Financial decisions are affected by the subconscious.
Most people make decisions and exhibit behaviors regarding finances that are influenced if not run on completely subconscious operating systems.
These fall into predictable money archetypes. Knowing which archetype(s) you tend to fall into most of the time will assist you in creating true security and abundance. Here is the most common type I see in my practice with clients and tapping statements to center that type. I have also created prompts for tapping for all 8 types based on the work of Brent Kessel.
Type 1: The Guardian
Type 2: The Idealist
Type 3: The Innocent
Type 4: The Pleasure Seeker
Type 5: The Caretaker
Type 6: The Star
Type 7: The Empire Builder
Type 8: The Saver
The Guardian
Are you in a constant state of worry over your finances? Do you think that if you let go of this worry everything will fall apart around you? Are you hyper vigilant on about your spending habits? Do you have strict rules that will ward off impending doom such as I can’t have any debt, or I can only live off my retirement interest and never touch the principal. At one extreme the Guardian is anxiety-ridden but on the other he/she can be prudent, alert, and careful. Often this pattern began in reaction to frivolous/dysfunctional parental role modeling. If your parents were so fiscally irresponsible that you were left feeling insecure you could carry the Guardian around to protect you. We would all benefit from having a little bit of the Guardian but we must be willing to take calculated risks from time to time in order to make more money even if it’s just asking for a raise or firing our financial advisor. The key to balancing this archetype is to feel emotionally balanced and centered before making decisions and EFT will do that quickly and easily.
Tapping Prompts for The Guardian
- Tap on events where you made a bad financial decision
- Tap on what comes up when you imagine money rules being bent or broken
- Tap on events where you saw your parents being less than wise with money or things
[clear-line]
The Idealist
Are you the creative type? Do you happen to be an artist, musician, or work for a non-profit? Do you rely on others for financial support? Do you have a strong disdain for corporations and big business? Do you invest (or would like to) in art, small businesses, land, or socially responsible businesses? Do you place high value on compassion, social justice, spiritual growth and creativity? Are you likely to hand a homeless person money more readily than you would a charity? On good days you are able to carry a big vision about what your money can do but on bad days you are full of mistrust, skepticism, and rebelliousness around money. If this describes you then you might be an Idealist.
The two unconscious beliefs that are consistent with this type are 1) that suffering and sacrifice are imperative for spirituality and creativity and 2) it’s better to feel pain than to be financially free. These beliefs are conditioned responses that come from your past. Sit for a moment and ask yourself where they came from. I have often seen clients with this archetype who were brought up in strict households where one or both parents worked excruciatingly difficult menial jobs. These parents sent the message that work is drudgery, challenging, but worthwhile in order to “succeed” in the world. Their children unfortunately saw these struggles and decided to avoid anything remotely smacking of servitude to a dead end job.
Tapping prompts for the Idealist
- Tap on anything or situation you have feel deeply about regarding unethical behavior involving money
- Tap on scenes where you saw your parents struggling with their job(s)
- Tap on your image of yourself being wealthy and what that brings up in you
[clear-line]
In this next installment of the money archetypes we look at the Innocent. Have you experienced some life conditions such as disability or not enough education that you have a challenge making ends meet? Are you in debt? Have less than a few month’s worth of living expenses in savings? Do you dread the idea of writing down your expenses, balancing your checkbook, or paying bills? Have you ever received a lump sum of some serious money and have nothing to show for it? Then you are likely an Innocent.
The Innocent
I have known quite a few Innocents in my social circles throughout my life and they all seem so carefree. Their motto is, “Life is too short to worry about money and that’s not my focus. It’ll just take care of itself”. The problem is that what lies beneath the surface of this laissez-faire attitude is commonly avoidance. When it comes to money, Innocents believe themselves to be incompetent and inept. They have just never had a self image of being incredibly successful. On a subconscious level many believe that they don’t have the skills to manifest more material wealth. They are more likely than other archetypes to get into multilevel marketing or play the lottery. They are after a quick fix especially when their situation is dire. There are also those that become Innocents as a form of rebellion especially if they were raised by financially successful parents who were abusive or unloving.
A common psychological reversal is that Innocents receive attention from playing the role of the victim since their life circumstances are really unfortunate. I also see Innocents in my practice that have become dependent in less than ideal romantic relationships simply because they haven’t been able to deal with their own insecurities around financial security.
The early memories you have of your family’s financial struggles are very key issues to focus your tapping on. Along with vanishing your old demons another area to tap on is the fear associated with taking a clear look.
