Approaching Financial Problems
I'm reading books on PR. And hit this great quote that was applicable to wider concerns:
"The solution is not money; money is what pays for the solution." - Laura K. Lee Dellinger (The Library PR Handbook)
We have a similar phrase in our book. "Money is a means to an end, not an end unto itself." (Or something like that...I don't have my book with me.) But where our quote is addressing goals. Dellinger's is addressing problems.
The first step in fixing a problem is to identify what the problem is. Sometimes this is simple. "The guy I'm dating is a leech." And sometimes it takes a little more self-assessment "I have chosen to date a leech." Or "I keep dating guys who are irresponsible with money." Or most commonly, "I'm not good at saying 'no'."
In this case, the money issue is symptomatic, not the cause or even the means to a solution. If you are dating a leech, more money will just draw more leeches. The solution is to break up with the leech or learn to stop tolerating and rewarding leech like behavior. For some people, this is fairly simple. Once the problem is recognized, the person can address it and change their behavior.
But deeply ingrained behaviors can be hard to change. If attempting to say "no" is causing a deep level of anxiety, there could be far more to the "no" fear than mere habit. Perhaps some one was abused as child and associates saying "no" with physical pain; that's case where dealing with the abuse and root cause of the behavior may call for counseling or therapy. There are some free counseling options and support communities as well as self-help books that are actually helpful, but depending on the level of anxiety or trauma, professional counseling may be in order. Here's where money comes back into play as a means to the solution.
The solution lies in appropriate treatment to gain a clear perspective. Money may be necessary to pay for a book, transportation, or therapy bills. However just having money doesn't fix the problem. The money must be applied in a constructive way.
So the next time you find yourself saying "I need more money" or "I need money", stop and consider what the actual need is. The more clearly you can explain the actual need, the more likely you are to get help or advice that will satisfy that need.
"The solution is not money; money is what pays for the solution." - Laura K. Lee Dellinger (The Library PR Handbook)
We have a similar phrase in our book. "Money is a means to an end, not an end unto itself." (Or something like that...I don't have my book with me.) But where our quote is addressing goals. Dellinger's is addressing problems.
The first step in fixing a problem is to identify what the problem is. Sometimes this is simple. "The guy I'm dating is a leech." And sometimes it takes a little more self-assessment "I have chosen to date a leech." Or "I keep dating guys who are irresponsible with money." Or most commonly, "I'm not good at saying 'no'."
In this case, the money issue is symptomatic, not the cause or even the means to a solution. If you are dating a leech, more money will just draw more leeches. The solution is to break up with the leech or learn to stop tolerating and rewarding leech like behavior. For some people, this is fairly simple. Once the problem is recognized, the person can address it and change their behavior.
But deeply ingrained behaviors can be hard to change. If attempting to say "no" is causing a deep level of anxiety, there could be far more to the "no" fear than mere habit. Perhaps some one was abused as child and associates saying "no" with physical pain; that's case where dealing with the abuse and root cause of the behavior may call for counseling or therapy. There are some free counseling options and support communities as well as self-help books that are actually helpful, but depending on the level of anxiety or trauma, professional counseling may be in order. Here's where money comes back into play as a means to the solution.
The solution lies in appropriate treatment to gain a clear perspective. Money may be necessary to pay for a book, transportation, or therapy bills. However just having money doesn't fix the problem. The money must be applied in a constructive way.
So the next time you find yourself saying "I need more money" or "I need money", stop and consider what the actual need is. The more clearly you can explain the actual need, the more likely you are to get help or advice that will satisfy that need.
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