Financial Education is Human Sciences

Being financially successful isn't just about what you know. What you know, and how much you know, certainly greatly increase your chances of making more money and increasing your income. But it's how you behave that will determine your financial health. And it's very challenging to learn and teach about behavior, even for the “smartest” people.

Many people explain Finance based on formulas and spreadsheets, when most decisions are made at a dinner table. For me, talking about money is talking about cultural, emotional, and social aspects. It has very little to do with math, spreadsheets, the Selic rate, or interest compounding.

In short, financial success is less technical and more personal. And your behavior is more important than your knowledge. Generally,we even KNOW what needs to be done. But what happens in our head and heart when trying to do it speaks much louder.

You can be super intelligent and still have behaviors that are detrimental to your finances.

“History never repeats itself, man always repeats himself” Voltaire.

There's a lot I write about, but with full awareness that it was what I LIVED that brought me freedom. My father was a youngplayboybut ended up not having money to eat at the end of his life. There isn't enough reading or empathy to make you feel the fear and uncertainty I felt because of it. There's no way to explain the depth of despair in seeing the point he reached due to lack of money.

I'm in a bubble here, but this is the reality for many people in Brazil. Including many people who once had privileges but are now in debt, or without a single real invested for the future.

I never considered myself dumb; quite the opposite. But what moved me towards financial independence wasn't intelligence; it was FEAR.. Because while my father was asking for money to go to the market, I was in debt with credit cards and an overdraft, even with a good salary. Fear brought me the humility to come to my senses and realize that, even being “intelligent,” bad financial decisions could also ruin me.I arrive here full of emotional scarsto plant seeds of awareness and presence. Of self-love and lightness. Of non-violence and non-submission. I come to question what is “normal” and “standard.”

I don't know if you're good at math or spreadsheets, but I wish you could look at your wounds with kindness, because only then can you start to heal them. And your money. What is your biggest fear regarding the future, and how could good financial health support you? Where can you start taking care of this, now?

Thank you very much and see you next week!