032 | Mindful Men Series: Money & Mindfulness with Spencer Sherman

Lately I’ve been reflecting on what it means to have “enough.” 

Last month I was lucky to sit down with a founding partner of Abacus Wealth Partners, an investment company that focuses on making the world a better place, Spencer Sherman.

I found it really interesting when he shared, “Giving and saving are two ways to tell your body and mind, ‘I have enough.’” 

Mindfulness and meditation have greatly helped me shift my relationship to money.  

I remember even just a few years ago when I had accumulated a large amount of savings, yet my mindset was solely focused on what I didn’t have. Because of that, I didn’t take a moment to reflect on everything around me. Instead I kept pushing myself. 

Now, I do my best to remind myself of what I have, with gratitude. A mantra I use often is, “I have everything I need, and I welcome so much more.”  (Thanks to Gabrielle Bernstein for that one)

Shifting my mindset around money and focusing more on generosity than on scarcity has helped me let go of the need to grasp on to the next prospective client, the bigger house, or next new item for my wardrobe.

And I have to say, it’s been so relaxing to take that pressure off. 

The funny thing is, the more I soften and rest into the trust that I have everything I need, I feel like so much more abundance is coming to me.

I’ve consciously been letting go of the grasping, the feeling of “getting the short end of the stick” and really honoring where I am at and what I have. 

It’s not an easy practice, I know, and sometimes I still get stuck in the mindset of “I don’t have enough.” So that’s why I’m excited to share with you my latest podcast episode all about Money and Mindfulness with Spencer Sherman. 

“The less attached I have been, the more ease I have found with money, the more it comes to me.” ~ Spencer Sherman

A few months ago it became clear to me that I’d like create a “Mindful Men Series”  to honor the perspective of the divine masculine and share the voices of men I see around me honoring their gifts and purpose while giving back to the world. 

After listening to the episode, I’d love to hear, what does enough look like for you? How do you cultivate a feeling of enough?  Let me know in the comments over on instagram. 

I’m also excited to share that this Fall Spencer and I are collaborating in an 8-week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction program locally in Sebastopol.

Save the date September 5, 6:30 - 9 pm at The dhyana Center for a free orientation to learn about the program.

In this episode we discuss: 

• Discovering your true net worth 
• The best day/worst day of Spencer’s life 
• The missing piece one of his clients discovered to living a joyful life after having “made it” in the financial world
• Meditation and how that has affected Spencer’s relationship to money and how he relates to clients in his business
• The first step to take to bringing more awareness to your finances 
• Abacus’ approach to wealth management and sustainable investing 
• Our upcoming course, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (Save the date for Sept. 5 for a free orientation)
• Spencer's book, The Cure for Money Madness

I hope you enjoy today’s show. It may be just what you need to earn more money, start saving and giving, or maybe to just cultivate more peace of mind.

With love,
Meredith

P.S. Join me this coming Wednesday August 9th for my next webinar, The Art of Feminine Abundance where I’ll be sharing more about my insights on wealth, joy and abundance. Click here to sign up.

Spencer Sherman is a financial expert, public speaker, teacher and author. Spencer has taught classes and spoken to audiences across the U.S., including at Esalen and Kripalu. He has practiced meditation since 1983 and is a qualified teacher of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). He is a founding partner of Abacus Wealth Partners, an investment company that focuses on making the world a better place. Spencer and his wife Janine live in Sebastopol, CA with their 2 children.

How I learned the real value of $20 (a lesson in abundance)

Last week my partner went away for the weekend and I had the house to myself.  I found myself cleaning, making plans with girlfriends, catching up on emails and projects, and taking a closer look at my finances. As I dove into my bank accounts and credit card balances, I realized on my travels I was not as mindful about money as I usually am.  I bought what I needed as I was on my tour, but instead of tracking each expense against my income, I trusted it would all work out at the end of the month.

Years ago, this was my usual relationship to money, and I often found myself perplexed about where it all went at the end of the month.

Last year, I chose to get really honest with myself about my finances.  I read countless books about investing and personal finance and made a lot of changes in how I related to my money.

However, as I looked through my expenses, I realized I had gone back into my old habits and was feeling disconnected.

Then, I lost my wallet.  

I made a purchase online, and somehow between making that purchase and leaving my house for the farmer's market, my wallet had completely disappeared.  I knew it had to be in my house because that was the last place I used it, but I literally could not find it anywhere.

It felt like the universe was telling me, "You'd better pay attention before you spend any more money!"

I searched around the house and found a $20 bill that I had earned at one of my recent kirtan performances.   I was off to meet a friend at the farmer's market and thought, "This will have to do."  I knew my partner was away for three more days and I realized, "I may only have this $20 bill until he gets back - I need to make it last."

But I thought, "How am I going to manage with only $20?"

I knew I wanted to buy dinner, flowers for my solstice gathering, and to get fresh produce for my house as well.  I had to make the most with what I had.

Before making any purchases, I carefully surveyed each of the vendors, to determine what I could afford.

What happened next was magical.  I bought lemons and oranges for less than $2, a bouquet of flowers for $5, a large samosa for $5, strawberries for $4, I even felt I could donate $2 to the man giving away art on the side of the street.

And magically, I still had $2 leftover to save.  There was nothing else I wanted or needed at the end of the market.

I left that market feeling so abundant.  I had underestimated the value of $20 and was happily surprised about how far it could go when I was spending with awareness.

I saw, when $20 is all you have, you learn to work within your means... and you can still live abundantly!

Abundance is not based on the number of dollars in your wallet or bank account, it is a state of mind. {tweet this}

When I got home, I created a map of how I could spend within my means based on what I learned at the farmer's market.  I'd like to share it with you here:

Essentials (Food, living costs, gas, etc):  45%

Fun (Flowers, clothing, house items, going out, entertainment):  25%

Health/Well-Being (Essential oils, self-care items, supplements, yoga classes):  10%

Savings (Savings towards an emergency fund, travel, and bigger ticket items like a retreat or plane ticket):  10%

Donations & Gifts (Giving money to organizations I'm passionate about, donating to fundraisers, giving gifts, and in general money to feel generous with)  :  10%

That night, with a little more searching, I found my wallet.  I felt so much gratitude for the abundance at my fingertips, and had learned a powerful lesson about mindful spending.  Since then, I have been following my new map for the income I bring in, being mindful about where and how I spend.  The universe gave me a simple, yet powerful lesson that really showed me the value of what I used to take for granted.

Now I'd like to ask you:  How is your relationship to your finances? and Where are you lacking awareness?

I challenge you to make your own healthy spending map.  

Track how much income you earn each month in a spreadsheet and map out how much you would like to spend in each area of your life.

When you take the time to really look at your income and expenses, and choose to spend mindfully, abundance will soon follow.  Feel free to let me know how it goes in the comments below!

With love,

Meredith