This post is part of a series of posts that begins with an introduction titled “Develop a New Relationship with Money”.  This is step 3 of a 5 part process to stimulate wealth and eliminate financial stress:

Step 3:  Replace negative thoughts attached to money: You won’t be able to enhance your financial picture if most of your thoughts and actions surrounding money are negative.  This concept is similar to understanding your programming (Step 2), but not as deeply ingrained and therefore, easier to “fix”.  I create flash card decks designed to clean up people’s thought processes - “Stop the BS that’s Blocking Your Confidence” has 40 of the most common limiting beliefs and behaviors that weaken us or set us up for failure, as well as suggested replacements for that obstructive belief or behavior.  ( BS stands for Belief System).  I am finishing up a 2nd deck that is specific to the mind-set concerning finances and is called “Stop the BS that’s Blocking Your Prosperity”.  (Check the website if you are interested in more information about either deck - www.landingbychoice.com/products.php).  The point is a belief system can make or break your ability to achieve success in life, so it’s important to determine what’s at the core of your belief system.

If you believe money is scarce, difficult to earn, hard to save or evil, you may find prosperity eludes you.  If you have attached your own negative requirements to money, you may also experience difficulty making money.  For example, somewhere along the line, I adopted a belief that without a college degree a person would struggle to bring in a decent income.  I didn’t have a college degree so my belief became my reality and money and was always difficult for me to make, therefore I greatly hindered my earning capacity with that belief.  Once I replaced that limiting belief with one that didn’t attach a qualifier to money, (”money comes to me just as easily with or without a degree”), I acquired money easily.

I use to think people who made a lot of money were greedy and self-centered and borderline evil.  I didn’t want to be greedy or evil, and since I had attached these attributes to money, I ultimately but unknowingly sabotaged my ability to be prosperous.

Another belief that I see in the majority of my clients is the belief that money is in short supply.  This is the belief that birthed my constant comparison of money to oxygen.  I ask my clients if while they are exhaling, they are internally stressing about whether there will be any oxygen for their next inhale.  “Of course not” they laugh.  Unless you are in the unfortunate position of being locked in an airtight room with a limited supply of oxygen you probably never walk around thinking about it.  Oxygen is just there!  I will tell audiences to shout out every principle they can think of that’s associated with breathing.  They shout, “It’s a no-brain-er! It just comes naturally! There is an endless supply!  I can take it for granted! I don’t have to think about it!  I don’t worry about it!  I expect it to be there!” And then I ask them if they can take every one of those principles and apply them to money.  It’s the same thing!  “Money comes naturally!  There is an endless supply! I don’t worry about it!  I expect it to be there!” Clients who begin to retrain their mind to believe this are the ones that experience prosperity on a whole new level.

If you were to leave this planet today and go live on another planet where the inhabitants believed that money was a limitless, abundant source that was always available, you would never stress about money.  You would just take for granted that it was there for you.  But if these same inhabitants believed that oxygen was in high demand and should be handled cautiously because it was scarce, difficult to obtain and “the source of all evil”, you would attach fear and lack to oxygen or you would constantly be counting your breaths!  Most likely you would land up with asthma, bronchitis or an oxygen tank to survive.  Why?  Like everything else, your focus becomes your reality. Monitor your current thoughts concerning money and see how many of them are attaching a limiting or negative factor to money, wealth and prosperity and then commit to changing your belief system!

Stay tuned for step 4 of 5!

This post is part of a series of posts that begins with an introduction titled “Develop a New Relationship with Money”, followed by “Mastering Money from the Inside Out - Step 1 of 5?

Step 2 - Understand your current money programming: You won’t be able to enhance your financial picture if you don’t exhume some deep-seated subconscious programming or learned behavior that surrounds money.  Just like you were taught you have to “earn money”, you may have been exposed to lots of other negative programming that got lodged in your subconscious without your permission.  If you apply a whole list of positive affirmations concerning money (”money comes to me easily”) and yet nothing ever changes, I encourage you to look deeper and unearth everything you’ve witnessed in your life that left a negative feeling associated with money.  Journaling can expedite this process.

Consider this example:  A small child we will call Gwen, grows up in a house were the subject of money is a constant source of concern and arguing.  Bill paying day was the worst day of the month in Gwen’s house.  Her mohter worried about money obsessively and her father, in an effort to save her mother from unnecessary worry, didn’t talk about his money issues.  At one point, he was so deep in debt that there were bill collectors coming to the door.  Gwen’s mother was mortified and now developed a sense of mistrust.  The arguing got worse.

Having witnessed this type of experience throughout her childhood, Gwen was programmed to believe that money was a source of arguments, money caused mistrust, money caused marital problems, paying bills was stressful, and bill collectors are unreasonable and untrustworthy and downright scary!  When Gwen became an adult, bill paying day was the worst day of the month in her house too!  She hated that scene when she was a child, yet here it was being repeated in her own marriage, as she and her husband fought and stressed over the bills.  Gwen’s marriage eventually ends and she is back on her own.  She lands a fantastic job, making a lot of money so paying bills shouldn’t have fel stressful at all, and yet she always noticed this uncomfortable pit in her stomach on “bill paying day” no matter how large her bank account was.  She became irritable and intimidated when having to call vendors to discuss a bill (like her cable provider or credit card company); always suspecting they would try to scam her or cheat her or just treat her badly.

One day she had an “ah-ha” moment and realized that her relationship with money didn’t have to be stressful or scary.  She decided to reprogram the way she related to money.  The more relaxed, trusting and appreciative she became in regards to taking in and sending out money, the more money she seemed to attract and save.  Now she looks at her bills differently.  She tanks the electric bill when it comes; thrilled that she pays such a small price to have this modern convenience.  Through gratitude, she is rewarded with more income in a variety of ways (some that defy all reasoning).

When she has to call on a vendor, she envisions that the customer service rep on the other side of the call is completely on her side and looking out for her best interest.  And because she has reprogrammed her mind to believe that she will only receive the very best service at the very best price - that has become her reality.  Amazingly, she receives many discounts, credits and free services as a result of this thinking.  And she has even made friends out of some local utility company customer service reps.  Reprogramming…it’s worth your time and can make a huge difference in your capacity to experience prosperity.

Stay tuned for Step 3 in the next post!