The Martyr and Money, Part V

19 Mar The Martyr and Money, Part V

The Martyr and Money go way back. Image by Banalities, accessed on Flikr via Creative Commons Search.

The Martyr and Money

Martyrs are compassionate and caretaking, gosh–what’s the problem with being a Martyr?

Try secretive, controlling, and resentful, that’s what.

How Does the Martyr Interact with Money?

When we feel weak inside with respect to money, we may seek out (or become) a Martyr. Then we feel stronger.  But this is very expensive strength.

Our fear and conflicted longing for a Martyr to help us out is our own fear of scarcity. Fear can keep us from simply telling the Martyr, “No, thank you.”  Another thing that keeps us from kicking out the Martyr is that we know the Martyr is suffering. You feel it when you walk into a room they’re in.  But the best Martyrs are untouchable because they are heros. They do more, work longer, receive less, than anyone.  You’re never supposed to ask why they are suffering, or why they don’t change it.

Martyr Patterns

This series is about blocks to money and where in the body they are located. Each block is related to a particular money archetype.* I locate the Martyr’s block in the belly, the solar plexus, the radiation-place of personal power.  Martyrs have the hardened crusty patterns of a Victim (living an already-crusty story of underlying terror as an Innocent) x 10.  Their suffering forms the very base of their lives.  Feels like that anyway, til you change it, doesn’t it?

Yup, let’s admit it: most of us have been or are recovering Martyrs.  There is a contest in our culture over who suffers the most: who works the hardest, gets the least sleep, goes to work the sickest, handles the most stress.

Our true power comes from within.  It does radiate from our solar plexus, and others can feel it when our message is “I love you and I love me, let’s work together.”  Once we release the Martyr’s secrecy and resentment, we get to keep the compassion and thirst to care for others. We are powerful! We have plenty.

It is our plenty, not our sacrifice, that is our gift to others.

*The money archetypes belong to the intellectual body of work of Deborah L. Price, founder of moneycoaching, whose work has influenced mine in every way, and with whom I gratefully received certification as a moneycoach with individuals and organizations. For information, contact me.