Sunday Mornings with Nick
Written by Nichos Der nick@oxfordsandbrogues.com
As a 6 year old, every Sunday morning was THE opportunity for me to connect with my dad. My dad was a postal carrier so he was always off on Sundays, and one of the things we always did was look at the stock market and investments together.
Ever since I could remember, I knew the ticker symbols of the biggest companies and my dad would quiz me-- General Electric: GE, Proctor & Gamble: PG, AT&T:T, Microsoft: MSFT, McDonalds: MCD, etc. Naturally curious, I asked my dad when he would teach me how to invest. His response was, “When you’re older, I will teach you how to invest in stocks.”
As the years went by and I got more and more involved with sports and extracurriculars during middle school and high school, my dad and I never had that conversation about money or investments, to which subconsciously, I told myself that money was something that could be put off till later.
Fast forward to me graduating college and moving to San Francisco for my first job, having student loans and earning a six-figure income, I had no idea what I was doing when it came to my money. Initially disturbed, I quickly justified that I’m young, I have a grace period to pay off loans, and it’s the beginning of the month so I don’t need to worry about all the moving expenses and bills I have...until later. In that moment, I realized that that six year old Nick and his conversation that money was something that could be put off till later had impacted the next 20 years of my life. Until I started to do the internal work to examine my relationship to money, it was always something I avoided and told myself I’d take care of later.
Having seen that, and being clear on the role money plays in my life (which is to serve people and empower them to have breakthroughs around their relationship to money), I now no longer wait to take action and be responsible when it comes to finances.
I have multiple relationships with tax professionals, investment managers, business coaches, and people in my life to ensure that my money and finances are current and at the forefront, keeping me accountable-- most importantly, the experience of myself and the confidence and peace of mind I now have is a much more enjoyable way to live life.
And I’m not just doing it for me. I’m doing it for thousands and thousands of people I come across, lead workshops to, and serve as clients. I’m fulfilling on a mission that was catalyzed when I was 6 years old-- spearheading the financial awakening for the next generation so that the world is free and empowered when it comes to money.
Until people start to examine their relationship with money and the causes of disempowerment, we will always be re-running scripts in our lives when it comes to money, keeping us small, constrained, and frustrated. Have you ever wondered why you are a particular way when it comes to money? Perhaps with your spending, or saving or lack thereof?
If so, my invitation to you is to start looking at your money mindset, conversations so that you have a choice in how you want your life to go when it comes to money.
How will you spend your next Sunday morning to impact your finances? Drop a comment below or email me and share your thoughts!