Faith Curriculum Library: Tapestry of Faith: The Wi$dom Path: An Adult Program on Money, Spirit, and Life

Handout 2: Taking It Home: Our Personal Financial Histories and Identities

Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance. —Eckhart Tolle

We all encounter the extraordinary in the ordinary. It happens all the time. But caught up in the demands of our daily lives, we too often fail to take the time to see the extraordinary, to envision it in a story, or to open ourselves to the possibility of mystery. — Nancy Lamb in The Art and Craft of Storytelling

Prior to the next workshop, take time to reflect on your personal financial history and identity. Prepare a financial autobiography in written form with emphasis on its spiritual dimensions, and prepare to share excerpts from your autobiography aloud in the next workshop.

While the structure of the autobiography, how you tell your story, is up to you, here are some questions to think about before you begin:

  • What are the earliest experiences with money that you remember? What messages did you take away from those experiences?
  • What were you taught about money by your family, your friends, and your faith community when you were growing up?
  • How were money decisions handled in your family of origin? Give an example of an important decision, what was at stake, who was involved, and how it turned out.
  • What have been the most significant financial milestones in your life?
  • What teachings have been most valuable in your financial journey?
  • What three adjectives best describe your relationship with money?
  • What is the primary feeling you have about money today? How has that shifted (if it has) in the course of your life?
  • How important are your relationship to money and your understanding of money to who you are?