By: Veena Rathi

Veena Rathi — Fri, 11 Oct 2019 00:30:31 +0000

Every person has a unique box of sacred beliefs hardwired in their personal drive that impacts their relationship with money.The beliefs are passed on by their parents,role, models and peers who they observe typically between the years of 2 and 12. I grew up observing my Indian parents viewing money as blessings from the Godess Laxmi who is the goddess of wealth and purity.As a child I watched my grandfather perform those rituals of hawan a hindu ritual that involves making offerings into a consecrated fire.”It is believed that the regular practice of havan brings purification and transformation to the individual and the environment. In this way, havans are also part of yoga ecology as they adhere to the yogic principles of purity and caring for the natural world.”.Deepawali the festival of lights is the time of the year when godess laxmi is worshiped.Hindus spend the whole month cleaning and decluttering their homes to attract wealth and good energy.The culture believes that money is survival and a form of security and stability.Gold to the hindus is a sacred weapon which attracts good vibration and positive energy,I was always obsessed with having a gold tooth .Living in extended families and taking care of your elderly parents is the biggest blessing.From when the child is born to when a person dies there are 16 samskaras or celebrations of the turning point in life.The hindus believe that discipline,focus and a positive attitude and mindset results in a wealthy life.Money is really sacred to the hindus and thats the reason they are typically frugal,always look for bargains and manage money well.I love cooking as I watched my mother cooking for the entire village and even back then my father had different streams of income which I find myself striving for .I also observed the Fijian culture growing up in the Islands and for them since they have alot of land they live for today and never worry about money or material possessions.They believe in community and sharing.Often times they would borrow money from their friends and family however the village life is a simple life where you plant some crops,go fishing and have to buy the bare minimum to survive.The sense of belonging and oneness is what sets them apart and typically you have to very sensitive to those value and beliefs when you are trying to help them see things differently as a counselor.Until such time people change their values and beliefs around money certain behaviors and types are very evident in different cultures and my opinion is cultural intelligence will be the next way forward for businesses and practitioners.

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By: Veena Rathi