Introduction
This article is part of the Money Myth series. In the Money Myth series, we explore how common beliefs about money may be hurting you from attaining the financial and ultimate freedom you desire. This time, we will be looking at how money changes you.
How Money Changes You
How often have you heard the old cliché that the money changes people? For example, “he was fine until he came into a sum of money. Now, the money’s changed him.” Often, the implication is this change is for the worse.
The notion that money can change you is absurd. As we often say here on the Money Freedom Guy, money has several purposes. The first is money enables you to live in comfort. Second, money amplifies the good you’re able to do in the world. Third, money shortens the time in which you do this good, meaning you achieve your good sooner than later.
Money just amplifies existing qualities. If you are a good person before you came into a large sum of money, this just means you will continue doing good. You’re able to do more good now that you can amplify it through the energy of money. Likewise, a bad person who comes into a large sum of money will continue doing bad.
Money and success don’t change people; they merely amplify what is already there.
Will Smith
If you think money ruins lives by turning you into a bad person, then you’re likely pushing money away without even knowing it. As soon as you come into money, your subconscious assumes unscrupulous, immoral acts associated with money. It gets you to spend that money as fast as you can. Worse, you may never even make the money in the first place because your subconscious sabotages you.
How You Sabotage Yourself
A good example is a job interview for a higher-paying position than what you currently make. Ever wonder why most people seem to make about the same amount of money for the rest of their lives? Their belief system limits how far they go in life. Their awareness is such that they remain stagnant. That lack of awareness means they only know how to make so much money and not much more beyond that.
Increased awareness is a path towards making more money. This often means coming to terms with your own self-sabotaging, limiting beliefs. The inability to supersede these beliefs means you sabotage yourself during the interview. You do this by saying things you know would disqualify you from further consideration. This sabotage reinforces your belief system by making your subsequent reality congruent with what you expect. That is to say, you get into a self-fulfilling prophecy loop.
Even if we are aware of our limiting beliefs, we still perceive reality a certain way. We believe that we really cannot do anything to change our situation. So we likely stay stuck. The key to breaking this barrier is to change your thinking.
For example, you may think you can only make $50,000–ever. How can you ever make $75,000 or even $100,000, given your current situation? By increasing your awareness of other ways to make this money! This is why a life-time of study is paramount to your personal development and growth. Remember, it’s not really about the money. Money is just an extrinsic representation of your intrinsic values.
Money Changes You for the Better
If you’re good at fixing computers then you could help others fix their computers. You might do this by running a service and easily make $100 an hour. With multiple computers to fix every hour, you can make hundreds of dollars every hour.
Ultimately, your life means more than money. It’s about finding your value system. It’s about doing what matters to you. Money just makes these things easier. Along with an increased awareness of how to make more money comes other things. This may mean dressing better, practicing your public speaking skills, learning effective marketing techniques, and taking up leadership roles. All these skills are important to have if you want be a business owner. They are still great to have if you just want to stay as an employee.
Making more money could mean investing a higher percentage of your 401(k). It could also mean just creating a normal stock investment account. Whatever it is you do, you’re now creating more revenue streams than the main one called your job.
So, money changes you, in this case for the better!
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The best financial advice in the world will fail you if you have bad mindsets around money. What are some examples of bad money mindsets? Investing is only for the rich. I can never afford that. Money is the root of all evil.
I had many of the same money mindsets that you may now have. Through a concentrated effort, I was able to change most of these around. In the process, I transformed from a clueless guy–feeling like he’s barely making it–to someone who’s achieved a measure of financial freedom.
I invite you to get your free gift, 7 Money Mindsets Preventing You From a Positive Cashflow, today.
Discover the 7 most common myths (false beliefs) around money that’s keeping you from having more money!