In a recent issue of O Magazine, Suze Orman talked about “The Eight Qualities of a Wealthy Woman” from her book Women & Money: Owning the Power to Control Your Destiny. I can still remember listening to the audio book earlier this summer and literally writing these qualities down in a notebook while I was driving (I know, not the safest act harmony.jpgever, but I was at a traffic light and the blog made me do it ;-). I was thrilled to hear one of the most visible financial gurus talk about more than money.

According to Suze, the eight qualities (besides money) that serve and guideposts to make sure she’s walking toward wealth are:

  • Harmony and Balance
  • Wisdom and Courage
  • Generosity and Happiness
  • Cleanliness and Beauty

They way I see it is no amount of money in the world will make you wealthy if you are missing these eight qualities. Money is just a tool, an exchange of energy, and a way to quantify daily existence.

Suze defines harmony as the agreement between what you think, say, and do. I call that being in integrity. When you’re in alignment with what you believe and follow that up with congruent thoughts and actions you live in integrity. To me balance is about weighing your choices so that you serve all areas of your life. This applies to how you spend your time and your money. How are you balancing your desire to live right now in the moment as well as plan for the future? That is the ultimate balancing act that has no one right answer. Integrity anchors you and balance guides you along the way.

Knowledge is about information. Wisdom is about integrating knowledge with inner knowing. Suze says “The ability to make sensible decisions that respect your needs take wisdom.” I see decisionmaking as the marriage between intelligent analysis (facts and experience) and discernment (in touch with your gut and a higher power). When you marry these two you tap into wisdom. Courage is one of my favorite qualities in the world. It is about standing up for yourself and not putting yourself on sale. Courage at the core is about feeling your fears and uncertainty and moving through them powerfully. Feel the fear and do it anyway. To make powerful choices with your money and your life you need both the wisdom to make and the courage to carry out your decisions.

True abundance lies in generosity and happiness. Happiness has little to do with money. Once your basic needs are met the rest is gravy and doesn’t add to your happiness. Happiness is an inside job and money is only one way you can express and enjoy the trappings of this life. Generosity has two sides. Suze says it so perfectly, “No woman can control her destiny if she doesn’t give to herself as much as she gives of herself.” Self-care and being selfish in a healthy way is a key to wealth.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but surrounding ourselves with nourishing environments and beauty is important for us to thrive. Cleanliness and beauty on the inside and out can be found by eliminating chaos, clutter, and conflict from our lives. A high quality life is often more about what you cut out of it than what you add to it (I’m paraphrasing from a common theme Cheryl Richardson speaks about).

The next time you feel stressed and trapped in the area of money, take a look at what kind of person you are being in your life. Are you feeling harmonious? Are you working your courage muscle? If you’re not, it affects your bottom line — not only in your financial accounts but in the bigger bottom line that truly matters – a high quality life.

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Paula Gregorowicz is the Comfortable in Your Own Skin(tm) Coach and you can learn more at her website www.thepaulagcompany.com and blog www.coaching4lesbians.com .

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