Embrace Your Inner Barbie & Find Your Money Matriarchy ✨👩🏿🤝👩🏻💵
Guest Blog by Money Healing Club Moderator, Melissa Jensen
If you're anything like me, you probably had a deep love for Barbie growing up. Those days of imaginative play in Barbieland were pure magic, right? So I was so excited to watch Greta Gertwig’s Barbie movie last summer. But let's take a closer look at Barbieland because, believe it or not, it holds some valuable lessons for us about emotions and money. ✨💅🏻💕🎀💵
In the movie’s Barbieland, the Barbies were the true stars. They held all the power, led by none other than President Barbie herself, surrounded by an all-Barbie cabinet and even boasting a Barbie Supreme Court. These gals did it all, from being Nobel Prize-winning physicists to hardworking sanitation workers. Meanwhile, the Kens had superficial jobs, like basking in the sun at the beach, and they had zilch representation in Barbieland's government. It was an exaggerated version of the real world's patriarchal structures, and it got us thinking.
Now, don't get me wrong; Barbieland is a fantastic dramatic setting for the movie, but it's not quite a matriarchy. You see, a matriarchy isn't just a flip of the patriarchal script – it's a whole different structure. Matriarchies are models of equality and community. Men can absolutely hold positions of power in a matriarchy, but here's the kicker: that power is equally shared with others.
Members of matriarchies roll up their sleeves and share the load when it comes to labor, childcare, and leadership roles. It's not about gender or age; it's about what makes sense for the community. Matriarchies are the real meritocracies our world aspires to be.🤝
As we navigate the ups and downs of life, it's clear that building genuine communities can be a bit of a challenge. The pandemic forced us to take a hard look at our circles: who we could trust with our health, who we Facetimed with when loneliness crept in, and who dropped off groceries when we needed to quarantine. But since our cities have started to return to "normal" over the past year, those communities have started to feel a bit distant once again.
However, in these times of a mental health pandemic and a cost of living crisis, we need our communities more than ever. Personally, I found myself facing a financial wake-up call. Before, I was blissfully spending most of my money on online shopping, not saving enough, but always managing to cover my credit card bills.💳 Yet, with record-high inflation in the mix, I suddenly found myself spending beyond my means. That's when it hit me: I needed a new community, a community that understands the dance between emotions and money. I needed a money matriarchy. 👩🏿🤝👩🏻
I found this in the 💸Money Healing Club💸, a nurturing community to discuss money and unpack the emotions around it. I was able to connect with fellow women who understood my money struggles and were there to support me. I was able to share my wins, seek advice, or just vent. This community of supportive women (though men are always welcome in a matriarchy!) helped me unpack my money luggage and learn how to use my emotions as my allies!
So, let's come together in our very own money matriarchy. Let's support each other, share our wisdom, and lift one another up as we navigate the twists and turns of our financial journeys. It's not about who has the fanciest job or the biggest bank account; it's about creating a space where financial well-being is a shared goal.
Embrace your inner Barbie and let's find our money matriarchy together! 💁♀️💰💕
