YOUR MONEY IDENTITY: HOW TO BECOME THE PERSON WHO HANDLES MONEY WELL

I have many conversations about money, and people often ask how I became so comfortable with it.

- Written By Sherry Parks

Some assume it's because I'm a CPA. Others think it's because I've always been a saver.

Both play a role, but they aren't the whole story. I've shared before that I grew up in a family where money was a struggle. The real turning point came when I was fifteen and decided I wasn't going to live that way for the rest of my life.

I didn't realize it at the time, but I was creating a new identity. Instead of becoming the Sherry who continued the generational struggle of barely making ends meet, I became the Sherry who refused to stress about money and trusted her ability to have enough.

You've probably heard the idea that we can change our lives by shifting our identity. It can sound a little “woo woo,” and yet it really is that simple. Simple doesn’t always mean easy — but it is possible.

Recently, I've been coaching someone who is exhausted from her financial struggle. She feels controlled by money and wants to feel in control instead. As I've listened to her, I've realized she's unintentionally taken on the identity that money is hard for her. It shapes how she thinks, reacts, and feels day after day. And it's painful. It creates friction in her relationships and layers on guilt and shame.

The good news is that she doesn’t have to stay there. She can change her experience with money by choosing a new identity — one where she believes she’s capable, trustworthy with herself, and able to handle what comes.