what I learned from 5 money books, distilled
I used to hated thinking about money — except when I absolutely had to - because money, to me, felt like a tyrant. it carried with it the centripetal force of a black hole of scarcity; a reminder of some insufficiency, failure, guilt, or privilege (or all of the above). I made money into “the enemy,” and resented that the world revolved around it. I felt that it must be the anti-thesis of good things — and that: the best things in life are free — like art, love, friendship, good weather.
of course, I still think that’s true. but I no longer run away from money as a necessary evil; now I run towards it - as a powerful tool for building a more beautiful world. for the last few months, I’ve been obsessed with discovering how to build real wealth as an artist - how to translate inner/creative/energetic wealth into material/monetary wealth - in a way that feels authentic to me, and my ethos.
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the first step is to completely transform my relationship to money
this begins with a willingness to think about money, learn about it (and from it), and untangle my subconscious beliefs around it. hence, this is why I started reading money books - to confront my own money-avoidance and money-apathy. I guess you could say that these books mark a beginning of my journey — of learning how to coexist more intentionally with money; and perhaps, how to love it.
I read most of these books in a week, if not a few days. looking at this list, I notice that I’d read one book written by a woman — then a book written by a man. I do think that was on purpose. there is wisdom from both perspectives.
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10 distilled pieces of wisdom — what ALL the books say
money is not good or bad; it’s a tool we can use to make the world better. I’d rather be rich and do something with my richness,
money is — first and foremost — a mindset; a set of beliefs. beliefs are something you can change.
to make more money, you MUST work on your mindset first. this is the biggest blockage preventing you from making more money.
money is like water - it needs to flow. it is currency that nourishes the causes and things we care most about.
wealth is a process, not an event. it doesn’t happen to you by falling down from the sky. it is a set of repeated actions, rituals, habits, attitudes, and choices.
money has energetic charge - based on the feelings it was given/received with.
the feeling of sufficency, gratitude, & trust is absolutely essential.
you need to know WHY you want money - specific emotional reasons - rather than some abstract number goal. it needs to excite you.
you can feel rich now. be her now.
here’s a quick summary of my notes, book by book —
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the soul of money by lynne twist
recommendation - 4/5
actionable - NOT REALLY
my summary - spiritual expansive worldly book
this the first book I read, over a year ago, that opened my eyes to money as a spiritual practice — money as an energetic resource, money as like water — a resource you can pour into the causes you want to nourish. I remember it absolutely blowing my mind. this book felt like a soothing hope balm for the part of me that resents/hates/is disgusted by our human exploitation of money. it talks about the truth of sufficiency vs. the myth of scarcity. it’s a book more about money as a philosophical and spiritual concept — rather than containing anything tactical or practical.
quotes:
“money is like water”
“in philanthropic interactions, we can return to the soul of money: money as a carrier of our intentions, money as energy, and money as a currency for love, commitment, and service; money as an opportunity to nourish those things we care most about.”
“the experience of true wealth comes from sharing, expressing that you have and are enough.”
“Sufficiency isn’t two steps up from poverty or one step short of abundance. It isn’t a measure of barely enough or more than enough. Sufficiency isn’t an amount at all. It is an experience, a context we generate, a declaration, a knowing that there is enough, and that we are enough.
Sufficiency resides inside of each of us, and we can call it forward. It is a consciousness, an attention, an intentional choosing of the way we think about our circumstances. In our relationship with money, it is using money in a way that expresses our integrity; using it in a way that expresses value rather than determines value.”
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happy money by ken honda
recommendation - 4.5/5
actionable - YES
my summary - a gentle, tender, deep money mindset book
I read this book in a few sittings, at the airport and on the plane from New York to Istanbul. it’s a gentle, deep book — mostly about the energetic charge of money — and how so much “money work” is actually money healing, and connecting that the feelings of joy, sufficiency, gratitude, and trust in life. money isn’t really about money; it’s about our early relationships to trust, love, freedom, security — that has carried over into adulthood. I will read this book again, more slowly, with a journal in hand.
quotes
“it is not how much you make or have that makes you have Happy Money or Unhappy Money; it is the energy with which your money is given and received.”
“if you heal the pain you have about money, your financial situations will absolutely change — and dramatically so.”
