The recent headline that Elon Musk could receive a pay deal worth over $1 trillion sparked plenty of reactions — from disbelief to anger to admiration.
But beyond the headline itself, there’s something more interesting to notice: how it made you feel.
Because the way we react to other people’s money often tells us a lot about our own relationship with it.
For some, the idea of one person earning that much feels unfair — a reminder of inequality or corporate excess. For others, it’s proof of what’s possible when vision and ambition align. Neither reaction is right or wrong. What matters is noticing the emotion that surfaces and what it might be showing you.
Money isn’t just about numbers. It’s layered with emotion, memory, and meaning.
Each of us carries a story — often one we didn’t consciously choose.
Maybe you grew up hearing that “money doesn’t buy happiness” or “people like us don’t get rich.” Maybe you saw financial struggle and learned that safety means saving every penny. Or perhaps money was talked about in whispers — something private, maybe even shameful.
Those early scripts still influence how we earn, save, and spend today.
They shape whether we feel comfortable investing, whether we allow ourselves to rest, and whether we believe we deserve to have enough.
I worked recently with a client who earned well but felt constantly anxious about money. Every bill triggered tension. When we explored it, she realised she’d inherited a belief that financial security could disappear overnight. Her nervous system was living in the past, even though her circumstances had long since changed.
Awareness was the turning point. Once she saw that story for what it was — just an old belief trying to keep her safe — she could start to rewrite it.
That’s the quiet power of money mindset work.
You can’t out-budget a belief.
But you can notice it, question it, and choose something different.
So, as you read this week’s news and scroll through the reactions, pause for a moment. Ask yourself:
- What did I feel when I saw that headline?
- What might that feeling be trying to tell me?
- And are my beliefs about money, success, or “enough” still serving the person I’m becoming?
Because real financial wellbeing doesn’t start with spreadsheets or systems — it starts with awareness.
Clarity before confidence. Awareness before action.
And perhaps the richest thing we can do this week is not judge that headline, but use it as a mirror to see our own money story more clearly.
