Something I've been thinking about a lot about lately is the concept of "receiving."

It is a theme that often arises in my work with clients because it is struggle for many of them. Receiving, be it a worthy fee from clients, a raise or promotion from an employer, and/or support from the people in our lives-financial and otherwise-can create what one of my clients so aptly termed, 'the squirm.'

Women in particular have difficulty with receiving. For example, think about how you respond when someone 'gives' you a compliment. Are you the type to say "I've looked better" when a friend compliments you on your appearance? As women, we are raised with cultural messages to put others' needs before our own, to not really know and honor our own needs, and/or feel indebted if we do receive. Our identity as women often entails being a 'caretaker' of others, not leaving much room for 'care-receiving'.

A common theme in my work with clients entails assessing the current state of their relationship with money - what's working and what's not - and identifying ways to improve this relationship.

For many people, the idea that we actually have a relationship with money is a novel concept. I ask clients to think about how they are treating their money. After some reflection they often sheepishly admit that if they were treated the way they are treating their money, they'd end the relationship!

So, how are YOU treating this partner of yours, money?

Throughout our lives we make tens of thousands of purchasing decisions-some more thought out than others.

Knowing the difference between our "wants" and "needs" is an important part of learning to manage our money in a mindful and empowered way. It's easy to spend money. What can be more challenging is money spending in a way that is truly attuned with our values and desires.

One simple way to guide conscious spending is to get super clear on our needs and wants, and actually list them all out on paper:

NEEDS are the essentials-the basics of life that you must have to survive: food, shelter, clothing, health care, etc.

WANTS are basically everything else: eating out, entertainment, travel, gifts, gym membership, luxury consumer brands etc.