Whose Money Voice Is This?

You know that song that Miley sings Younger You? I just love it and it led me to thinking a lot about receiving lately.

We spend so much time talking about how to make more money, manifest more money, attract more money. But what happens when the money actually tries to come in?

Are you comfortable receiving it?

That sounds like an easy question. Of course I want money. Who doesn’t?

But wanting money and being comfortable receiving money aren’t necessarily the same thing.

Sometimes we say we want more and then feel uncomfortable charging for what we do. Someone gives us something and we immediately want to give something back. We undercharge. We explain our prices. We feel guilty spending money on ourselves. Or money comes in and suddenly there’s this little voice telling us we don’t deserve it, it won’t last, we’d better hold on tight, or something bad is going to happen.

So I started thinking:

Whose money voice is that?

Because there’s a good chance you weren’t born with it.

Maybe you heard, “We can’t afford that.”

“Money doesn’t grow on trees.”

“You have to work hard for money.”

“Rich people are greedy.”

“Don’t waste money.”

“Be grateful for what you have.”

Maybe nobody ever said those exact words. Maybe you simply watched the adults around you worry about money, fight about money, hide money, fear money, or struggle to receive.

And somewhere along the way, younger you was listening.

There’s an exercise I wrote about years ago that I had almost forgotten about. When a limiting thought keeps circling around, instead of fighting with it, trace it backward.

Ask yourself:

When did I first start believing this?

Go back as far as you can. You may find yourself at 25. Eighteen. Thirteen. Five.

Then imagine sitting across from that younger you.

Ask her what she was afraid of.

Ask what she thought money meant.

Ask what she believed she had to do to be safe.

Ask what she learned about deserving, receiving, having, wanting—or losing.

And then listen.

Because maybe the money belief you’re carrying today belongs to a version of you who didn’t know what you know now.

You don’t have to be angry with her. And you don’t have to be angry with whoever taught her those beliefs either. They probably had their own money voices.

But you can tell younger you something different now.

We’re okay.

It’s safe to receive.

You don’t have to apologize for wanting more.

Receiving doesn’t make you selfish.

You don’t have to earn your worth.

And maybe that’s where receiving really begins.

Not with the check.

Not with the client.

Not with the number in your bank account.

But with becoming willing to receive what you’ve been asking for.

So the next time you catch yourself having a negative thought about money, don’t automatically believe it.