Are You Rich?

Hello, new neighbors! I recently moved from San Francisco/Noe Valley, to Forest Knolls. After having spent the past 15 years living in various parts of San Francisco (with shorter forays out and then back in again), this has been a monumental change of pace, as you can imagine.

Full disclaimer, my business is serving as a financial organizer and counselor. So money stays on my mind as a vocation. 

I undertook this business, as most all things in my life, as spiritual practice. I enjoy working with peoples' "money issues", yet for me they always seem to lead back to internal purpose and fulfillment. I like to observe how peoples' relationship with money presents in public, and then when they let me in on the background during our sessions, that is icing on the cake.

Of course, I selected being a provider of this sort because I want the healing around the money topic myself. I want the accountability, and access to creative and effective options, that many others find helpful when money is an issue. (And I haven't seen a situation yet where it is not an issue for someone...regardless of how many digits are at play in their bank account balance.)

I was intimidated to move to Marin. Money and my relationship with it, was one of the main reasons I can think of for that imagined intimidation. Unconscious associations I had (sorry in advance): obnoxiously wealthy people who take for granted all that they have; hypocrites who drive an SUV yet have a Keep Tahoe Blue bumper sticker; may have hippie body odor yet also drive a Mercedes (oh, the contrast!). I didn't think it would be "real" enough for me.

So, of course stereotypes do not exist in a vaccum. Sure, one can find these elements of "sane" madness in Marin. But what I'm so far finding, especially in western Marin, is a level of connection beyond that artifice. I will find any reason to shop at Good Earth Grocery (in Fairfax, for the unintiated). Love that place! I've never been rushed by a cashier, no matter how long the line. I enjoy watching people genuinely embrace each other in the aisles and catch up on their respective lives. It's a slice of heaven. Real heaven. Well, unless you like isolation and going solo, I guess. (I only like to dabble in that as the exception.)

A friend of mine recently played at 19 Broadway, also in Fairfax. Before I went, I was expecting one of those clubs where, like in an elevator, people stand shoulder to shoulder and keep eye contact pointed forward. Nope, not at 19 B'way. It was a lovefest, without being gross! I really enjoyed my time there, and observing people who just fit in this local fabric.

Something I see in my business...well, it's cliche but so worth mentioning. Have you ever found yourself kind of obsessing about money, only to find that the money wasn't actually the issue? Excuse me if this is overly elementary, but it's amazing how often it can even trip me up, when I get paid to pay attention to things like that! It's like having a poison oak outbreak on your leg and scratching your arm vigorously to try and make it stop itching. (Well, I know you're not *supposed* to scratch it, but it's so irresistible!)

In case you got lost in the metaphor, the It of scratching leg instead of arm, is thinking that a problem is about an amount of dollars needing to be more or less than what it currently is. Such as, I feel bad because I'm not rich (meaning, I think I should have more dollars than I actually do).

I guess I'm writing this to say that I'm finding richness in western Marin in a delightful way. So far I'm earning less than I was in the city~I know it will take time to get to know people, make connections, get trusted, etc.  I'm thanking you for the inherited richness of just living here. It's impeccably gorgeous, and I appreciate peoples' high valuation of connection, presence and health. Thanks for helping me feel rich while actually having less money than I did before.