The Financial Wisdom of Ebenezer Scrooge

by Klontz, Ted

• ISBN13: 9780757303548
• ISBN10: 0757303544
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2005-11-15
• Publisher: Hci

Summary

In the timeless traditions of The Tao of Pooh and Who Moved My Cheese, three noted experts reveal how the wisdom in Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol, can eliminate the #1 stressor for most Americansmoney.The premise is simple: Money isn't the problem; its the relationship we have with money that matters. The root of Scrooges miserly existence was not an anemic cash flow but an unhealthy belief system about money. Through profound quotes from A Christmas Carol, case studies of real people with modern money woes and advice from the authors, the book provides a practical plan to make money your servant rather than your master.Based on the approach featured in The Wall Street Journal readers will learn to: recognize how unconscious Money Scripts may be keeping them trapped; come to terms with how their net worth affects their self-worth; discover their authentic goals and values; look at new ways of permanently changing self-destructive behaviors around money, and how to leave a family legacy of financial wellness.

Table of Contents

Foreword	viii
Naomi Judd
Preface	x
Acknowledgments	xiii
Introduction: Setting the Stage: It's Not About the Money	xv
Money Scripts: The Beliefs Behind the Behaviors	1	(32)
Marley's Ghost---Stage One: Denial and Intervention	33	(20)
The First of the Three Spirits---Stage Two: Exploring the Past	53	(22)
The Second of the Three Spirits---Stage Three: Understanding the Present	75	(28)
The Last of the Three Spirits---Stage Four: Contemplating the Future	103	(8)
A New Script---Stage Five: Transformation and Action	111

Excerpts

Introduction Merry Christmas, uncle. Bah! Humbug! What right do you have to be merry? Youre poor enough. What right do you have to be so dismal? Youre rich enough. Bah! said Scrooge again.Humbug! A Christmas Carol Scrooge was a miser, to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. No one with even a vague familiarity with Charles Dickenss classic A Christmas Carol, the story of penny-pinching Ebenezer Scrooge, could argue with such a statement about the tales main character. Scrooge was a miserable man who seemingly had enough money to be more than comfortable. Still, he dipped his own candles, kept his sparse apartment cold and dark, cared nothing about the welfare of others and worried endlessly that someone would take advantage of him and his wealth. Dickens describes him as a man whose heart was so cold he was even unaffected by the weather: No warmth could warm, nor wintry weather chill him. No wind that blew was bitterer than he. Yet, before the tale is over, Scrooge experiences profound changes in his outlook and behavior. By the final chapter, he is transformed into a joyful, compassionate, generous man. What happened? Scrooge became a new man because he took a difficult journey. It wasnt a journey he took willingly, but as the night wore on, he became more eager to learn the life-changing lessons the spirits had to teach. Scrooges enlightenment begins with an intervention, a visit from the ghost of his old business partner, Jacob Marley. It continues with the wise guidance of the Ghost of Christmas Past. Scrooge sees how past events from his childhood created beliefs about money and attitudes that were destroying his life and keeping him spiritually and emotionally poor in spite of his great wealth. Next, the Ghost of Christmas Present models the true abundance that is so lacking in Scrooges life and shows Scrooge the reality of the world and how he fits into it. Finally, the Ghost of Christmas Future shows Scrooge what the consequences will be if he doesnt change. By visiting his past, clearly seeing the present and understanding the consequences of the future, Scrooge brings his life into balance.Most of all, he becomes happy, at peace with himself and with the world. The root of Scrooges miserly existence was an unhealthy belief system about money. In spite of his wealth, Scrooges beliefs about moneycreated, nurtured and anchored in his long-forgotten pastkept him poor in spirit. His loyal employee, Bob Cratchit, also had some unhealthy beliefs about money that contributed to his poverty. Like Scrooge and Cratchit, who represent two extremes, many people are trapped by money beliefs they are unaware of. They irrationally continue destructive behaviors, unable to break free and recognize how they are sabotaging their own goals and dreams. This classic tale of how one man finds his true course in life provides a powerful model that we can still learn from today. Not only was Dickens a master storyteller,

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Excerpted from The Financial Wisdom of Ebenezer Scrooge: 5 Principles to Transform Your Relationship with Money by Ted Klontz, Rick Kahler, Brad Klontz
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.