Comments on: Gifted adults and the importance of money

By: Marti Fenton White Deer Song

Marti Fenton White Deer Song — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 06:14:40 +0000

Money is my enemy and my teacher. I seem always to be on the edge but have yet to fall off without a branch to grab on the way down. I do fantasize about winning the lottery so that I could paint, write, travel to experience other parts of the world, etc. What freedom it would be if I were able to take a class or attend a workshop just for fun. However, I learned early on that my people were poor and I owed it to them not to leave them in the dust. Since I left them behind in so many other ways that were not so revealing. I suspect I’m on the edge of poverty here and there in order to avoid angering the Gods. How is it that we humans have created a situation for ourselves that requires that our very survival depends on an unnatural commodity like money. Long ago on the way home from work I would get off the bus early in order to walk across a park. Since I was not happy with my job and felt very much like an indentured servant I would watch the birds and squirrels enjoying their lives without the need for money and wonder why we humans have created such a situation for ourselves.

By: Christopher J. Coulson

Christopher J. Coulson — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:23:45 +0000

That is an interesting observation, John, and one I hadn’t thought of. It would be interesting to research whether the triumphant people-first strategies of a Mother Theresa or an Albert Schweitzer might actually have discouraged others from trying to be as helpful.

By: Christopher J. Coulson

Christopher J. Coulson — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:20:36 +0000

Hi Lynne and Cindy, I think I have oversimplified in two ways:

1) I had to decide at the outset that I was only going to address the mundane aspects of money. I actually find the spiritual and energetic aspects to be more interesting and more compelling and in that domain I think you’d find me pretty well aligned with both of you.
I’m not sure my faith is as strong as yours, Lynne, though I think I”d like it to be. Perhaps a future blog entry might deal with ambivalence in that regard; and

2) In my bald statement about giving being a form of insurance I was being a bit ingenuous or provocative – or lazy! In one way we could argue that all acts designed to improve the universe have a personal insurance quality but that’s not all that I mean. I think I was after identifying the fear factor – often unconscious – in how we manage money and how that might manifest in different ways. There is also, of course, a love factor that finds its expression in the kinds of acts that Lynne describes as having the potential to generate pain.

Thank you both for your thoughtful contributions.

By: Lynne Merryland

Lynne Merryland — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 07:20:16 +0000

I believe in the principle of ‘pass it on’. I’m not sure where this fits into the picture that I’ve read here. There seems to be a fundamental absence of spirit and expansion. Things, money and people can both stop expansion as a human, as well as enabling it. I think my happiness comes come from my trust that there is a greater picture,- spirit. If I trust then people, things, and money can come and go into my life as my spirit needs for its development as a human being. So I pass on as many things as I can to keep my space as clear as possible both physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually so that I have as much room for growth. I agree with Cindy that the joy of enabling another to make a difference in their life how ever they choose ( sometimes this can also be painful), is part of the enrichment of human spirit, This is what makes my world, to always be ready to consider passing things on.
Go well, Lynne

By: Cindy H.

Cindy H. — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 23:37:05 +0000

From what I’ve discovered through reading and my own observations of myself, the gifted person’s psychology finds more meaning through people with things and money coming next. We are the compassionate ones that sometimes desperately try to find meaning in this world; in a current civilization that is highly materialistic.
“The giver protects himself from a fate worse than death by maintaining multiple layers between himself and the less-fortunate. The keeper protects himself by building a rampart of gold.” I personally don’t agree with this statement in regards to the charity part. I can only speak my truth when I say that charity is important in itself for me as it is the right thing to do. My views on charity could have been highly conditioned by the sheer number of books on Native American belief and Buddhism. Giving is not a cushion between myself and the less fortunate. This last recession proved how close to financial oblivion any of us can be. To best sum up what I feel, is that I treat others as I would want to be treated. As I give to other, I would hope that others would give to me. There is also joy in giving and seeing that we have made a difference to someone, people or animal alike.
Having a substantial nest egg is essential. Hopefully this last recession taught people how vulnerable we can be. Finding enjoyment with others versus the accumulation of things is very meaningful. However the media is pushing us a different way.
Just my two cents worth. It will be very interesting to see other replies. Blessings to all.

By: John Martin

John Martin — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 22:05:10 +0000

Christopher,
Just an observation: the statement you make with regard to the money-first people (“The risk for gifted individuals pursing this path is that they play fiercely when they play at all. So their intensity and passion for capitalizing on every financial opportunity can drive away people whose commitment to the game is not so great.”) applies to the other two categories equally well. The gifted play everthing “fiercely” and tend to alienate a lot of people simply because the people they play with can’t keep up.
I don’t know if this helps to illuminate anything… it’s just something that stands out for me.