If only money were that simple to use and understand. Money also has a vast number of emotional hooks based on people's fears, beliefs and attitudes about their financial well being. When I ask people to take out some money and look at it there is always a dead silence in the room. Then I'll hear a bit of uneasy laughter. I assure my audience that I am not going to take their money. After a few anxious seconds people begin to take out their wallets and purses.

Reaction to this simple request illustrates just how emotionally charged and sensitive those green pieces of paper are for most people. People tell me of their tormented deliberations when deciding the amount they would expose for all to see. ("Will she think I'm a piker, or a show-off, if I pull out the 'wrong' amount... either too much or too little...what will the person sitting next to me think?") The mind games that go on during this exercise help people become aware of their hidden beliefs and attitudes towards money.

Many think of themselves as they would an accounting sheet or a budget, and conclude that their net worth is their personal worth. They believe that if they just had more money all their problems would be solved and they would be better people. This misconception is anything but the reality of money. Many people who have substantial net worth can be just as stressed-out, worried and controlled by their money as are people who have fewer dollars. Studies show that a significant number of lottery winners actually end up in debt. These lottery winners have found out the hard way that money doesn't solve all problems but may create just the opposite effect.

One client earning well into six figures just couldn't say "no" to his child's demand for a $2,000 bicycle. This man hadn't paid his taxes in many years. He is a prisoner to his money 'habit' just as surely as the person with a financial statement containing fewer zeros.

It is your relationship to yourself and your relationship to money that determines financial health. How you treat yourself is a good indicator of how you relate to money. If you are a loving, kind, generous person, more zeroes in your bank balance may make it easier for you to be kind, loving and generous. The money is not the cause of your goodness. Rather it is an enhancement of what is already true about you. Once you realize that your self worth has nothing to do with your net worth, you will no longer be 'hooked on money' as the only source of richness and fulfillment in your life. At this point you are well on your way to financial health and true wealth.

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The founder of Wealth and Wisdom Seminars, Marilyn August is a professional speaker and master facilitator who develops her seminars with the passion of personal experience and the expertise of over twenty years in adult education.

She holds a Masters degree in Education from Northern Illinois University, and has designed, developed and presented training programs to major corporations including American Honda Motor Company, AST Research, Inc., AAA Chicago Motor Club and Chevron Oil.

Known for her light-hearted, pragmatic, yet deeply personal approach to financial success, Marilyn's quest for emotional and financial freedom has led to the discovery of a number of principles, techniques and tools that have helped thousands of people achieve financial well-being.