil.
Money helps you make better choices. Money gives you the security and space to ask the deeper questions about your life - where to eat and what to eat; where to live and how often to invest in massages, yoga and other self-care practices.
When I was younger I made so many bad choices. I spent decades feeling guilty for some of the things I said and did when I was desperate to make enough money to afford the bus and metro fare into my office in DC.
I started working when I was 12 (if you count babysitting) and tried selling rocks and crayfish to neighbors driving in and out of the neighborhood when I was around 8.
In my mind, money meant security and freedom.
The problem, for me at least, is that I focused so hard on money making that I crashed and burned often. The first time was in college. The next time was my first foray into recruiting in a cut-throat IT industry in DC and the third (and I hope final) time was after selling my boutique pet-care business to a guy who was a real jerk but had the money to purchase my beautiful and successful baby.
After that I spent a lot of time licking my wounds and trying to understand the meaning of life. I also was diagnosed with an auto-immune disease and had to get right with myself to find a way to live pain and symptom free.
No magic wand appeared to solve my money problems. I did however lean into the idea that I could be happy and have a job that paid me what I was worth. After a series of fortunate (and unfortunate) events I wound up back in recruiting and I haven’t looked back since.
Money comes easier when you aren’t clenching it or buying into the idea that you have to suffer to earn it. (I also realize that this statement makes no sense when you have little or no money in the bank). Money truly is a tool to help you live on your terms.
For me, money stopped being the goal, and started being the means to the end goal of a more peaceful life. And I haven’t lost focus on the idea that having money makes it easier to do the things I want to do and to live the way I want to - so I continue to work, but not with the edge I had 20 years ago.
That’s just one of the reasons I work with a sliding scale - being paid for work is important and I have decades of experience working with businesses, reviewing resumes, interviewing candidates and hiring managers and finding jobs for myself and others. When someone needs me, I want to help and I want to continue to pay my bills and live life on my terms. The amount of money I need is vastly different from the amount of money I used to think I had to have in order to be “successful,” and I’m glad for this journey.
I’m glad you’re here. I hope you find the ways to find your happy in life and at work. I am happy to help you if you need me to.
Happy Solstice from rainy Williamsburg,
Peggie
Click here if you want to chat about working together.
My podcast, Adoptees at Work launches tomorrow (6/22) at 10 am. You can listen here: