IF YOU BELIEVE IT, IT IS TRUE
Edited by Andrea Reese

“The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.”
If you grew up as I did, you watched your loved ones work almost 12 to 16 hours a day, take no vacations and still live paycheck to paycheck. Everything I observed convinced me that the wealth I dreamed of was unattainable and that this phrase was in fact the truth. But what if this wasn’t true? What if it was only a formula that we were taught? What if it only seemed true because it was what we observed in everyone around us who were taught the exact same formula? Is this age old formula the truth? Or is it simply that we are all doing the same things, ending up with the same results and then calling the results the “truth”?

We just celebrated Black History month, which highlighted many of the past reasons, conspiracies and agendas connected with our beliefs about wealth, so instead of focusing on the history of those beliefs, I will focus on how to move forward into a new way of thinking. The time has come for us to understand the difference between the truth and deeply ingrained habits. Many times when we want to improve our financial goals we work from the outside in. We focus on budgeting and making declarations regarding purchases. Then we wonder why months and years later our financial situation remains the same. Let’s instead take a step back to understand the belief system that is operating deeply within us, that one that causes us to manifest in our actions what we believe based on what we’ve learned and observed within our community.

I grew up middle class but was very aware at a young age that money was the enemy. The lack of money was the reason I couldn’t do many of the things that I wanted to do. But somewhere deep inside me I believed that I knew, understood and deserved wealth. However, no matter how much or how little I made, my emotions connected with money remained the same…lack, fear and powerlessness. I realized that this was true not only for me but for most of the people I met. I could no longer pretend that my issues were “money’s” fault, but instead I had to start exploring within myself for answers. I had to examine the core of my belief system and look at the habits that resulted from those beliefs. I had to work from the inside out. I might have made outwardly positive statements about my beliefs about money, but at my core something else was operating. There were three habits that I noticed were common among those who shared my belief system. The first step in attaining financial abundance requires breaking those 3 ingrained habits: blaming, valuing doing over being and secrecy.



Habit #1-Blaming.

When you get together with your friends do you spend the majority of your time focusing on what others haven’t done regarding money, and how any issues you might be having around money are someone else’s fault? Or do you spend time talking about yourself and what you are going to do to improve your situation? Acquiring financial abundance requires taking responsibility for your finances. The why’s and wherefores are a legitimate discussion, but that conversation often only leaves you feeling powerless. If you are continuously feeling powerless inside, then all of your actions will reflect those feelings of powerlessness. Financial abundance is not about “the man” or “the system”, or any other outward reason you might find. It is about being willing to take a journey within and cease blaming without. We can point the finger anytime. For this month, I invite you to let your finger rest, quiet your mouth, close your eyes and ask yourself what is in YOUR power that you can do right now. We often lash out and blame because we’ve been hurt and we’re angry and venting feels good. For a few minutes it feels like we’re accomplishing something. We are accomplishing a connection with those that feel the same, but because blaming automatically leaves the person speaking out of the equation, what you are left with is a reminder of your powerlessness. This is a habit I invite you to break.


Habit #2-Doing, doing, doing

Is the meter you use to judge your progress based on what you are doing? As long as you’re busy and constantly doing things, everything feels alright. Work, work, work and do, do, do. This can cause exhaustion, fatigue and eventually physical sickness. Doing, doing, doing can leave you feeling powerless. How you’re feeling and who you’re being while you’re doing is what is most important. Focus first on who are you being. Tired, frustrated, and exhausted or peaceful, empowered and free? What you are doing will be in alignment with who you are being, so it’s important to assess how what you are doing affects how you are being. If who you are being is fatigued, exhausted and frustrated then you’re feeling powerless. This is a habit I invite you to break.


Habit #3-Secrecy

Whether you don’t have enough money to feed your children or you’ve just purchased a Mercedes Benz, the untruths that are operating beneath your behavior will be passed down from generation to generation to generation. When financial issues are kept secret, valuable information and knowledge ends up not being shared. With nothing regarding money being taught in our schools or talked about in most families, the main emotions learned in connection with money are shame and secrecy. Shame because not only do you not know the truths about money, but you are not even able to ask questions. Shame perpetuates being alone. Being alone means you are left feeling powerless. This is a habit I invite you to break.

The key to attaining financial abundance is understanding that we are not powerless. Old habits die hard and we learn our habits from what we’ve observed, we keep our habits based on what we hear and we practice the habits by implementing the same actions of those we’ve watched and listened to for years and years. Then we pass that untruthful information on to our friends, family, children and communities generation after generation. If you believe that the poor stay poor then why would you choose any actions that are going to prove your theories wrong?

Our finances are the root of what makes this world tick, right or wrong. The green is a power in all circles, and in each and every one of our lives. In so many cases, we are living out the unhealthy financial patterns of our parents, families and communities. Donald Trump most likely received excellent training about abundance, but that is unusual, and our financial lack, fears and powerlessness often control our emotions instead of confidence and empowerment.

The key to financial abundance is understanding that it isn’t about what we are DOING but about how we are FEELING within. If you believe that the rich get rich and the poor stay poor then your outside actions are going to prove this to be true.

What if rich and poor were not predetermined? Would you be willing to break old habits and explore within?

“The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.” It’s time to stop passing on what is NOT true.


Plan of Action
1. In your conversation with friends use “I” instead of “they.” The only person we have control over is ourselves.
2. In the next job, goal or action you decide to do assess how it makes you feel. Do you spend most of the time feeling frustrated and unhappy? Sit down with yourself and explore what it is that makes you smile. When you think of it, you can’t help but to show your teeth. Start doing an action around what makes you smile and you’ll notice that you’ll have limitless energy and will attract abundance to you.
3. Shed the shame. Share, ask questions, get information and read.


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