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26th March, 2024

How Money Holds Us Back

With Agnes Otzelberger

Photo of Agnes Otzelberger

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On this episode

It’s easy to to find ourselves thinking that money holds the key to our happiness, security, and freedom. We can project our desires and aversions onto money, believing that once we have “enough”, we can finally get the life we want. But thinking like this often keeps us from truly living our lives; instead we’re stuck constantly chasing the next thing.

Money is a story we create, not something with inherent power. It’s a piece of paper; a digit in a computer we assign value to. But by disentangling our sense of self from our relationship with money, we can reclaim our personal agency and free up a lot of creative energy.

Even while recognising that everyone’s financial situations are different, dysfunctional money stories lead to a constant need to chase, where we’re forever stuck in a loop of wanting more but never feeling satisfied. But by untangling our sense of self-worth from our financial status, we can start to experience a life that flows more naturally, with and without the constraint of money.

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About the guests

Agnes Otzelberger photo

Reasons to listen

  • To learn how our narratives about money can influence our actions and happiness, and how changing these narratives can free up creative energy.
  • To understand how to disentangle our sense of self from our relationship with money, leading to a life that flows more naturally.
  • To discover how acknowledging that money has no inherent power can shift our perspectives and affect our personal and professional development.

Episode highlights

00:02:57

Our response to money

00:05:47

Money stories on a global level

00:09:25

Our individual money stories

00:13:20

The “lack-of-funding” problem within the NHS

00:16:29

The “time is money” story

00:19:31

Excavating your own money stories

00:21:52

Projections of money meaning

00:25:22

Selfishness and self-image

00:31:53

Healing unhelpful money stories

00:34:22

Tackling our projections head-on

00:43:25

Dealing with money conflicts

00:48:02

Money as an expression of appreciation

00:51:20

Every big change begins with a big lie

00:54:57

Agnes’ top tips

Episode transcript

[00:00:00] Rachel: What’s the last time you said to yourself, things would be so much easier if I just had a bit of money? Or you put off a big decision until you’ve decided you have enough money? It’s a trap we all fall into from time to time. That’s not to say that money doesn’t matter or that people who don’t earn enough just to have a bad relationship with it, but if we use money, As the way of valuing ourselves or the work we do, or the time we spend, we risk losing sight of our own…

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