Imagine this: All your bills are paid. You rest easy knowing that when the phone rings, a bill collector won’t be on the other end of the line.
You’re rapidly building a retirement fund, saving for a new home and freely contributing to your church and favorite charities. It feels good to not have to live paycheck to paycheck.
Life is fun again without constant financial struggles.
This dream could be a reality for many of us, but too often we stumble and fall, tripped up by our very own self-sabotaging thoughts.
The first step to achieving financial freedom is to get your mind right, then the money will follow. Unfortunately, negative money scripts—those unconscious beliefs about money that we develop in childhood and which continue to unconsciously guide our actions—destroy any chance for financial freedom.
I can personally attest to the devastating power of these unconscious money beliefs.
Soon after graduating school, I was offered a job making nearly six-figures. I rejected it, and instead pursued an entrepreneurial idea, which would pay me nearly nothing for years with no promised pay-off in the end.
Of course, I rationalized the decision. This would allow me to follow my passion. I could end up making a lot more money in the end and help tons of people in the process.
But looking back at the decision years later, I realized that I honestly didn’t think I was deserving of such a salary. In addition, I believed that you had to work extremely hard to earn anything. Money was not supposed to come that easily.
My father had always endured back-breaking manual labor jobs to bring home the bacon. I followed in his footsteps. My summer jobs consisted of things such as working as a janitor, baling hay on a farm and stocking shelves in a supermarket. Subconsciously, the thought of getting paid lots of money for using my brains instead of my brawn was foreign.
Sounds crazy, I know.
But only after facing the subconscious money scripts, which had kept me bound, could I start reaping my financial blessings.
But I’m not alone in dealing with these demons.
How often do we see someone strike it rich, only to find them desperate and penniless years later? Their self-sabotaging money scripts doomed them to any chance of success.
Perhaps even you harbor one of these self-sabotaging money scripts:
I don’t deserve to be successful.
I don’t offer enough value to be rewarded financially.
I don’t want to become rich because the rich are greedy, dishonest and manipulative.
No one in my family was good with money, so I’ll never be good with money.
You can only obtain money honestly by working really hard.
Money is the root of all evil.
You can not be spiritual and rich at the same time.
The rich get richer while the poor get poorer.
I’ll never become financially independent because I don’t have much education.
Maybe you don’t even realize that one of these limiting beliefs is running wild in your subconscious, secretly vandalizing your efforts to achieve financial stability.
Try this: On a separate piece of paper write down the first thoughts that come to your mind when you hear the following statements. Remember, don’t think. Just write down the first thing that pops into your head.
The rich are __________
Money is ____________
To become wealthy you have to _________________
I’m not financially free because _____________
I would have more money if it wasn’t for the fact that ___________
Life is not fair because __________________
Now, what did your answers reveal?
Perhaps you have unfavorable views of the wealthy or feel that you have to do unethical things to become rich. Perhaps you’re blaming your financial situation on a lack of education or racism.
Whatever, the results, once your unconscious money scripts are uncovered, you can truly begin the journey to financial independence.
Next week, I’ll explore how you can neutralize your limiting money beliefs once and for all.
In the meantime, feel free to share some of your subconscious money scripts in the comments section below.
BMWK, in what was do you think you’ve subconsciously sabotaged your financial success?