In Part I of this story, we talked about money scripts and how they impact you, but now we’ll address how to turn them around. Money scripts are the limiting money beliefs that derail your best efforts to become financially independent. Unfortunately, we often don’t even realize that we’re under the influence of such self-destructive thoughts, but like clandestine computer viruses, they silently wreck their havoc.
Perhaps deep down you’ve thought that:
I don’t deserve to be successful.
Money is the root of all evil.
Money is hard to come by.
You have to work really hard to earn money.
You can’t be spiritual and rich at the same time.
Until you address your silent money scripts, you’ll never fully taste the sweet success of financial freedom. So how do you turn the money beliefs that bind into aspiring affirmations that help propel you forward to prosperity?
1. The first step is to be honest with yourself. In the last post, I discussed how to exactly identify your limiting beliefs about money. Until you’ve identified your negative money script, you’ll be bound by its destructive powers.
2. Next, find evidence that disproves your limiting belief.
3. Finally, flip the script. Use the examples that refute your negative money story, and turn your former limiting belief into an empowering affirmation.
Let’s see how this works.
My money script went something like this: I truly didn’t think that I deserved to earn a lot of money. Deep down I didn’t think I was worthy.
So, what evidence argued against this. Well simply put, I was worthy because I was a child of God and the good Lord wants for my life to be happy, blessed and fruitful.
The final step involved turning my limiting belief into a positive affirmation: I believe that because I am a child of a God who wants me to live a blessed life, that I am worthy of the abundant fruits of my labor. This is the new programming that now runs my life, overriding my old software of limiting beliefs.
Let’s take a look at some more examples. Perhaps you’ve been plagued by the limiting belief that if you’re poor, you’re always going to be poor, no matter what you do.
Your next step is to uncover examples that directly contradict your belief.
John Paul DeJoria was born the son of immigrants and spent part of his childhood in an East Los Angeles foster home. But today, he is the billionaire owner of John Paul Mitchell Systems, one of the largest hair product companies in America—a company that he started with just $700. Oprah Winfrey was born into poverty in Mississippi and is, today, one of the richest women in the world. Chris Gardner overcame homelessness to write the best selling novel, The Pursuit of Happyness, which became a major motion picture. Today he is CEO of his own stock brokerage firm, Gardner Rich & Co.
Use these examples to flip the script and arm yourself with a new motivating money story: I believe that if you’re born poor, you don’t have to stay poor. I will follow in the footsteps of John Paul, Oprah and Chris.
Maybe, deep down you believe that the rich are greedy, unscrupulous or immoral. As a result, you subconsciously desire never to become wealthy. Consider, however, the cases of people with great wealth who are exactly the opposite.
Warren Buffet, one of the richest men in the world, has been described as a humble, down-to-earth human being who has pledged to give 99 percent of his wealth away to charity. Bill and Melinda Gates are spending their considerable fortunes fighting hunger and extreme poverty throughout the world.
Again, use these and a multitude of other examples to flip the script: I believe that moral people do become rich, and when I do become rich I will use my wealth to make the world a better place.
Don’t let negative money scripts keep you from your financial destiny. Unearth your limiting money beliefs, then find examples that refute them. Flip the script and create an affirmation that’ll drive your success.
BMWK, what’s your money script and how are you turning it around?