What do you believe about money? Financial success? Abundance? Wealth?
No, I’m not talking about what you say you believe. I’m talking about your deep, subconscious beliefs that you whisper to yourself day in and day out.
The whispers may be so quiet that you don’t even notice them.
Awareness is a superpower of yours. It’s your biggest ally when it comes to uncovering and then shifting – if you choose to do so – those beliefs.
First, a little clarification about a thought versus a belief.
In any given day, you have at least 60,000 thoughts pass through your mind. (Don’t think you have that many? Try meditating and completely clearing your mind for 5 minutes. Challenge yourself to not think about anything but your breath. You’ll quickly notice the amount of thoughts that fly in and out of your mind, even in a short amount of time.)
Beliefs are thoughts with an emotion tied to them.
They are, to be very technical, WAY more powerful than your thoughts.
As I take a stand for my clients and support them to build a six figure business because of the person they become in the process and the impact that they have at that level (on their clients, the world, and the people they hire), it’s imperative that we get super clear on what limiting beliefs are getting in the way.
Did you notice that I didn’t say “if” they show up? It’s not a matter of “if” but rather a matter of “which ones.”
So, how do you get started doing your own work around money and your underlying limiting beliefs that are keeping you from moving towards your goals with grace and ease?
I’m so glad that you asked.
What are your money beliefs?
Maybe you’ve done some work in this area and have empowering beliefs that allow you have an abundance of money flow through your business and your life. If you sense that there’s an opportunity to find an easier path and to resolve some of the resistance you may be facing, then try out the simple exercise below to get started.
(Hint: Mindset work is an ongoing process. Even when you think you’ve kicked one limiting belief to the curb, it’s likely to show up again, disguised as something else. This is one reason it’s so powerful to have a mentor or coach in your corner to help you recognize these beliefs, and stories, when they sneak back in.)
Set your timer for 5 minutes, grab a pen and complete each of these sentences on your paper:
Money is __________.
Money makes you __________.
Discussing money makes me feel _____________ .
What did you notice as you completed that exercise? Did you feel good or have an icky feeling emerge? For right now, I want you to just simply notice.
Here’s another way to dig for limiting beliefs around money:
And yes, sometimes we have to dig to find these beliefs.
That’s OK because it’s worth it when you can see them, recognize them for what they are, and then release them so that you can begin to write a new story. (You’re here because you’re ready to write a new story – a fabulous adventure – right?)
The inner work allows you to create the external results that you are dreaming about.
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The inner work allows you to create the external results that you are dreaming about.
Ok, here we go:
Close your eyes and allow yourself to travel back in time. Imagine where you lived when you were growing up.
As a child, and with so much to learn, we look for things that we can create rules about so that we continue taking in everything that we see and experience each day.
What events, conversations, or every day occurrences did you encounter that you may have created a rule for?
What type of work did your family and friends do? Did they work long hours for minimal pay? What type of money conversations took place? What did your family members, teachers and friends say about other people with or without money?
One of these questions may spark an insight right away or it may spark a new awareness two weeks down the road. Allow yourself to simply journal about where you grew up, the stories that were told, the events that took place and the rules and beliefs that may have been formed.
Be patient and kind with yourself through this process.
It can be a bit messy and disorganized, and you may want to judge or cast blame on yourself or others. Please don’t do that. Enter into this process with compassion, a forgiving heart, and a willingness to look and learn.
Most people don’t take the time to do this for themselves, so how can we hold them accountable for passing on an old story that they didn’t even know they were telling?
The most common limiting beliefs, or old stories, that I’ve encountered either myself or when I work with clients include:
- “Money is the root of all evil.”
- “Having more money than you need to survive makes you a greedy person.”
- “I should only have enough money to cover my expenses.”
- “I’m just not good with money.”
- “My family has never been rich.”
- “Money is a limited resource.”
- “You have to work REALLY hard to be wealthy.”
- “It’s more spiritual to be poor than rich.”
- “If I have a lot of money, it means someone else is going to have less.”
- “Money isn’t really that important.”
Click here to see what you can do to shift your beliefs so that you can write your new story that allows for an abundance of wealth in all aspects of your life and business.
For right now, celebrate that you’re building your awareness muscle, and take note as these beliefs show up for you over the next few days and weeks.
Please leave a comment below with one or two of the limiting beliefs that you’re willing to look at more closely over the next few days.
