Sometimes we spend years around money without ever really meeting it. We react to it.Work for it.Avoid it.Fear it.Chase it.Blame it. But we never actually stop long enough to ask what kind of relationship we’re in. And for many of us, keeping our distance from money feels safer. Because if money remains mysterious or powerful or even dangerous, then we make sure we protect ourselves by staying cautious around it. We keep our interactions brief. Controlled. Surface-level. Never looking too closely at what’s underneath. But eventually, something in us gets tired of just living “beside” money… living beside something that shapes so much of our lives, without ever really connecting with it. And it’s not that we suddenly become fearless. It’s just that we start wanting something more honest than avoidance. There is something so special and courageous in that want, that desire… the decision to meet money without worshipping it or fearing it. To stop treating it like a monster. Or a savior. Or proof of worth. And instead… to approach it like a relationship. One that will likely include awkwardness, repair, patience, resilience, and plenty of setbacks. A relationship that requires care, honesty, trust, consistency, balance, a sense of humor and love. Never perfect. Never fully resolved. But real. And real, by the way, means that everything will not always go well. Our work lies in building the trust that we can stay present in the relationship even when things feel uncertain. Or even horrible. I think maybe what changes first for many of us is not our income or our circumstances. It’s our willingness, when it comes to money, to finally say: “Hi. Nice to meet you.” _________________ If something in this brought up your own relationship with money… here’s: A prompt, if you want it Write a letter to money that begins with: “Money, I realize I’ve never really let myself meet you because…” or “Money, the role I’ve believed you played in my life is…” Let yourself notice the distance, the fear, the caution, or even the hope that has shaped the relationship. You don’t need to force resolution. Just begin with honesty. ____________________ Today’s reflection came from a letter that was anonymously shared with me. I’ll read it to you now. Dear Money— It has been a long time — my whole life, actually — before I finally decided to greet you. Even though this is our first open and conscious interaction, we both know we have been existing next to each other every day. Our energies have collided many times, whether we wanted them to or not. My whole life, I have treated you like a neighbour I didn’t know. And because of that, I have always been afraid to simply say hello. You seemed too powerful, too scary, too dangerous to me, so every interaction was played safe, without unearthing the monster you might have turned out to be. But that is over. I want to start fresh and clear out the room. I want our relationship to exist on equal ground, with mutual respect. I want you to be a dear friend I can count on when needed. And more than that, I want to treat you with respect without being fearful of you. This new and clearer path I want to take will strengthen both myself and my relationship with you, my friend. I offer you my commitment and curiosity so we can grow and nurture this relationship together. I want us to stay resilient when the storms come. It will not be perfect, but we will move forward together toward our abundant future. So… hi. Nice to meet you. I commit to celebrating small and big wins, picking ourselves up, standing strong against difficulties, and never losing faith in us — knowing that we will withstand the storm by empowering and gently reminding each other that we’ve got each other, for good and for bad. ______________________ Thank you to the writer for trusting me with this letter. And thank you for listening. Dear Money is a space for honesty, not answers.If you find yourself holding a truth you haven’t named yet, I hope you’ll consider writing your own letter to money. It would be an honor to reflect on your words—and a gift for all of us to recognize a little more clearly how not alone we are in this relationship. New episodes are published every Thursday. Until next time. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit miataedoga.substack.com
