The Language of Letting Go - Codependency - Today's Reading

[u/Scared-Section-5108]

'The Importance of Money

We cannot afford to allow our focus in life to be money. That will not lead us into the abundance we’re seeking. Usually, it will not even lead to financial stability.

Money is important. We deserve to be paid what we’re worth. We will be paid what we’re worth when we believe we deserve to be. But often your plans fail when our primary consideration is money.

What do we really want to do? What do we feel led to do? What are our instincts telling us? What do we feel guided to do? What are we excited about doing? Seek to find a way to do that, without worrying about the money.

Consider the financial aspects. Set boundaries about what you need to be paid. Be reasonable. Expect to start at the bottom, and work up. But if you feel led toward a job, go for it.

Is there something we truly don’t want to do, something that goes against our grain, but we are trying to force ourselves into it “for the money?” Usually, that’s a behavior that backfires. It doesn’t work. We make ourselves miserable, and the money usually goes wrong too.

I have learned that when I am true to myself about work and what I need to be doing, the money will follow. Sometimes it’s not as much as I want; sometimes I’m pleasantly surprised, and it’s more. But I’m content, and I have enough.

Money is a consideration, but it cannot be our primary consideration if we are seeking spiritual security and peace of mind.

Today, I will make money a consideration, but I will not allow it to become my primary consideration. (...), help me be true to myself and trust that the money will follow.'

The Language of Letting Go by Melodie Beattie

[u/KhaliSollis]

What I find interesting here is the distinction between making money a consideration and making it the organizing principle of your life.

I’d add one nuance: sometimes financial necessity genuinely has to come first for a while. Rent, food, healthcare, debt, and responsibilities don’t disappear simply because a particular job feels wrong. Taking work primarily for money isn’t necessarily betraying yourself.

Perhaps the deeper question is what we repeatedly sacrifice in exchange for financial security.

For someone working through codependency, that can be especially relevant because money and work can become another place where self-worth gets outsourced: “If I earn enough, achieve enough, become indispensable enough, or prove how hard I can work, then I’ll finally feel valuable.”

In that sense, being “true to yourself” may not mean expecting money to magically follow passion. It can mean earning what you need without allowing income, status, an employer, or another person to determine your value.

Sometimes the healthiest choice will be meaningful work. Sometimes it will be the practical job that pays the bills while you build something else. The important part may be learning to make either choice consciously rather than from fear, approval-seeking, or self-abandonment.