Lord Ganesha is hailed as the symbol of prosperity, knowledge, wisdom and therefore the destroyer of obstacles. People seek his blessings first in times of happiness and uncertainty alike. Through his many forms, he teaches us precious lessons. There are tons to learn from Lord Ganesh, mainly when it includes managing finances.

#1 Take the First Step

It is believed that Lord Ganesha rules the Muladhara Chakra, which claims that human life is split into two parts – material and spiritual, and Lord Ganesha controls both of them. The earthly way fulfils the expectations and needs of humans, whereas the spiritual practice describes the life cycle of an individual from birth till death. Therefore, Lord Ganesha is worshipped at the latest ventures due to his influence on life.

And what better time than Ganesh Chaturthi to start a journey of your financial freedom! Save hard and fast-sum monthly and see your finances grow healthy. You will like to invest in a simple product like a recurring deposit or a systematic investment plan. Take the auspicious event to mark your journey towards financial awareness and wealth creation.

#2 Think Out of the Box

Once, Shiva and Parvati had ‘the fruit of knowledge’, which both Kartikeya and Ganesha wanted to own. So, Lord Shiva challenged both his sons, asking them to do three rounds of the universe and therefore, the one who returned first would get the fruit. Kartikeya flew away on his pet peacock, but Ganesha only had the tiny mouse as his vehicle. So, he circled his parents and said that his whole world lies on their feet. Shiva and Parvati were impressed with Ganesha’s answer, and he earned the fruit! Lord Ganesha is therefore known as a God of intelligence and knowledge. From his large ears and tiny eyes, he underlines the importance of keenness and awareness while taking in information.

The lesson to be learnt is not to follow the crowd mentality and think out of the box. So just because all of your friends are investing in stocks doesn’t mean you also have to. Maybe an investment to fulfil a responsibility is more suitable for your short-term goals. And it’s never too late to start learning and exploring more about investing and staying updated with new investment options. You also have to be financially literate to obtain good returns for short-term and long-term financial plans and become your money manager.

#3 Handling Financial Uncertainties

It is popular that Lord Ganesha has a considerable appetite; that is why he is also known as “Lambodara” – meaning maintaining a bloated stomach with an in-depth need.

This symbol of a bloated stomach is not just consuming food. Lord Ganesha is also known to digest all the issues, evils and doubts in the world. Financial doubts are unpredictable, be it a natural disaster where you lose tons of resources or facing a financial hurdle where you land a difficult situation by making poor financial choices. The knowledge about asset classes and investing become the power of people to stomach instability. It helps a person maintain calm when the markets are volatile.

#4 Careful Investing is Good

We know Lord Ganesha’s vehicle is the mouse. Lord Ganesha reached all the holes and cracks of the planet and served his duty as the destroyer of obstacles because his vehicle was a mouse. Even being small, the mouse helped Lord Ganesha in remarkable ways.

The lesson to take from this choice is sometimes being careful can have its advantages. It can help satisfy our needs, and we don’t need to go above and beyond to fulfil them. Avoiding being careless buyers, know your needs, avoiding purchasing things because of peer pressure to help us economise and invest more.

These are some ways you can take lessons from Lord Ganesh and become financially aware and literate. And remember, the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi inspires these lessons; they will help you as long as you continue practising them throughout your financial journey.