November 5, 2024
As a child, my dad always made breakfast for my sister and me. And I’m not talking about cereal! Growing up in rural Jamaica, the only cereals I knew were cornflakes and frosted flakes. No, I’m talking about steamed cabbage and boiled banana, various porridges (like cornmeal, banana, plantain, or oats), fried dumplings with ackee and pork fat. These were full, hearty breakfasts. My dad’s belief was that a good breakfast would set us up for a day of learning. Whether he was right or wrong, I don’t know, but I left for school fully satisfied each morning.
Now, as an adult with my own kids, I’m carrying on the same tradition—and smiling as I write this. Every morning, I make sure they get a hot breakfast, whether it’s pancakes and scrambled eggs, fritters with sausage, waffles, egg and cheese sandwiches, or a tofu scramble. On the rare occasions when I’m running late after my early gym class and resort to giving them cereal, I feel as though I’ve done them a disservice.
But one morning, as I was packing their snacks and putting together their lunches, I watched them eat their cold cereal without a single complaint. They simply ate, put their bowls in the sink, and continued their routine. At that moment, I thought, Why am I feeling guilty? My kids didn’t seem bothered at all. This led me to reflect on why a hot breakfast felt so important to me and whether my belief in it made a real difference in their day.
Then it dawned on me: this belief stems from my childhood. And while it’s not necessarily a bad trait, the stress I feel when I deviate from it might be. My thoughts quickly turned to money management. What are people carrying from their own life experiences that holds them back and prevents them from taking control of their finances? Do they even realize these “anchors” exist?
I’m asking you, as you read this, to reflect on your fears, thought processes, and beliefs around money. Where do they come from? If they’re positive, keep them. But if they’re limiting or destructive, think about what you can do to change that narrative. For instance, phrases like “It is what it is,” “That’s life,” or “The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer” can keep us stuck.
We all have the power to reshape our beliefs. So, what anchors are you ready to release?
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