Do You Connect Money and Gratitude in your Business?
Last month, we introduced Jamila O'Gilvie-Craig, a Virtual CFO serving CFO on Speed Dial clients with an extraordinary mix of technical expertise and coaching acumen. Jamila is a brilliant CFO and money thought leader.
Today, she takes the mic again to explore the important — and often overlooked — connection between gratitude and money.
Let’s dive in!
Why Money Matters
In our work as business owners and CFOs, money remains a critical tool and measure for success.
We use money to value our businesses, our time and energy, and also to value each other.
Why is it that money holds this incredible amount of value in our daily life?
Because money is and remains the most coveted form of currency in the world.
Of course, when coveted for the wrong reasons, money can lead to greed, inequality, excess, and exploitative behaviors that are harmful to our families, our communities and to our planet.
Since money is truly a form of currency, let’s look closer at the definition of currency.
Currency is defined as a medium of exchange or something that is generally accepted as having value.
This definition invites us to see that money is NOT the only form of currency we have available!
We all have various ways of exchanging with each other and expressing the value of things in our lives that are not attached to money.
These other currencies are connected to our well-being and fulfillment:
They are what make us feel alive and connected to everything and everyone around us.
They are what bring us joy and give us a true sense of purpose.
From this perspective, money can be understood as one of the many forms of currency. Perhaps money no longer has to be the most coveted currency.
How this shift in thinking helps with understanding gratitude and money
With this frame, money can become a tool that we use to amplify what we believe in and what we are passionate about.
Money can be something we use to create a more meaningful impact in our lives and in the world.
Money can be something we desire to have without shame because we can use it in a way that aligns with our core values.
And this is how Money can be connected to gratitude.
There is so much that money brings into our lives that we can be grateful for!
Money can give us the freedom to choose - who we work with and for and how we decide to use our skills and talents. It can give us the freedom to choose who we spend our time with, where we live, how often we travel, or how often we get to spend time with our loved ones.
Money can give us the opportunity to pursue what we want in our lives and empower us to create the change that we want to see in the world. Money can help us to start a business, to support our families, and to invest in building future financial stability.
Money can also be used to express gratitude. When we express gratitude, we experience more positive emotions, and we feel more connected to the people around us. Gratitude is also known to improve our health and make us more happy and more fulfilled individuals.
How could money be used to create an expression of gratitude?
When we use our money to support something we believe in - we can be grateful.
When we use our money to connect with those around us and those we love - we can be grateful.
When we invest our money in our health and well-being - we can be grateful.
And the list goes on!
So, in the U.S., as we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving with our loved ones this week, let’s ask:
What are the things that money brings into our life that we can be grateful for this season?
We’ll be sharing our thoughts about this in our social media, so please join in with the things that you are grateful for!
Ready to Add Even More Meaning to Your Money?
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