One of the things that muddies our relationship with money is the greed shadow.

This shadow is very prevalent among all kinds of helpers and can seriously get in the way of us charging our worth. It has a direct impact on our ability to step into our authority as a business owner. It can be a block to accepting that we are business owners because so many people associate business with greed.

The Greed Shadow in Helpers

In helpers, the greed shadow most commonly shows up as a denial of our interest in money, or wealth. We might think “I’m not in it for the money,” “I’m only interested in helping people to get well,” or “I don’t want or need much.” And a guilt that follows putting our own needs as equally or more important than those of others.

Many people have received a lot of messages about greed, especially in religious contexts or in school. You might have heard the saying that, for example, “Money is the root of all evil.” It may show up in feelings of anger, or resentment towards those who have wealth. Or it might be a feeling of superiority, such as “I’m better than that.”

Pretending we don’t have needs isn’t the answer

Of course, none of us want to be that person who is seen as greedy or selfish. But if we spend a lot of energy defending against our feelings about money, then it’s going to be hard for us to create a business that’s going to give us a reliable source of income. Our unconscious ambivalence is always going to be working against us.

A therapist told me recently that she used to believe “…that business owners were robbers and bad people because if you had money, you made it on the backs of other people.” She was able to see that because she had worked through her issues. But for a long time, she was unaware of those beliefs. They had just been her truth about businesspeople. And that was why she really struggled in her private practice to charge an appropriate fee or to ask for money.

None of us wants to be the person who makes money on the back of other people. So, perhaps our goal might be to develop a more attitude towards our money needs. And allow ourselves to receive without exploiting other people.

Explore your shadow

Are you interested in learning more about the shadows that keep your private practice stuck? You might be interested in my new course, Business & Finance Essentials. Read more about the course here, or buy it now on Therapy Academy. (It’s on special offer this week!!)