Some of you may be wondering “What the heck to archetypes have to do with personal finance?” Apparently, a lot. We asked one of our Directions subscribers, Roberta Goldbaugh, CFP® to talk about what she learned when she invited Dr. Damron to participate in a women’s circle.

In our April circle, we were lucky to have Bonnie Damron join us and share a fairy tale ­ and its interpretation. As we all sat spell bound, Bonnie wove a story about a young woman who lost her father and her fortune, set out on her life’s journey, and eventually discovered her destiny and her own strength.

Mandala - representing a sacred space where inner truths are revealed

Then Bonnie interpreted the story for us, explaining what each component of the story represented, what pattern appears in this classic tale, what universal challenges are represented by the pattern in this story. Each of the circle members listened to hear herself in that story, and wished that we could hear Bonnie share a whole book full of stories ­ and their interpretations.

In financial planning we already capture our client’s story, because — after all — that is really the heart of the work. As a society, our myths, fairy tales and classic stories hold universal experiences, challenges, and victories experienced by humankind over the centuries. If I can identify the pattern in the client’s story, and lead her to the discovery of the related universal story, I believe my clients will experience more clarity, more confidence and will be better equipped to succeed in their financial (and other) goals.

Delving into mythology and ancient stories prompted us to schedule our next circle topic, the recognition and importance of feminine traits. But that is for another blog …

For more details, or to read about purchasing the recording of Bonnie’s webinar, click here.