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By Jessica Moorhouse, CFC™
Special to Financial Independence Hub
What most people don’t know is that when I first pitched my book idea to my publisher, its original title was More Than Money.
I thought it expressed everything I wanted to say about how most people’s financial struggles went well beyond a lack of money or financial literacy. After more than a decade of discussing money with people from all walks of life as a content creator and helping individuals and couples with their finances as a Certified Financial Counsellor, I saw firsthand how money was rarely the root cause of their financial troubles. Unfortunately, I wasn’t the only person who thought it was a good title. On my last count, there are already five books on Amazon using that same name.
It’s about Everything but Money
It wasn’t until two months after I handed in my manuscript that I finally landed on the right title for my book: Everything but Money. I think it took me that long because I needed to go on a well-overdue journey of self-discovery while writing my book and come to the realization that my own struggles with money have always been about everything but money. Through countless hours of research, interviews, and therapy, I had to face the fact that as a money expert whose job it is to educate people about their finances, my relationship with money was downright toxic.
My Toxic Relationship with Money
At first, I was ashamed. I’m supposed to be the expert here, which should mean I’m a role model and have my stuff together. Although it may look that way on a balance sheet, on the inside, I was an anxious mess who never felt good enough, no matter how much I earned or had in the bank. The real reason I dove head-first into the personal finance space as a young blogger in 2011 was that subconsciously, I thought money would be the solution to all of my unhealed emotional wounds. The unhealthy friendships that damaged my spirit growing up. The middle child syndrome that made me feel invisible. The intense pressure I put on myself to be seen and heard through external validation.
Don’t confuse Money for Happiness (but it can help)
But as I discovered while writing the book, money isn’t some magical cure-all. There’s a reason there are so many miserable millionaires and billionaires out there. Although research shows that money can increase your happiness (to a limit), research also shows it cannot fix your unhappiness. I mean, have you seen Succession?
You have to find happiness for yourself outside of money. And although money will always play some part in it (travel brings me so much joy, but it sure isn’t cheap!), your relationship with money is what’s most important. It’s what I guide readers to uncover, break down, and rebuild in my book, so at the end of it, they know how to forge a new path in which money is a positive presence in their lives, instead of some albatross around their neck.
Stop looking at the Numbers, Start looking inside yourself
You may be surprised to find that my book really is about everything but money. I talk about feelings, trauma, attachment style, inherited trauma, behavioural biases, privilege and unjust social systems that manifest as these hidden barriers to financial freedom in most people’s lives. So, if you’re looking for a book about investing strategies or budgeting tips, this book is not it. But if you’ve always wondered why looking at a stock market chart makes your anxiety flare up, why you’ve never been able to stay out of debt, or why you’ve always thought that wealth was a nice fantasy instead of a real possibility for you, I wrote this book specifically for you.
Jessica Moorhouse is a money expert, TV personality and speaker. She is a Certified Financial Counsellor™, an award-winning financial content creator and the host of the chart-topping More Money Podcast. As a personal finance educator for over 13 years, she has given presentations throughout North America and is regularly featured by major Canadian and US media including CBC News, CTV News, BNN Bloomberg, the Toronto Star, Forbesand USA Today. Her book Everything but Money: The Hidden Barriers Between You and Financial Freedom debuted as an Indigo Staff Pick, Globe and Mail Bestseller, Toronto Star Bestseller, Quill & Quire Bestseller, and Amazon Bestseller.
