The purpose of this Money series is to put you in the driver's seat when it comes to your money. My aim is to support you to transform your relationship with money from one of scarcity and pain to one of sufficiency, abundance, and inspiration. Think of these six articles as an action seminar in which you're participating because you are committed to better financial results in your own life ... and beyond.
The series includes information, exercises, homework and templates. For best results I recommend that you choose a partner to whom you'll be accountable during this seminar. Someone to keep you true to your commitment to transform your relationship with money.
From my experience I don't believe you can ever feel truly successful or fulfilled until you handle your relationship with money. Notice I didn't say you couldn't feel happy or satisfied until you get rich. I said I don't believe you'll feel satisfied and fulfilled until you've handled your relationship with money. Wayne Dyer gives us food for thought on this point: "When I chased after money, I never had enough. When I got my life on purpose and focused on giving of myself ... then I was prosperous.
Power of your attitude
When you hold onto an attitude long enough, it becomes your reality. Once that happens, proof of its accuracy begins to accumulate in your life, and the actions you take and the results you have are a perfect match for this attitude.
Don't take my word for it; check it out for yourself. About money, what are you afraid of? Complete the sentence: I'm afraid that ___. Now, what if your fear were completely valid? Where does that fear lead you? What results does that fear point to? Given that life is a self-fulfilling prophecy, what results are in store for you?
Nowhere is this power more evident than in your relationship with money. In order to achieve a transformation, your thoughts and your attitudes about money must point to the results you want. As you look at your answers to the homework question, "What are my limiting beliefs about being prosperous," where do these attitudes point? Perhaps you found some of these old standards on your list:
Who said? Where do these attitudes point? Following their lead, what results do you have? Can you see the power of your attitude? Simply put the results you get are caused by your attitude. However, the good news is that it works both ways.
Shifting to an attitude that points to the results you want is the No. 1 step you must take to transform your relationship with money. Your new Money Paradigm has the power to generate sufficiency, abundance and inspiration in your life.
Shifting my attitude about money
More than 30 years ago, when I first did this seminar for myself, I discovered that my strongest limiting belief and paradigm was:
there are so many people in the world who are poor and struggling.
But as I followed the thought, I realized that this paradigm of scarcity kept me poor. What could my poverty contribute to others? What could I do for them when I couldn't even pay my own bills? Did these people know or care that I wasn't getting rich because I felt guilty when I thought about them. Talk about crazy!
I imagined that if I could get to the bottom of this belief and start earning the kind of money I really wanted and secretly thought I deserved, I'd be in a stronger position -- both within myself and within my wallet -- to give to others. I wrote a new paradigm for money, one that transformed my attitude and my relationship with money since that time:
Shifting your attitude
Remembering the financial results you want in your life, create your new Money Paradigm. Based on the reality you want to create, devise a positive statement about money, making sure that it's personal, present tense, and describes exactly the new reality you want to create. Look again at my Money Paradigm above. It's written in the present tense (now!). It clearly describes what's happening in my life. And it's not limited in any way. It's made with my Magic Wand firmly in place.
Make your new Money Paradigm really outrageous. Write a statement that really bonks the whole issue on the head! "Money is flying in the windows!" "I have more money than I know what to do with!" "I make loads of money doing what I love to do!" Then whenever you find yourself drifting toward your self-defeating thoughts and fears about money, immediately replace them with your new Money Paradigm. Do whatever you can think of to imagine this reality being the truth now! As our dear recently departed Stephen Covey wisely said, "It's not that people who make money become successful, but that successful people attract money."
Homework
In the next week, complete the following:
What's Next?
Thank you for your response and your sharing to the first article in this series. Here are some honest answers to the question, "What are my fears and limiting beliefs about money":
Next week's article will be the third in the series: "Money: Accepting and Taking Responsibility." Here are the articles in this series in case you want to catch up or review:
To make this journey toward sufficiency and abundance more meaningful for us all, please share your answer to this question:
Write your answers as well as your comments or questions either below on The Huffington Post or to jinny@bestyearyet.com.
For more by Jinny Ditzler, click here.
For more on mindful living, click here.
For more about Best Year Yet, click here.
Follow Jinny Ditzler on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Jinny_S_Ditzler
After going broke and then paying off all my debt from a failed business venture I discovered that if I am challenged to meet bills each month I alway make the payments. So I decided to play to my strenghts. But there are times when having little cash is a real problem. They are sending my son home from the hospital and I have been selling off scrap metal and part from the farm to be able to buy his meds.
Some folks might read your words and say that you're irresponsible, but I wouldn't agree. Every time things haven't worked for you, you've done what you have to do to take care of your challenges responsibility. Must admit it sounds familiar to me ~ a lot like the path I'm walking in my life, a combination of go-for-it and personal responsibility.
From my experience, you're right ~ there's always a way to find the money you need. I hope your son recovers quickly.
Take care.
Jinny