#138 Money Mindset: The Camel and The Eye of the Needle
Oct 17, 2019
Once upon a time there was a man who had worked very, very hard to create a successful business. One would think that Kramer would be very happy but the truth was, having more money only made him worry more. After doing a lot of reading on the topic, he was directed to a bible verse that he had learned about as a child. In this verse, they talked about how it was easier for a camel to fit through the eye of a needle than it was for a rich man to enter into heaven. Even though he hadn’t attended church in years, this verse seemed to stick and he wanted to make sense of why he was feeling the way that he did.
He felt blessed to be able to take his family on vacation and signing his daughter up in equestrian wasn’t a challenge for him like it was for some of his friends. Him and his wife had worked so hard to grow the business but lately they had both been questioning why they were feeling so guilty.
He knew from the bottom of his heart that he wasn’t a bad person but why was he feeling all of this guilt?
For some reason when he sat down at night, his mind would wander back to what he was taught as a child. He could remember his own father preaching to him about how his boss was getting rich and he was not getting ahead. His father liked to tar everyone with the one brush. In his father’s eyes, people who made more money than he did, who could go on vacation and who lived in a mansion on the hill were all lumped together – they were not good people. His father often called them slime balls.
Even though Kramer knew in his heart of hearts that he wasn’t the slime ball, he was also self aware enough to know that there was some link between what he learned as a child and what he was feeling right now. It bothered him to think that other people might be judging him like his father had judged other successful people. He decided to reach out to a friend of his whom he respected.
He called his friend Joe, a friend from high school whom he admired. Him and Joe often met for beer after work and their families had spent time together at the cottage. Him and Joe often joked about the silver spoon that he was born with but he was one of the most generous people you could ever meet.
Joe shared with him how people think differently about you regardless which background you come from. There is absolutely nothing wrong with making a lot of money. People of more affluence were aware that this bible verse had really hurt a lot of people and he was glad that I sought his help. Kramer was inspired by his conversation with Joe – he walked away from there even more curious about the topic of money and bias.
We all have biases and Kramer is interested in challenging his own assumptions. Stay tuned for an update on this story as he confronts a family member at a BBQ.
We all have biases – including you and I. What are some money beliefs that are holding you back?
What would you tell Kramer if you could bend his ear for a while?
Have you heard about the camel and the eye of the needle?
Check out my e-book Money Mindset on Amazon.
Illustrations by Steve Lacey (Nova Scotia Artist)
