There’s a line in Dylan’s It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)
That goes, “Money doesn’t talk, it swears.”
Though I was seventeen when I first heard it—and I haven’t heard it in ten, maybe thirteen, years—it came to me this morning.
Does that happen to you? Awaking to snippets of songs jangling in your head?
No?
Well, anyway…
The lyrics came to me, I guess, because of this post.
This post about another type of voice.
Not a singing one, this one.
More a foreboding one.
Dire, maybe. Pleading, even.
It’s a voice that, I believe, we all heard growing up.
And, it’s a voice we may have adopted now, perhaps as we address our children.
It’s a voice about money.
It’s a voice cementing our beliefs about money.
And it’s a phrase that, because we heard it from such a young age, we just accepted as true.
You know what I mean?
A mantra spoken over and over, often as an epilogue to a financial request.
“Waddya think, money grows on trees?”
“What am I, made of money?”
Or, one of my favourites,
“Yes they might have money, but are they happy?”
If you chuckled as at any of that, it’s likely because you heard the voice too.
But, have you ever paused to consider the impact of that voice? Of those words?
I sometimes do it with friends, family—or clients, even.
Especially when they confide about their business’s dismal (or surprisingly, at times, uncomfortably lavish) financial state.
I ask them to remember that voice, recall its warning—in heavy, apprehensive tones—about the role of money.
And I then ask whether they still believe the voice (most do).
(Which, by the way, is another, important, reason I keep saying that it’s not about the money, but, rather, the discernment—the perception—of money).
You can make a game of it too.
Sit with friends and compare those voices.
See what comes out.
Then, later, laugh about it.
Shake your head.
But remember; those voices—and the words they relayed—are embedded. Deep down.
And many times, they still carry influence.
Leaving you to wonder why you can’t stop from picking up every penny lying by the wet, dirty curb… (A penny saved is a penny earned…. Look after the pennies and the dollars will look after themselves).
Or what compelled you to buy both an iPhone and an iPod Touch… (Oh you, money’s always burning a hole in your pocket).
Well, anyway…
Here’s what I’d like to do.
Have a contest.
I’ll give away a free book (my book, The Net Present Value of Life—in case you’re wondering) to the person who posts the funniest, or most thought-provoking, comment about money. It’s ideally something you heard while growing up. Maybe something a parent said when you asked for money. Or a line a family member recited over and over. Or maybe something you, quite simply, overheard. Please remember, as best you can, to put your reply in context.
Oh yes, the rules:
i) Contest starts today and ends on March 5, 2010 at 5:00PM (Eastern Canada time, GMT -5)
ii) Contest open to all residents of Canada, USA, UK and Europe with an easily accessible postal address
iii) Prize to be delivered to the lucky winner via regular parcel post (delivery could take a few weeks)
iii) Lucky winner agrees to be identified (name and city/country of residence) in a blogpost, or other social media
iv) Lucky winner also agrees their comment may, at my discretion, be used in a blogpost or other social media
v) Contest is completely subjective and winning entry is selected by yours truly, based on the entry that makes me laugh the hardest, or gets me to ruminate the most
vi) There is but one winning entry. No prizes for runners up, or runners of runners up…
Is that okay? Fair enough?
Good luck.
