A car can run on gasoline and a dream right?

“…I don’t have money on my mind! Money on my mind! I do it for the love….”

“…Please don’t get me wrong I want to keep it moving, I know what that requires – I’m not foolish…”

I blast Sam Smith’s hit “Money On My Mind” every morning on my way to work. My moms nagging always taught me to be proud of earning your own money, but to be equally happy with a little or a lot. And as I’ve gotten older, nothing makes more sense. In a world were materialism runs rampant, I don’t desire the latest and greatest but rather something a bit more simplistic.

It was a cold February morning around 10:00 AM – Ground Hog’s Day I believe -when I got the phone call…I almost fell out of my seat- “$1,000 to fix my car?!”

“..I never wanted more, so sing with me can’t you see?…”

Supervisor extraordinaire and coach Gina and I had the “car talk” a little over a month ago. It was obvious that my car needed some serious work , however, I was not in a place to repair the damage. Truthfully, in my humble opinion going to the mechanic is kind of like stepping on a thumbtack. A car can run on gasoline and a dream right? A month and $500 later the car was “fixed” and then “unfixed” again.

During our coaching session Gina helped me come to the realization that I was in a much better place financially now than I was in months prior. I recently have accepted a full time position at Points of Light. Before joining the full time workforce I was a full time graduate student working as an intern and graduate assistant.

For those of you who have been to college and graduate school you may understand the economically disadvantaged student syndrome. In my mind I was still making the same amount in my new job as I did before. Gina helped me realize that this was certainly not the case and as long as I work out a new budget and set a reasonable amount for a car I could do it!

After speaking with Gina, I began to understand the importance of weighing out the financial options- put more money into an ailing car or look into buying another one?

So I suppose a car can’t run on gasoline and a dream after all. It was important that I had one of those “a-ha” moments before I could take that next step. Gina’s coaching paired with my own values and budget has allowed to me reevaluate my wants and needs, and how I can marry the two without feeling millennial guilt. 

“…When the sun will set don’t you fret know I have no money on my mind…just love…”

*Dance*

-Gabrielle D. Gaston, FOC Coordinator