Love and Social Hierarchy

Posted by Steve Marshall Follow me on Twitter

Many thanks to friend and colleague Veronica Scheubel for sending us this video (16:52) of Alain de Botton describing a 'kinder, gentler philosophy of success.'

Alain talks about the contradictions and paradoxes that surround ideas like love, meritocracy, snobbery, self-esteem, equality and envy.  We are told that, in a world that supports the spirit of equality, anyone can rise to the top yet those who fail to make the grade are seen as 'losers'. He asks us to be less judgemental of each other, noting the frequently random, haphazard nature of success or failure. 

De Botton reminds us that we can't have it all and that we need to recognise areas where we cannot succeed. Critically, he claims is that we should make sure that our ideas of success are our own, rather than criteria that are 'sucked in' from parents, media and materialist society.

Money: more popular than facebook

Posted by Steve Marshall. Follow me on Twitter.

At meus we've been preparing for Peter Koenig's 'Money Seminar' and found this piece of Stand Up Inspiration video featuring Charley De Mornay Davies [10m22s].

SUI 24 Charley de Mornay Davies from Videologic on Vimeo.

In addition to telling us how money is even more popular than facebook, Charley describes how we project our values onto money:

Money is....Security

Money is...Love

Money is...Power

Money is...Weakness

Money is...Comfort

Money, it seems, is anything and everything we want it to be and the different versions of the 'Money is...' story obviously conflict. Understanding our relationship to money and how it works is the message of the video  - and there is a good gag about cats!

Join us for more of the money conversation in London (16-17 April) with Peter Koenig who will be visiting the UK from Zurich - contact ian.young@meus.co or call Ian on +44(0)771 7683 320.

Can I stop worrying about the money yet...???

Posted by Steve Marshall. Follow me on Twitter.

Perhaps if I won the lottery? Or if a mystery benefactor left me an inheritance? What if I suddenly hit on that big money making idea?

Actually, I would probably be petrified. The dream of enormous quantities of cash is fantastic and yet the reality frequently seems more difficult.  I know that there have been times when I have earned a lot of money but did it actually make me happier?

Not really.  

So, how do we begin to understand our relationship with the 'root of all evil', that curious paper, the strange metal discs and the numbers that change on our bank statements?  Why is it, for example, that some people seem to push money away and others hold it tight?  What difference does this make to our prosperity and happiness?

To help us untangle some of our money issues we have invited Peter Koenig over from Zurich to offer 'The Money Seminar' in London on 16-17th April 2011.

Peter has worked with the issues surrounding money since the early 1980's and The Money Seminar will help participants to understand their own relationship with money.  We will explore how to develop the awareness that enables us to live easily with a wide range of financial situations.  We will also learn a system that enables us to integrate money effectively into our life and work and act with more lightness.

Here is a link to the meus website where you can find out more and download a flyer. Or please contact Ian directly via ian.young@meus.co or +44(0)771 7683 320.

Meanwhile, I am going to ponder some of the subliminal messages that might be driving my money habits:

Don't spend needlessly.

Money is security.

Penny wise, pound foolish.

Skimp and save.

Ok, ok... even I can see that there is a pattern there. But what are the alternatives to these rather confined ways of thinking?  I need to do some work here...

And how does your own relationship with money limit you?