I love money. And I’m done feeling bad about it. Money is great and I want more of it. Imagine you could buy anything you wanted, instantly. Does that make you afraid you might become a worldly or materialistic person, in that scenario? That’s religious programming. Having what you want is good. Being rich for its own sake is good, not bad, not shameful. I really enjoy nice things. Every time I put on my nice jacket, I feel pleasure. When I look at the art on my walls, I feel awesome each time. I enjoy driving a sleek, reliable automobile. It’s not true that the pleasure just fades until I buy “the next thing” – I enjoy all my nice things all the time.
Religion taught me that money is the root of all evil. We were taught that material pleasures pass away; only the will of god and spiritual matters are eternal. Money is a very dangerous thing, so try not to like it. If you’re rich, be terrified of your wealth, because like sex – like all things material – it has the power to distract you from the things of god, get you into the devil’s realm, and throw you into eternal torment. If you have wealth, you’re not as spiritual as those who swear oaths to poverty and devote themselves to “true spiritual riches.” Money is only worth making if you sacrifice your desire for it. You can’t make money to want it, you have to want it to give it to someone else… to the church, to the poor, to missionaries. But all this is not so.
What about your own “selfish” desires? What makes them intrinsically selfish or self-serving? Maybe they’re nice, special things just for me, and that’s all there is to it. Hating money and depriving yourself of it is no approach to finances, my friends. Hating the thing you’re trying to get probably doesn’t help you get it. I suspect it helps to enjoy money to earn it, to up your standard of living to incentivize yourself to enjoy it more and earn more. Money is of course not a good primary motivation for living life. If you have this problem, your problem isn’t even money to begin with: it’s an internal matter of the heart. Fix that and all your worries about getting destroyed by money won’t apply anymore. Acquiring and enjoying wealth for yourself is a great and worthy motivation, and it requires no apology or further explanation. Wealth is not a limited resource, but our wealth is limited by our limiting beliefs. We would do better without all the guilting and shaming around money. The world would be a richer place, spiritually and materially.
If you would like to work with me to transform your trauma into the place of your power and fulfill your potential, schedule a Free Transform Trauma into Power Session. In this session, my intention is to help you gain clarity and support, learn a few powerful suggestions, and see whether one of my Coaching Programs is a good fit for you.
Do you feel psychologically traumatized by religion, or isolated and disempowered by trauma and limiting beliefs in your life? I’m Andrew Jasko, Master of Divinity (M.Div.), M.A., Counseling Psychology in progress, and I work to help you transform your trauma into the place of your power and connect to a healthy, authentic spirituality that works for you (whether that’s as a spiritual, atheist, religious, transitioning, or agnostic identifying person). I was born into a minister’s family and became a preacher and missionary to India, after studying theology at Wheaton College and Princeton Seminary. As a Christian, my relationship with God was my passion, but unhealthy religious teachings caused me an anxiety disorder, sexual repression, and spiritual disillusionment. I felt alone, traumatized, and abandoned by the divine. After an agonizing crisis of faith, I rejected religion and spirituality. Then, I had an unexpected spiritual awakening through mystical and spiritual practices like meditation, psychedelics, and connecting my heart’s desires and intuition through my Divine Mindfulness practice. My passion is to help you in your spiritual or life transition to heal and connect with your authentic spiritual wholeness.
BOOK ME TO SPEAK: andrew@lifeafterdogma.org about healing religious trauma and psychology, spirituality and mental health, interpreting the Bible through a mystical, nondual lens, psychedelics, and other topics. I also provide consultations for therapists and ministers and speak on podcasts and video channels.
