It’s Complicated!

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After Ecstasy, the laundry!
~Zen

It was date night, and fun was running high, when my delightful wife and I found ourselves at the wrong movie theater. But there was the marquee telling us, It’s Complicated! Since we both know a thing or two about Love and Money…we said YES…this is the movie for us. And it was, as we laughed and felt familiar tugs at our memories, holding hands in the darkness of the film’s glow.

This is a story of a mother of three grown children (Meryl Streep) who owns a thriving bakery and after a decade of divorce remains on casually friendly terms with her ex-husband (Alec Baldwin).

Things get complicated when they meet for their son’s graduation from college. Baldwin’s character remarried a younger woman, but he is unhappy. In his search for love and happiness, his ex-wife is suddenly attractive. He seduces his ex-wife (Streep) and they begin an affair at the same time that Streep’s character is trying to find love again in her world.

What makes this story endearing and educational for us is it’s message. Somewhere inside we know what we want, but until we gain clarity around that, things that come along become temporary and occasionally hilarious substitutes. Knowing what we want, really knowing, could save time and money and might keep us out of predicaments.

We want Love and we need Money, but since we are complicated human beings, we rarely go in a straight line to what we want. It this film, Money was not a problem. Baldwin’s character, an attorney, drove a Porsche. Streep’s character lived in a beautiful home she was remodeling in what was assuredly the Montecito area of Santa Barbara. This is Oprah Winfrey’s neighborhood! But these wealthly life styles only served as a backdrop to the story, they neither caused the problems nor did they solve them.

Additionally, the character wonderfully acted by Meryl Streep, was a confident, intelligent and resourceful woman. Yet her heart remained vulnerable to loneliness. But going back in time didn’t work either.

There is a saying that we can never go home again. In other words, once we’ve grown past what used to be our lives, we really don’t fit into that same space again.

We have our shot at Love and sharing a life with another. What we make of that matters greatly to our success in building a solid, lasting and profitable relationship. We either grow together or we grow apart. Going back is rarely an option because it is no longer right for us.

Another lesson for all of us is that there is a practical side to our lives. We complicate things unnecessarily and then take them so seriously. But Love, simply nourished and grown brings a bountiful harvest of understanding, support, and fulfillment. Having the undying support of a partner is the quickest and most effective way to build a rich life.

What can you and your partner do today to increase the wealth in your life?

To Love, Wealth and Happiness in all aspects of your life,
Jimm Hughey, M.S.
Master Wealth Acceleration Coach
Love and Money Guru