“It’s not about the money.” This saying has become almost a cliché among financial planners and therapists who help clients address the emotional aspects of their relationships with money.
We keep using this phrase because it is so true. Overspending, taking unreasonable risks, money conflicts that strain marriages, failing to learn from money mistakes, and a host of other problematic money patterns are not about money. They are about emotions. And since brain researchers tell us that 90% of all decisions are made emotionally, it literally “pays” to pay attention to your emotions.