Tapping prompts for Innocents
- Take a look at your financial picture through your statements, accounts, what you owe and tap on feelings
- Money managing is an acquired skill that is not innate so if you feel resistance to learning, tap
- Tap to clear childhood memories of struggle
- Innocents have a list of past financial debacles that need to be released
- Some suggested action steps include saving even a small % of income each month, plan to go back to school or get more training in your desired field, and inform yourself of how to invest either through a class or by working with a professional.
[clear-line]
The Pleasure Seeker
Is your focus on “living life in the present” moment? Are you impulsive in your purchases? Do your debts exceed your assets? Are you a sucker for those options that allow you to buy now and pay later? Does Retail Therapy work for you, at least momentarily? When you have extra money are you likely to blow it on things that aren’t exactly necessities? Do you save less than 5% of your income?
If this sounds like you, then you probably have the Pleasure Seeker playing around in your finances.
Similar to the #7 on the Enneagram or Caroline Myss’s Hedonist, the pursuit of pleasure is almost a compulsion. You finding distractions to avoid emotional pain, and can have a tendency towards addictions. There is nothing wrong with spending money to have fun. The problem arises when it happens in the extreme and there is a general disregard for how some of this type of spending will affect you down the road in the form of the proverbial hangover. Two of the main underlying issues in Pleasure Seekers are depression and anxiety. When these issues aren’t addressed then the cycle of spending will cause all kinds of problems including conflict with your spouse and your inability to save enough to live a comfortable retirement.
To find a healthy balance with this archetype, awareness is key. Before you go and spend, use EFT to get to the root of what you really are avoiding by spending. Ask yourself what is happening in your life that you’d rather not feel. What is the underlying stress that hounds you until you spend? With every manifestation tool I have taught I always make sure the participants understand that what they really want isn’t the car, toy, new home, a huge cash reserve, but the feelings they evoke. Once you get that, you’ll no longer feel the constant need for endless consumption.
Tapping prompts for Pleasure Seekers
- Tap on the negative feelings you sense when you tell yourself you can’t go do X
- Tap on your personal peace procedure to break the habit of spending instead of feeling as your current upsets are tied in with your history
- Tap on resistance to putting money in savings or investments rather than trips etc
[clear-line]
The Caretaker
Do you see yourself as generous and compassionate? Do you find that people rely on you to save them, lend them money or help them out? Does it seem that it isn’t often reciprocated? Do you feel uneasy with all your giving? Do you believe that people can’t make it without you or your assistance? Do you treat others better than you treat yourself? Would you feel uncomfortable if someone in your life (that you have been caretaking) suddenly stopped asking for help? Would you feel it as a loss? Do you have less than 6 months living expenses in savings due to your pattern of being too generous with friends, family, or charities? If these questions are sounding off alarm bells in your mind and body, then you probably have the Caretaker managing your money.
Similar to the #2 on the Enneagram or Caroline Myss’s Caretaker, as a money Caretaker archetype you erroneously believe that others can’t make it without you. Unfortunately, this often leads to the other person feeling incompetent, and incapable. You can harbor feelings of resentment, and martyrdom. Sometimes there is an underlying fear that people won’t love you if they stop caretaking. There also might exist the shadow belief that in order have control or be able to manipulate a person, you need to continue caretaking behaviors. These beliefs can become very self-destructive. Another common assumption is that it’s better to pay a little money now and resolve the situation than to let it go on and make matters worse. In other words you’ll end up taking care of a bigger mess down the road if you don’t handle things now.
I’ve worked with many clients with chronic fatigue that carry varying degrees of the Caretaker. It’s almost as if their bodies are saying, “That’s enough!” and place limits when (on a conscious level) they can’t actually say “NO”. When my clients begin to heal and change this pattern of interaction there might be some level of strife and resistance from partners, and family members. These significant others usually come around once they see how healthy my clients are becoming. If they don’t then the challenge for my client is to come to some kind of peace about ending relationships or distancing themselves.
Using EFT to release the core issues at the heart of caretaking is absolutely the best way to end it. Was there an abusive or out-of-control parent that led you to think this way? Did you have an alcoholic in the family you needed to help or cover up for? Realizing that you need to put yourself first in relationships is the healthy, rational, and prosperous choice.
Tapping prompts for Caretakers
- Tap on your fear of saying no
- Tap on your fear of laying strong boundaries especially with close friends and family
- Tap on your misconception of pay now vs pay later (the belief that by giving money to them now you’ll avoid a bigger bill in the future when they are in even more hot water)
[clear-line]
The Star
Americans live in a culture that idealizes the new, the hip, the latest and greatest. If you feel drawn on a regular basis to spend money on living or looking like a rock star then the Star Archetype could the unconscious force behind your purchases. Here are some other indicators:
1) You spend more than 25% of your income on enhancing your image. This could include obvious things like clothing, hair, accessories, stylish cars, or new fangled gadgets as well as items that aren’t as apparent such as art work, furniture, or changing your investments regularly to stay on top of trends.
