In September 2015, I began working with a life coach. I felt lost. I didn’t know where I wanted my life to go. I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I needed support and guidance.

My coach and I started our work together by exploring the Desire Map by Danielle LaPorte. The idea of the Desire Map is that you discover what your core desired feelings are, and then figure out how to incorporate those feelings throughout your life. After some trial and error, and many weeks of exploration, I found three of my (current) core desired feelings.

Passion. Power. Trust.

How does money help me to live my core desired feelings?

Passion: Money certainly allows me to engage in my passions. I love to travel. There are so many places I want to experience. Over the past five years, my ability to budget and save has allowed me to travel to Hawaii, Turkey, England, Scotland, Ireland, California, Chicago, New Orleans, Iceland, and Spain. Friends and family tend to tell me that I’m so “lucky” to travel as much as I do. But I know that I have worked hard to be able to do so. I plan and save for months ahead of time. I have an allotted amount of money that goes into a travel fund every month. This cushion ensures that I will be able to travel when I want to. My ultimate goal is to have enough money in that account at all times so that I can book a good travel deal at the drop of a hat.

Power: Have you ever noticed that some of the most powerful people in the world also have the most money? Now, I don’t want to be someone like Warren Buffett. I don’t need to be rich. But I do want to be able to control my life. Financial stability will allow me to be an entrepreneur and create the life and career that I really want. I also want to have an impact on the issues that I care most about. How much would you donate to charity if you could afford it? I have a handful of causes that I contribute to, and I hope to give more and more as I earn more.

Trust: I think one of my most important core desired feelings is trust. Trust in myself. Trust in those I love. Trust in my abilities. Trust that everything will be okay. Having six months worth of expenses saved in my freedom fund allows me to trust that I’m covered if anything bad happens. I can trust that if I lose my job, get sick, or need to move, I will have enough money to support myself for up to six months. I won’t have to go into debt or worry about how I will pay rent.

Do you know your core desired feelings? How does money bring you closer to them? How does your current financial situation take you further away from them?

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