The Secret Language of Money: How to Make Smarter Financial Decisions and Live a Richer Life

Book excerpt: If money were about math, none of us would be carrying any debt. The numbers are simple. What’s complicated is what we do with money. We use money to soothe our feelings and buy respect, to show how much we care or how little. We don’t simply earn, save, and spend money: we flirt with it, crave it, and scorn it; we punish and reward ourselves with it. Without realizing it, we give money meaning it doesn’t really have—what former psychiatrist and current business coach David Krueger calls our “money story.” And in the process of playing out that money story, we often sacrifice the most important things in our life: our health, freedom, relationships, and happiness. What is your money story? Do you consistently spend more than you have? Do you follow the herd in your investments—even though you know the herd is usually wrong? Have you neglected to save for the future, even when you have the means? Do you feel controlled or shackled by debt? Is your money somehow never “enough”? Is money, or the lack of it, always on your mind? The Secret Language of Money is a guided tour to the subconscious meanings we give money, the conflicted ways our braindeals with money, the reasons we tend to make the same money mistakes over and over—and most importantly, how you can change all that. A brilliant blend of cutting-edge science and real-world application, The Secret Language of Money helps you rewrite your money story and find that elusive balance of wealth, health, and joy we all seek.