2) You find intense pleasure, however fleeting, in being the first on your block or among your friends to get ____. (fill in the blank)
3) You believe that buying things that make you feel glamorous, fashionable, or hip and cool have the ability to make you happy.
4) You spend too much time shopping or thinking of shopping for those things mentioned above
The Star showed up in my own life when I was a teenager. Being a student in a very well-to-do high school placed an extreme amount of pressure on me to fit in and I very happily spent a lot of my parents’ money filling that desire. I felt so strongly that having the right car, the right clothes, and the right look was the key to happiness. I am certain that this archetype lives in the vast majority of teens today and luckily most outgrow it. When I hit a spiritual crisis later in my life, those “things” couldn’t fill my deep yearning for connection with something larger and more meaningful and this archetype shattered as quickly as it surfaced.
Interestingly enough, I see the Star in my clients when they feel that they need more money, not when they feel their spending habits are a problem. Feeding an endless cycle of the “wanting mind” never leads to happiness and in fact can lead to all sorts of problems including debt and relationship issues. Only after removing layers of surface issues and challenges do they find the hidden depth and extent of their insatiable hunger for more. They’ll end up with an awareness that it’s the happiness, peace, and freedom they want most, not the things they represent. Along with a growing body of research in the area of consumerism, is British psychologist Oliver James’ findings that make a clear connection between excessive spending and mental health challenges. I guess the Beatles said it best, “Money can’t buy me love”.
At the heart of the Star is often a lonely person with little self esteem who is just plain sad. Behavioral economists have conducted studies to determine what our purchasing habits are and when they can be the most irrational. It turns out that when we are experiencing sadness (even on a subconscious level as measured by brain patterning) we are likely to spend 4,5,6, and beyond 10 times as much for items when know rationally that they are worth a lot less! Using EFT to address these feelings will leave the Star feeling safer and more secure than any purchase he/she can ever make. The biggest difference between a Star and a Pleasure Seeker is that the Star spends money on image and the Pleasure Seeker on experiences.
Tapping prompts for the Star
- Fear around not having the best and newest
- Fear that people won’t like you otherwise
- Fear or resistance to starting a plan to save/invest
[clear-line]
The Empire Builder
Do you find that you spend about 75% or more of your waking hours working? Do you believe that once you attain a certain level of wealth or your company reaches a certain goal you’ll finally be happy?
The Empire Builder looks like a perfect ideal – working hard, amassing fortunes, insuring a legacy. Think Oprah! The 8 on the Enneagram most resembles this type in that they are focused, determined, grounded, and have a natural mastery of leadership. They have big energy and you know you are in the presence of someone who wields a lot of power and influence even if you don’t what this person does for a living. Your challenge as an Empire Builder is to feel that you have enough right here, right now and explore the sides of yourself that are more subtle and receptive.
Tapping prompts for the Empire Builder
- Imagine that you put your work down at 5pm and that you don’t answer emails on weekends. Tap on what comes up around doing this
- Tap on anything that leaves you feeling that you don’t have enough already
- Tap on resistance to starting and pursuing creative endeavors
[clear-line]
The Saver
Do you find yourself saving over 20% of your income per year? Do your friends and co-workers refer to you as penny pinching or frugal? Do you spend less than 3% a year on having fun or contributing to charitable organizations? If this sounds like you then you may be a Saver. That’s good, right? Aren’t we all supposed to be savers? Most Americans would be better off saving more and so would our planet, right?
Well, if it impedes on your quality of life, if you find yourself hoarding, or fearful about the future then the answer is no. Savers can be hyper-analytical, future focused, obsessive and stressed. Savers live in fear of the future and feel trapped by thoughts about not having enough to relax and take it easy in order to enjoy their lives right now in the present moment. Many of my clients that have the Saver archetype running their lives have clear memories of one or both parents being critical of wasteful spending. They often have memories of parents being excessively frugal, many having been survivors of the Depression. Tapping on these past memories will allow you to live your life with more joy and peace. Like with all the archetypes, finding balance is the key to being successful and feeling content with the relationship you have with money.
Tapping prompts for Savers
- Ask yourself to imagine your worst case money scenarios and tap
- Imagine blowing money on having fun or buying something frivolous and tap on what feelings come up
- Tap on childhood memories where you were scolded for spending
