With this market mess, where do you find your security?

While I usually write about creating and cultivating work that's in alignment with who you are, I'd be remiss if I didn't talk about money as an element in that alignment.  Often, I find that when people want to make a career change, they say, "Yeah, I'd love to do something more creative...fulfilling...meaningful, but I can't afford to make a change."

Well, now that our financial markets are in turmoil, are these folks more apt to stay in place?  You know, not leave their jobs, even if they hate them?

Yep.

Many people will feel paralyzed and unable to move to a new company or industry or function.  But it doesn't have to be that way.  They can open up more freedom by really looking at what money means to them, and what creates security and prosperity for them.

I say this because I'm very influenced by a conversation I had last Wednesday night with Deborah Price, founder of the Money Coaching Institute.  We're both disturbed by current market conditions.  Deborah knows the big firms well, having worked at Merrill Lynch and AIG.  And she's appalled by the greed of their leadership.

And she reminds me that in times of crisis -- as I'd argue we're in now -- people's money archetypes arise.  And those archetypes lead to not-such-nice-behaviors, including greed, fear, ignorance, and digging your head in the sand.

Money archetypes?

In her book, Money Magic, Deborah discusses nine archetypes, derived from the work of psychologist Carl Jung.  These are not fixed in stone...they are energies that w e tend to fall into, in an unconscious way.  They are generally patterns that we learn in early childhood.  These energies or patterns lurk in our "shadow," the parts of ourselves we don't like to see, and that we push away or repress. 

The good news is that when we bring awareness to these money archetypes, we have the opportunity to change them:

The Innocent: The Innocent takes the ostrich approach to money matters.

The Victim:  Victims are prone to living in the past and blaming their financial woes on external factors.

The Warrior

Warriors often have difficulty recognizing the difference between what appears to be an adversary and a worthy opponent. .

The Martyr

Martyrs are so busy taking care of others' needs that they often neglect their own.

The Fool

A gambler by nature, the Fool is always looking for a windfall of money by taking financial shortcuts. 

Creator/Artist

Creator/Artists often find living in the material world difficult and frequently have a conflicted love/hate relationship with money. 

The Tyrant

The Tyrant hoards money, using it to manipulate and control others.

The Magician

The Magician is the ideal money type. Using a new and ever-changing set of dynamics both in the material world and in the world of the Spirit, Magicians know how to transform and manifest their own financial reality.

These are just very simple descriptions of the archetypes, and you can get more details -- and advice -- in Money Magic.  Or in a webinar I'm hosting. 

Which archetypes (you can have more than one) are you most prone to?  What actions might you take, right now, to wake up to your unproductive archetypes, so you can become more like the magician?  

When you're aware of your money type, you can be more responsive and flexible with your money and your choices.  And that can open up new opportunities for your career, too.  You don't have to be stuck in place, feeling like your job is your security. 

Here's to being awake and aware around money,

Susan

Dr. Susan Bernstein
Coach, Speaker & Author
www.WorkFromWithin.com
Work From Within, LLC

PS -I'll be leading a webinar on dealing with money issues on Wednesday, October 29.  I invite you to check it out.  

PPS - You can also join a FREE teleclass on Wednesday, October 1, from 6-7 pm Pacific, Creating Inner Security in Uncertain Times.  For details, go to:  http://www.workfromwithin.com/innersecurity.php