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Worrying about money

Money makes the world go round (with a little help from gravity). Or at least that’s how the old saying goes. Undoubtedly, as much as we all endeavour to look beyond the value of finances and its impact on our choices, the reality is still there. Deeply engrained in our culture and our human condition is the value and need for money. In this sense, it’s easy to understand why I stress myself out about my financial position and future.

• Will I get a well-paying job after my studies?
• Will I even get a job?
• Do I have enough money to see myself through the year?
• Should I be saving and budgeting more?

The worries go on and on and come one after the other as they pop into my head. As always, I try to remind myself of the big picture. Firstly, I live in a safe country with a welfare system that is comparably very supportive in a global context. There are no widespread coronavirus outbreaks and I have a roof over my head and my family are safe and well. I am one of the lucky ones in the world. The upper percentile. This doesn’t mean everyone doesn’t need to worry in Australia but taking a back seat and reflecting on my reality helps me recognise the security nets and fortunes I am granted. Secondly, I try to ponder what money really is and what drives us to garner it. Money is a fake promise. A promise that a piece of plastic paper is worth labour or a product or an indicator of personal worth. I try to remind myself that worrying about money is useless unless I question what I need the money for and how I find meaning and worth in gaining it. Is there a point seeking money if it is not in exchange for completing work I enjoy or giving back to people other than myself? When I stop and think I realise that worrying about money is a simple and pointless thought process. Instead I find it much more productive to question why I am worrying in order to calm myself down and invite another perspective.

Worrying about the future

My future always worries me. On any one day I could be really hopeful and looking forward to the next adventure, or down in the dumps feeling like I am going nowhere and lost. To me, my future isn’t just about my career. It’s also about what I want to achieve, what social networks I want to develop and what experiences I want to share with others. When I worry myself about all this, I often feel like time is the enemy. However, it isn’t time that is causing me stress and worry about my future, it is myself. Sometimes I find I can be a big restriction on myself and my own positivity. My future will come one way or another (it is literally the future after all), whether that be good, bad, or ugly it is all a part of the journey and the continuous learning that is life. At least that is what I tell myself.

Worrying about my choices

Besides worrying about my future and finances, I often worry about the choices I have made and if they were the right ones.

• Am I studying the right course?
• Did I choose the right topic for my assignment?
• Should I have taken a gap year?

I find it difficult to find confidence in my choices when I am constantly thinking about what could have been. In this sense I always try find joy in what I am doing and the people I meet. No matter what could have been, there will always be other chances to try new things. In this way, I try to find all the good things in the choices I’ve made.