5 Disturbing Signs Your Money’s Been Hacked
Security breach! But it's not your data that has been leaked.
dimaberlinphotos, ansonsaw | Canva The security system's breached, and your data leaks onto the Internet. You are changing passwords, downloading new security programs, and trying to stay one step ahead of the information thieves. But you've already been hacked. Only it wasn't your mobile phone or laptop.
In typical information theft, the criminal gains access to your account to steal your data and leave a mess. It's an external breach. But, this time, the hack isn't typical. It was an inside job, harder to discover and more difficult to overcome. Don't believe it's true?
Here are 5 disturbing signs your money’s been hacked:
1. You're just like your parent
Wonderful if they were successful. It would not be so great if they were a big, compulsive spender or a tight-wad beyond belief. How many of your behaviors and beliefs about money mindlessly mimic those of your parents? Note: Doing the opposite so you won't be just like them doesn't mean you're not infected. One way or another, they influence you with good and bad money habits. But do you know which is which?
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2. You need the latest and greatest
The latest iPhone is bigger and better, but wait, wasn't smaller what you wanted just a minute ago? "Latest and greatest" hooks you when you're cruising along and doing just fine with what you have. Suddenly, your "thing" (tech device, car, clothes, etc.) is out of date, and you feel unhappy and uneasy like you must upgrade. You need to. But why? Whose decision is it? The marketers, society's. You're hacked, my friend.
3. You're a creature of habit
You buy the same coffee and shop at the same stores. Your purchases are always the same, all the time. You always do things this way. But why? Are you choosing any of these things because you want them? Do you choose them mindfully as the best option of many? No, you're programmed by old experiences, old behaviors, and old thinking. You're operating on auto-pilot.
4. The price is right
Money is always the guiding force in your decisions. You buy because it's such a great bargain, or don't buy because it's too expensive (whether you like it, want it, or need it is a secondary thought). Where do you go, what do you do, and what gifts do you give? All decisions begin with "what can I afford" before "what do I truly desire." But letting money decide everything for you means you're doomed to fail. Money is a super-virus that clouds life's values when you let it take the lead.
5. You have a fear of missing out
You should've known better. You could've done something else. If only you would've picked a different option. In our world of endless choices, you believe you're just "bad" with money. But it's impossible to feel good about what you spend your money on when you're listening to others and using hindsight to measure what you "missed out on" versus enjoying what you have.
How did it happen?
There's a long trail of evidence of how you do things, communicate, and relate to yourself and others. The most compelling evidence shows up in the way you think. Your hacking occurred at birth, and now you're under attack, every day. You didn't program your thinking. Mom, Dad, and society programmed you.
You're also infected with thoughts and behaviors you picked up from who knows where, and those thoughts and behaviors have become your little inner saboteur. Those thoughts scramble your brain waves, act out their will, and push you into doing things their way.
These inner-saboteurs control you in a million different ways, but one of the biggest ways is through money — not the actual cash in your bank account or the credit cards in your wallet, but through your thoughts about money. What's worse is you didn't notice the hacking. You can't see it, but it undermines your life. Damage is occurring to your wealth, well-being, and happiness.
Here's how to un-hack yourself:
If you're like most people, you're still trying to fight the damage of the programmed thoughts controlling your life by using one of the following four approaches:
1. Ignoring the damage
You bury your head in the sand and focus instead on the relationships and experiences in your life.
2. Reworking how you obsess
You absolutely must have the best information before you make decisions.
3. Recognizing you save every penny
You rarely spend a dime to feel in control (but this shackles you with so much stress and insecurity that life sometimes doesn't feel worth living).
4. Realizing you trick yourself
You play a mind game to believe the next great opportunity is just around the corner.
Each of these four approaches brings a different dynamic to the table. But just like eating too much candy, too much of any approach makes you a very sick kid.
Jelena Stanojkovic via Shutterstock
5. You need a balanced strategy
A balanced strategy unites all four approaches and helps you stop the hack in its tracks and repair the damage.
Which approach do you use to try to hide the damage? Discovering your money dynamic gives you a chance to stop and finally think for yourself! Who do you want to put in charge of your life? That inner saboteur, or you?
Jane Honeck coaches couples with money and other difficult life issues. She believes letting go of assumptions and approaching life with curiosity is the anecdote for falling prey to life's expectations.