Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Prosperity Thinking

It's been a while since I've last posted. Normally that's a sign I'm off my game and not focused. However, this time it's the exact opposite. I've been so focused on what I'm doing; coaching materials, writing my e-book, working other programs, building relationships and going on vacation, that blogging continually falls off the bottom of the 'To-do' list.


Usually I do post from work, however, my work schedule has been very full as well recently. It's finally calmed down a bit so I'm back to blogging as long as that lasts.

I now have a back-log of stuff I'd love to tell you all, but for now, let's stick with what's current. If time allows I'll backtrack in future posts.

The focus in the coaching right now is on Money and Success. FINALLY!! After all, who doesn't want money and success? Well, actually, I didn't for a very long time. Some money, of course, enough to live comfortably but really, beyond that, although I had some lofty goals, I didn't have an innate desire for more. I had, and am currently working on breaking, a poverty consciousness.

Poverty consciousnesses, are actually quite common. There are so many misconceptions about money and how to earn it, and what type of person you have to be in order to earn it, that people stop themselves from achieving more. They believe, through subconscious ingrained beliefs that wealth is somehow difficult or impossible to attain, that you need to be especially gifted, or exceptionally well educated or obsessively driven to attain it, or they believe that 'rich' people are inherently bad. That wealthy individuals are selfish because they don't share their wealth (which is largely a lie), that they live a life style you wouldn't be comfortable living, that they are shallow being consumed with money above all else, or that they stepped all over everyone else in order to get to where they are now.

With the occasional exception, this is simply not the case. Most millionaires are decidedly average people. They do not lead an exceptionally extravagant lifestyle. Studies show most millionaires, dress casually, drive older used vehicles, and have jobs that people do not consider exceptional. The real difference, is they are wealth conscious.

Poverty conscious people think in terms of lack. They focus on what they don't have the money for. That they need more money to be happy. That spending money will make them happy, if only they had more to spend. They want to earn more, but even when they do - through hard work, they still end up living beyond their means, running up large credit card debts. Sometimes, they get caught up in trying to live a 'wealthy' lifestyle - 'keeping up with the Jones' but are living on borrowed money and borrowed time.

"Far too many people spend money they don't have, to buy things they don't need, to impress people they don't like."

To this group Money is an end. They believe becoming rich will enable them to buy those things that make them happy, feel secure and joyous.

Wealth conscious people aren't focused on the lack of money, regardless of their financial circumstances. Instead they are focused on how to use the money on hand to build wealth. They pay themselves first (it's recommended to give yourself 10% first). Then they use that money for investments, assets, or business opportunities. They look to create things of value, because anything of value to people has intrinsic worth. They also think in terms of wealth and value. This is why they commonly own used cars. The instant you drive a new car off the lot it loses 30% of it's value. After the first couple years it can be down 50%. A used vehicle on the other had doesn't suffer from that sort of vast depreciation. They can sell it after a year for about 80-90% of what they paid. They want to look good, but they look to buy good quality at cheap prices. They ask for discounts. They bargain. They use the money on hand and if they can't get what they want for the price they are willing to pay, they do without. They find joy in the savings of money, and the building of net worth.

To this group money is merely a means to an end. They believe by cutting back and doing with less now, will enable them to enjoy more later. They are right.

When poverty conscious people dream of being rich, they envision having a million dollars on hand and start devising how they are going to spend that money. However, unless they are super rich or just won a lottery, millionaires do not have a million dollars to spend. They are worth a million or millions of dollars. Their money is invested in stocks, bonds, businesses, real estate and other assets. They are not considering spending any of it, just living off the revenue it generates. Of the revenue that their money generates, a lot is perpetually put right back into more investments, constantly growing their wealth.

Do you need money to make money? Yes, there's no denying the potent power of compound interest, but you have to start somewhere, just like anyone. Most millionaires did not start off rich. They made their money by building wealth and creating value for others. Every year there are another 100,000 millionaires in the United States. The majority of them started right where you are now. If you start to use your money as a tool, paying yourself first, investing it and looking for ways to use it to create value for others (building businesses), you will also start to increase in wealth.

Before you can do that though, you need to break your poverty mindset. Here is a trick they use in Canfield coaching.

1)Write down every bad association you have heard about money. IE: "Money doesn't grow on trees," "Rich people should share their wealth" (assumes they don't and are selfish), "You need money to make money," "Everyone can't be a millionaire," "We can't, we don't have the money.", etc.

2)Write down all the ones you relate too or think yourself.


One I identified was the Mark 10:25 "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." I believed having wealth made one nonspiritual. So I subconsciously fought against having it. It is true that you can only have one God. If you are looking to money to solve all your problems - that is your god. However Jesus also said "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." ~ John 10:10.

The best things in life are free, but they are still enhanced with money. Wealth is a necessity for anyone wanting peace of mind, freedom to travel and learn, and the ability to help others. God must be the answer to your problems, but money is an effective tool for doing the work of the Lord. The more you have the more effective you can be.

3)Take the prominent belief and make fun of it or turn it around.

So "Money doesn't grow on trees" can become "Money is made from trees, trees are everywhere, so there's potential wealth all over!"
"You have to step on people to get ahead" becomes, "We get ahead by working with other people"

4)Create a new empowering statement and declare this statement to yourself, empathically, three times a day, every day for 30 days. The more feeling you can muster behind it, the more ingrained it becomes in your subconscious, overwriting old limiting beliefs.


I now pay myself 10% first. 5% straight to investments and 5% to a 'New Business Venture Capital' account. This will enable me to market my book, work on my website, invest in a multi-level-marketing side business or any other opportunity I see.

I am focused on dressing like I'm wealthy, acting like I'm wealthy, thinking like I'm wealthy and when I do that consistently, I will naturally become wealthy, for I am doing, thinking and being as wealthy people do.

There is no magic trick for wealth. The rules of the road are well documented and easy to find if you look for them. However, most people are looking for a get-rich-quick scheme or to win the lottery. There's no scheme and 90% of lottery winners end up financially worse off in five years of winning. Why? Because they are still poverty minded. Looking to money to solve their problems and they spend it - all. If they were wealth minded, they'd immediately get financial help, invest 90% and live off the 10% (donating from the 10%, giving family and friends from the 10%, etc.) until the rest starts generating cash flow. Doesn't sound nearly as appealing does it? But that would set them up for life, instead of a few years of glory and then back to poverty. Plus, since they now have a nice work-free income to live off of, they have their whole lives to find more ways to - create more value to others! Which generates more money, which they can partly use to create more wealth and value, which makes more money, which... etc., etc.

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