Part 2: These money tips in this three part series are designed to help you change your relationship with money; the way you see it and how you live with it.
4. I never have enough money.
This is one of the most dangerous expressions one can say about money. Not only do we say we don’t have enough, we feel it, and we believe it. What a way to perpetuate this unwanted reality. When we feel we don’t have enough, we act as such. We correlate feelings of anxiety and regret to a feeling of lack. This overall feeling of lack then translate to other areas of our life. It’s a slippery slope of thinking and feeling. Stop it!
The next time you say, or even think, you don’t have enough money, stop immediately and think, “I have enough right now. Whatever I need now is being presented to me through yet known opportunities.” Welcome the flow of money into your life. Believe you have enough in every moment; not just money, but everything!
5. Someday, I’ll be rich.
This phrase sounds relatively harmless. After all, it invokes an idea that sometime in the future, we’ll be rich. Who doesn’t like that idea?
Unfortunately, this relatively harmless expression puts our lives and intentions in the future, rather than in the present moment. As a consequence, we’ve banished our wealthy lives into the future, rather than the present moment and right now, we’re living in a world that isn’t rich. When it comes to the physics of life, all we have is the present moment and the future is all but a ‘persistant illusion’ as Albert Einstein once put it.
Instead of saying, someday, say, “I have everything I need and I feel wealthy today and everyday.” Putting our intentions and actions in the present moment guarantees a ‘future’ full of wealth, as all we have is the present moment. Why put off a life of wealth into some abstract place called the future when we can assume wealth now? When we assume wealth now, we’re aligning ourselves, our decisions, and perceptions to manage a great deal of wealth. Talk about positioning ourselves for success!
6. Money? I don’t care to know.
When I talk with my clients about their financial situation, they start out by saying, “I have an idea of what I spend, but I’m not sure.” or “I don’t even care to know where I’m at.” These statements don’t come from a place of indifference; they come from a place of fear. What they usually explain to be the root of these statements is that they are afraid to know the true state of their financial situation, fearing the worst. They rationalize, quite strangely, that if they don’t know the exact truth of what they (or their spouse/partner) is spending, then they don’t have to confront the truth, which means they don’t have to make any uncomfortable changes.
Sure, making changes and confronting the truth of difficult financial situations can be uncomfortable. However, this ‘pain’ of dealing with the negativity is like ripping off a band-aid: It hurts for a moment, but in the end, it’s worth it if we want to heal. Procrastinating and feigning ignorance simply keeps us in a negative place. Deal with your financial situations and move on!
7. Money is the root of all evil.
Really? Money, a man-made invention, is the root of all evil? When I hear this, I laugh. It’s like saying teddybears are the root of all love. This negative perception of money leads to a negative feeling toward money. When we feel negatively about something, then our thoughts and actions towards money is engrossed in fear and misunderstanding. What happens next is a world built around despising money; labeling money as evil means we separate ourselves from its use and it’s true function as a tool to help us realize our fullest potentials.
When it comes to money and labeling anything as ‘evil’, I like to refer to the 17th century Japanese maxim, “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.” I choose to see the potential for good in money, to turn my ear to the positive things that could be said and done with money, and to speak positively about money. Choose to see and believe in the unlimited potential for good with money, as a tool for love and growth. Changing your perceptions can change your physical relationship with money, if you allow it.
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