Who’s Really Doing Your Holiday Shopping? It Might Be a Four-Year-Old

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If you find holiday spending overwhelming, it might be time to ask yourself a question: Who is doing your shopping?

It may be an inner four-year-old.

Most of us have an Internal Financial System™, a type of internal corporation that makes our financial decisions. Here’s the problem: that company is often run by children.

These children represent internal parts of yourself who hold money beliefs formed from your childhood experiences, including traumatic ones. Imagine a corporate boardroom occupied by kids of various ages who have locked the adult CEO (your Self) in the closet.

During the holidays, each kid has a loud opinion about how to spend your money. An Overexcited Giver, who thinks cost doesn’t matter because more gifts mean more happiness, may constantly urge, “Just one more!”

You may have a People Pleaser who frets over whether Aunt Susie will like her scarf and insists the more expensive one is better. The Rebellious Teenager is likely to roll their eyes at all the chaos, pull out their smartphone and order takeout—or a video game for themselves. Their Christmas shopping solution? Don’t participate.