One day in my class, Maria shared her feelings about money, "Money worries me. I think I want to live without money because I hate it. I HATE MONEY." We were all touched by Maria's words as they reminded us of the spiritual burdens that money managing can bring to us. After class I offered to help Maria deal with her financial problems. She hesitated to accept my offer, and I could see from the expression on her face that she was afraid of what it might involve. I quickly promised her that I wouldn't make her do more than she was able to. I told her frankly that I didn't enjoy managing my money any more than she did hers and wouldn't burden her with guilt, judgments, or impossible tasks.  All I would ask her to do was to let me help her look at her fears and try to make some sense of them. Maria still resisted my offer, and I can remember the excuses she gave me as they were the repeated complaints I had heard from so many people. "I'11 never understand money," she said. "My facts are meaningless." "I don't deserve to have money." "I never have enough," "I have too little to manage." "My financial position isn't worth looking at." and the most  _ one of all, "I just can't do it." Going home that day, I couldn't get Maria out of my mind: Her attitude conveyed the same negativity and fear that I believed annoyed many people. I was sure it was this attitude that prevented people from managing their money effectively. My counseling   has taught me that these anxieties are inseparably connected to our self-doubts and fear for survival. Many of us are terrified of handling our money because we don't believe we can do it well, and to do it wrong would put our very existence at risk.  On a deeper level we know that money is not the source of life, but sense of worth drives us to act as if it were. It locks us up in self-doubts and prevents us from tapping into the true source of our management power, our spirit. Maria's words moved the author and others because they were_.
in the same financial trouble in the same financial condition of the same family background of the same feeling over the issue