I want you to be encouraged by the people who have been in similar situations and have chosen to reclaim their mindset and take back control of their lives. This work will require your honesty and openness about your life and money habits. However, I recognize and respect that I cannot ask you to be vulnerable without first doing so myself. I'm happy to be able to share my childhood money story, my mindset idol and the growth of my money words throughout the years.
I'm Your Mentor, Megan!
My childhood money Story
I grew up lower, middle class in the suburbs of Chicago with both of my parents and two younger siblings. In the movies it's always says that your high school years are the hardest, but for me it was middle school. The envy initially sparked as a result of the mental abuse I endured from my gymnastics coach. He chewed up and spit out my little 10-year-old self esteem and self image. The name calling and social manipulation was rampant. Also, being in an expensive sport such as competitive gymnastics, I was surrounded by children of wealthy families. It felt like endless stories about the cruises they went on, the celebrities they met, or the new cars they would receive for their Sweet Sixteen. Their parents would throw amazing pool parties at their lavish homes, and my friends would change out of their Abercrombie T-shirts into their Abercrombie swim suits, and all the while the little voices in my head would be whispering to me. "You don't look like that, you're too fat", "Your family doesn't take vacations", "Your parents can't afford Abercrombie". During this time, I quickly became aware I was the "have not" in the middle of the "haves". The anger evolved as a way to conceal the pain I was experiencing. Then everything changed for the worse.
I remember the exact moment my dad telling me he lost his job. I was 13, and I immediately asked how we were going to afford my brother's medical care, as he has a genetic disorder which requires numerous, daily medications. He assured me it would all be okay, and we would be taken care of. That was the first time I ever saw my dad cry. In hindsight, I can only imagine the weight on his shoulders. He was the primary provider for our family, and his salary went to $0 overnight.
Over the next decade I was able to take back control of my anger and grow a healthy mindset, filled with gratitude, compassion, and ambition. All while trying to process a firsthand account of unhealthy money mindsets, darkened with fear, uncertainty, embarrassment, scarcity, and resentment. It plagued my family, and I vowed that would never be me.
My money words
My Sequoia Years
(25+)
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Freedom
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Fun
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Gratitude
My Mindset Idol
Forrest Gump's optimistic mindset, especially during adversity, and his generosity when becoming wealthy makes him truly admirable in my eyes.
All too often in life we tend to stifle our own fire, brush off our dreams, and build up bitterness in our hearts. In contrast, Forrest emphasized the importance of following your passions and doing what you love, along with showing us that regardless of where you come from, you bring valuable knowledge, wisdom, insight and inspiration into the world. He taught me that despite any obstacles you may face, you must have the willingness to accept life as it happens, appreciate life while you're living it, and hold kindness, gratitude, and generosity in the highest regard towards yourself and others. Only then at the very end, can you say without regrets, that you led a happy and fulfilled life.
My husband and I have a joint vision for our future, but also prioritize enjoying the present. Since we both lacked positive mental and financial guidance growing up, it's important to us that our children are educated and equipped for developing healthy money habits and a healthy mindset when they step into adulthood. We ultimately hope to forge a new path and build generational wealth for our family.
Currently, travel is our biggest spending switch, so we tend to go all out when we vacation. And as with other foreseeable expenses, such as our wedding and home renovations, we focus on creating a spending plan and proactively saving, so we never go into debt and can fully enjoy our environment and experience without worry. We've been all around the US, and have also visited Iceland, Jordan, Cambodia, and Costa Rica, just to name a few of our favorites. The best part is that the entire vacation is always paid in full before we even leave the airport.
For the future, our goal is to retire early in our early to mid 50s and start living the next chapter of our "Lush Life", which includes spending time with family, Michelin Star restaurants, expat living, volunteering, developing new hobbies, and lots of travel!