Money is such a funny thing. Some people love it. Some hate it. Some are afraid of it. Others are afraid of having too much, while others are scared to lose what they do have. Some people hoard it, while others are willing risk it all. Money itself is nothing to get worked up about. Money is just a piece of paper or metal, or in this day and age, plastic or a number online. Money is not this big scary thing. What people love, hate, fear, or are indifferent about is what money represents to them and all those crazy emotions that money creates in people or the emotions that people think money will bring. I talked a lot about the feelings people are looking for with money in a blog I wrote almost two years ago. You can check that out here. People have to stop going through life thinking that money is going to give them a feeling. If they just work on the feeling first, the money will follow. Way easier said than done.
But here’s the thing, money is nothing more than a mindset. When you start thinking about money, where do your thoughts go? Do you have limiting beliefs about money? Do you believe that money is the root of all evil? Do you believe money is a tool? Do you believe that you deserve money? Or perhaps believe that you don’t? Do you think that money is a renewable resource or that there is a limited supply? Dig deep. Really understand how you feel and what you believe about money, because I guarantee that your current financial situation is a direct reflection of your beliefs (which dictate your actions and have gotten you into whatever situation you are in now – good or bad).
What is your mindset around money?
Here are three truths and one lie about money that will help you shift your mindset:
MONEY IS A TOOL. Most of the leaves in Vermont have fallen, which means we’re in full on fall clean-up mode. Do you choose a rake or a leaf blower? Both are tools. One is a little more labor intensive and will take more time than the other. But they will both get the job done. Money is no different. It is a tool. With money, you could leverage leaf pick-up to someone else and let them worry about how to get the job done. That’s a pretty simple example, but you get the point. Money is a tool to hire top talent. Money is a tool to take your family on a European vacation. Money is a tool to invest into medical research. Money is a tool to give back to your community. Money is a tool to allow your Mom to retire early. Money gives you options and options give you freedom. And like any tool, you’ve got to take care of it in order for it to work at it’s best. Are you taking care of your money and using it wisely?
MONEY IS THE RESULT OF THE VALUE YOU BRING. The world does not reward time and effort. This work hard play hard mentality is a thing of the past. Work smarter. Play smarter! The world rewards value. The world rewards the impact that you make on others. Think about it. Think about some of the highest paid people in the world. They are not just “working hard,” though what they do is hard work. They are changing the world. Disrupting their industries and transforming the way people live and interact with the world around them. Steve Jobs. Bill Gates. Melinda Gates. Ray Dalio. Oprah Winfrey. Ariana Huffington. Elon Musk. Sara Blakely. Mark Zuckerberg. Game changes. World changers. They have created massive impact on the world, and yes, they are financially rewarded for that. You are too. If you’re not where you want to be financially, think about the value you are bringing to your company, your community, and to the world around you. Could you do better? Do you have more value to give? Could you be making a more positive impact? Do that and the money will come.
MONEY IS AN EXCHANGE OF ENERGY. I wholeheartedly believe that what you put out into the universe – positive or negative energy – will come back to you ten-fold. What energy are you putting out about money? Do you have a scarcity mentality around money? If so, chances are money’s not going to want to hang with you. Conversely, if you have an abundant mentality around money and believe that money is a tool, and money is about the value you bring and that there is always more money to be had, well, hell, money’s like, “I want to hang out with that dude. He’s going to know what to do with me and take care of me.” Raise your frequency and money will rise up with you. Create that massive energy and put it into the value you bring and money will be what you receive in exchange. You know when you’re not bringing your best to a project or to your organization. Those are the times when you might undercut your consulting prices or decide now’s not the time to ask for a raise. Because you know you’re not bringing your best energy! But when you are. When you are crushing it at the office and are just pouring into those around you with your blog or Etsy shop. That’s when the money flows!
And one lie:
MONEY WILL CHANGE YOU. Nope. Sorry to break it to you, but it won’t. Not in the way you want it to, anyway. Money or the lack thereof will not change who you are at the core. It won’t give you any particular feeling. If you’re not happy, it’s not going to change that for you. And if you are already happy, truly happy, and have a lot of money and it’s gone tomorrow, your happiness won’t change. You all know those people, the ones who, on paper, have nothing, but are the most kind and giving individuals. If they earn money or come into an inheritance, they don’t all of a sudden become a scrooge. They will just keep on being kind and generous, and with money, can just give a little more in a different way. It’s the same thing for those unkind, judgmental, victim-mentality individuals you know. With money or without, they are still going to be selfish and blame others for their problems. While money won’t change you, let’s be honest, life can be a lot more fun with a little extra money! It’s badass to have money. You can be grateful and caring and giving and enjoy a sunset and still own a plane. Those things do not exist in isolation. When you choose unconditional happiness, that’s it, you choose happiness. And then money simply becomes a tool to enrich life’s experiences. Bottom line, money just exacerbates who you are. Money will not change who you are as a person. That is completely up to you.
If you know you need to change your mindset about money, that’s the first step – awareness. Check out some of these books to get you started:
Remember, money is a tool and an exchanged of energy. Money is a direct reflection of the value you bring. Above all, money will not change who you are. You are completely up to you. Now, go forth and prosper!
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