We all share a time in our lives when something subtle clicks, and we start to see the subtle or not-so-subtle differences in our lives and the lives of others. We become compelled by burning curiosity. The desire to put ourselves in the shoes of others to better understand how they navigate the world and what may or may not influence their lives as we know them. These moments of curiosity are transformative, subtle, and compassionate. The answers we crave would give us perspective and help us to stay grounded in this loud, chaotic and uncertain world.
As university students, it can be so easy to compare ourselves to others and part of this can stem from financial anxiety. We may joke around about the realities of being a “broke uni student” and where this may be true this mocking feels like a coping mechanism for what feels like the longest invoice in history. The tensions that creep up on us with the first of every month, the quick check on the credit card while picking out groceries or the dreaded calculations of how much we can make in the summer before the new semester rolls around. Where these moments are dreadful, I think they bring us a burning reality and awareness, rather than soul chaos.
The moments of overbearing reality are nothing new to me. Early on, I learned how to value intention and strike a balance between our wants and needs. I didn’t grow up in a crazy mansion in any fancy place, or with the most expensive clothes or toys. Money was never something ot be thrown around but rather something to be appreciated and taken care of. My mother was honest and open to us about the realities of money and what it meant and felt like making our own, and the honorable thing that it was. This mindset has served me well and remained foundational, coming into the new stages of adulthood. The figures on a paycheck may change as we get older and have degrees to our name, but our financial habits and mindsets are much harder to adapt to. Taking the lessons, I learned growing up from budgeting, planning and striking a balance between saving for my future and spending to enjoy the present allowed me to shift the financial narrative of a broke uni student. I think that the most important thing for us to acknowledge is that being financially conscious does not mean we need to live in fear of scrapping by, but rather to be intentional and purposeful. Where our world is ever changing and rightfully terrifying at times, the one consistent thing is inconsistence so why not be prepared?