“winning is not how well you do financially. it is how good you feel about playing”
“trusting the flow [of money] is trusting in your future.”
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you are a badass at making money by jen sincero
recommendation: 4.5/5
actionable: YES
my summary: delightful, witty, exercise-based mindset book
I almost didn’t read this book because her titles are so… cheesy? but damn, she’s a VERY engaging, witty writer - I definitely laughed out loud, and enjoyed reading this book every morning with breakfast. it’s full of actionable, practical exercises, mantras, and is written like a pep talk by a very entertaining, spiritual-yet-light-hearted-relatable friend.
quotes
“You just have to be willing to do what it takes. And here’s what it takes: Agreeing to get really really really really uncomfortable. Over and over again.”
Here’s an important concept to understand: Money always comes to you through other people, but it comes from Universal Intelligence, as do all things. Which is why focusing on the frequency of your thoughts, not the people you hope to make money from, is the key to getting rich”
“When you transform your financial reality, it’s not just about gleefully watching the numbers grow in your bank account, it’s about who you had to become to make that growth happen. You had to shed your old ways of being, and grow into someone who thinks big, someone who finds possibility more interesting than you find your excuses, someone who regards your empty wallet, flimsy résumé, and zero idea of how the hell you’re going to pull this off as cute little hiccups on your path to greatness. If you can get rich, you can do anything, because not only are you the kind of person who now kicks ass and takes names, but it’s all connected.
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the millionaire fastlane by MJ demarco
recommendation: 3.95/5
actionable: YES
my summary: hardcore, no-frills annoying masculine business book
I’ll be honest, this guy writes like a rich asshole — such that I skipped entire chapters/sections/rolled my eyes each time he bragged about his wealth and lamborghini — I’ll say that this is not the MOST enjoyable read, however, he’s definitely a savvy, smart rich asshole with business brains, and maybe worth reading a digested/distilled version of.
quotes
“Wealth is a process, not an event… Wealth eludes most people because they are preoccupied with events while disregarding process. Without process, there is no event. Take a moment and reread that. Process makes millionaires, and the events you see and hear are the results of that process.”
“To Attract Money Is to Forget About Money. Want to make big bucks? Then start attracting money instead of chasing it. Money is like a mischievous cat; if you chase it around the neighborhood, it eludes you. It hides up a tree, behind the rose bush, or in the garden. However, if you ignore it and focus on what attracts the cat, it comes to you and sits in your lap”
“HAVE what others NEED and money will flow into your life. This reflects the Commandment of Need. You can't explode your income by chasing money. Stop chasing money, because it eludes those who try. Instead, focus on what attracts money, and that is a business that solves needs. Money comes from providing value. Cast aside selfishness and seek to HAVE what your fellow man WANTS. When you do, money flows into your life because money is attracted to those who have what others want, desire, crave, or need.”
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we should all be millionaires by rachel rodgers
recommendation: 5/5
actionable: YES
my summary: very empowering, engaging, actionable tactical + mindset book
I think this book might have been my favorite of the collection - because it was both such a pleasure to read, AND extremely tactical/practical/business-y, AND deep-diving into money mindset and beliefs. it was a blend of all the previous books I listed. I also really appreciated being challenged — regarding practicing healthy boundaries, and delegating (hiring househelp, admin help, etc), and taking care of myself as a woman.
quotes:
“Envision the kind of woman you want to become and then start to Be Her Now.”
“Consider, “If someone hires me, and we work together, what is the highest possible outcome? What is the best that could happen?” Price according to the highest possible outcome (a thriving marriage, a peaceful relationship with food, a joyful yoga practice, and a gorgeous home), not the lowest possible outcome.”
“If you aren’t delegating, you aren’t leading. And you must be a leader in order to build wealth. You have to go from doing to leading. The sooner you step into leadership, the sooner you will foster others to become leaders as well.”
“My chosen form of protest is to make money and use it to create the change I want to see in the world.”
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that’s all from my first money book report. for books 2-4, I think I will go back and work through them like a workbook — with journaling prompts, challenges, questions - and make up some of my own. once I’ve distilled and integrated that, perhaps I’ll share a summary. 🧿
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