If you want to know the level of your Money EQ at a glance, simply ask yourself how often you think or worry about money on a regular basis. Do you think about whether you can afford something when you buy it? When the price of utilities or gas goes up, does it make you feel a certain way? Do you have any particular goals in mind you want to achieve, programs you want to participate in, or items you want to buy that you’ve been putting off because you don’t have the budget for it right now? 

You could also take a look at your EQ from the other side of the coin. Do you buy more expensive products or brands just because you think the higher price guarantees better quality, or perhaps you care a lot about the status it gives you? 

Think about the times money has ever made you feel uncomfortable, upset, or even angry. Then imagine you were told you must quit your job first thing tomorrow and won’t be getting paid. Would you be emotionally stable as you consider what you’d like to do next, or would it send you into a state of emergency and emotional turmoil until you figure out how you’re supposed to survive?

All of these questions can tell you a little bit about your Money EQ, or your emotional balance and intelligence related to money. However, money stress doesn’t belong to a special few or small percent of the population. We ALL experience stress or worry about money in our own way, unless we are one of the wealthiest people in the world or live somewhere that money isn’t used or needed, but even the wealthiest people will worry about money if their EQ is low, and chances are you’re reading this message while living in a society where having some money is a necessity.

So what do we do with this stress? Emotions like anger and shock can be let go of fairly instantly, but emotions like worry and fear tend to be life-long partners. You feel comfortable maintaining your addictive relationship with this unhealthy feeling. It eats up so much of your precious life energy. 

Money stress, worry, and fear can all be used to point out areas or beliefs you’re holding on to that are blocking abundance from reaching you. When you feel it pop up, you have to take notice of it by raising your emotional awareness. If you can recognize what unhealthy beliefs are driving the stress each time it comes up, that’s the first step to letting go and healing your money and your relationship with money.

By Ken Honda