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George Kinder’s ‘The Seven Stages of Money Maturity’ deals with money, your relationship with money and how spiritual and psychological aspects affect this relationship. In his journey, he deals with seven stages of money maturity and how one evolves through these stages. The seven stages are Innocence, Pain, Knowledge, Understanding, Vigor, Vision and Aloha.
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Often, we think that making money and the relationships shared with others and the self are two different things and are unrelated. George Kinder’s book – The Seven Stages of Money Maturity is an awakening that enlightens readers about the relationship they share with money and also deals with various spiritual and practical aspects around money.
George Kinder is a renowned Buddhist teacher and a Harvard-certified financial planner. In this book, he looks at the various facets of financial planning such as setting goals, budgeting and investing.However, the book does not stop with dealing with these aspects alone, but goes one step ahead in exploring the spiritual side of dealing with wealth as well. Readers are encouraged to answer various questions related to money such as remembering their earliest association with money in their lives, exploring attitudes about money and analyzing how money was dealt with in their relationships with others.
So Kinder simply says that money making is not a skill or something to learn; rather, it goes much deeper to the heart and the soul of the individual. You will understand that money is intricately inter-connected with the spiritual side of the self and this understanding, it is claimed will help in achieving freedom and security in your financial life.
The book is a journey on the following seven stages of life in relationship to money, from childhood to adulthood, and finally awakening.
Stages of Childhood
Innocence: This stage is when you are not aware of the concept of money. This is like a stage of childhood where you hold on to your beliefs and attitudes, irrespective of the truth about money.
Pain: This stage is a stage of realisation that more needs to be done to get more money. You realize with pain that some people are richer than others in the world and also that if you want to earn more money, you will need to work harder.
Kinder says that most people oscillate between the first two stages and do not use the signals received from the Pain stage to move forward.
Stages of Adulthood
Knowledge: This is the stage associated with the intellect; where you learn financial concepts such as budgeting, saving, goal-setting and investing. While this stage is more on the practical side, it is also concerned with the integrity with which you do about applying the knowledge.
Understanding: Feelings such as greed, envy, inequality and resentment are always associated with money. This stage is when you begin to understand these feelings and come to terms with them. Achieving peace and resolving these emotions helps one to perform his money actions effectively.
Vigor: In this stage, Kinder explores the energy you must expend to reach your financial goals. This energy can be physical, emotional and spiritual. When you discover the purpose in your life and direct your energies towards achieving this purpose, you begin to understand the freedom in your life.
Stages of Awakening
Vision: In this stage, the vigor is directed outwards. This involves achieving the welfare of a community, either with or without a profit motive. You understand the money is a channel through which your souls are directed. You believe that nothing belongs to you in particular and consider community welfare.
Aloha: This is the final stage of money maturity, where you do goodwill without expecting anything in return. You understand the pluses and minuses of money; but the qualities of money do not disturb you. You connect with the world from your spiritual self and believe in compassionately reaching out, without getting anything back.
Information for this article has been sourced from Kinder Institute, Milestonesfp.com and here.
The book is a journey on the following seven stages of life in relationship to money, from childhood to adulthood, and finally awakening.
Stages of Childhood
Innocence: This stage is when you are not aware of the concept of money. This is like a stage of childhood where you hold on to your beliefs and attitudes, irrespective of the truth about money.
Pain: This stage is a stage of realisation that more needs to be done to get more money. You realize with pain that some people are richer than others in the world and also that if you want to earn more money, you will need to work harder.
Kinder says that most people oscillate between the first two stages and do not use the signals received from the Pain stage to move forward.
Stages of Adulthood
Knowledge: This is the stage associated with the intellect; where you learn financial concepts such as budgeting, saving, goal-setting and investing. While this stage is more on the practical side, it is also concerned with the integrity with which you do about applying the knowledge.
Understanding: Feelings such as greed, envy, inequality and resentment are always associated with money. This stage is when you begin to understand these feelings and come to terms with them. Achieving peace and resolving these emotions helps one to perform his money actions effectively.
Vigor: In this stage, Kinder explores the energy you must expend to reach your financial goals. This energy can be physical, emotional and spiritual. When you discover the purpose in your life and direct your energies towards achieving this purpose, you begin to understand the freedom in your life.
Stages of Awakening
Vision: In this stage, the vigor is directed outwards. This involves achieving the welfare of a community, either with or without a profit motive. You understand the money is a channel through which your souls are directed. You believe that nothing belongs to you in particular and consider community welfare.
Aloha: This is the final stage of money maturity, where you do goodwill without expecting anything in return. You understand the pluses and minuses of money; but the qualities of money do not disturb you. You connect with the world from your spiritual self and believe in compassionately reaching out, without getting anything back.
Information for this article has been sourced from Kinder Institute, Milestonesfp.com and here.
Smitha Hari
GettingYouRich.com
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