From time to time, I write about my own money energy blocks.  It is my hope that in my own experiences with releasing my money energy blocks that I can help you release your money energy blocks, too.

A money energy block is a block that you experience when it comes to spending money. Yet, when you dig deep down, you discover that it’s never about the money. Some other paradigm or mindset is preventing you from getting what you truly want. But it’s convenient to blame the lack of money, even when you really have a lot of money, from getting what you want.

These blocks come in several forms:

• I can’t afford it right now.
• That’s too expensive.
• That’s a waste of money.

But is it truly? We tell ourselves these things so as to rationalize our resistance to spending money. At the end of your life, are you going to look back and say, “Man, I’m so glad I didn’t spend the money on XYZ?”

Or are you going to say that you’re glad you went on that vacation, took that class, and had that experience?

Never having taken the chance is one of the biggest regrets of the dying.

I can tell you that I’ll be happy as Old Benson to look back on myself one day and say that I’m glad I went to the M School!

So, without further ado, here’s what I did to overcome my money energy block.

The $1550 One-Day M School

For a long time now, I had been thinking about going to the BMW One-Day M School. This is a performance driving class, put on by BMW. The cost is high, at $1550 for just one day. In this class, for eight hours you learn how to…

• Drag race several BMW M series cars (M2, M3, and M4).
• Take several BMW M-series cars onto an Autocross course.
• Sustain a drift with a BMW M-series cars on a skid pad.
• Rat Race event: Drive in a circle and try to catch up to the other car in front of you (or keep from getting caught).

In other words, the one-day M School teaches performance driving in a racing environment. The courses emphasis high-speed maneuvers and techniques taught for racing. While likely not skills you’ll use on your daily commute, it’s still a lot of fun. And it makes you a more confident and better driver.

BMW provides each student with his or her own M2, M3, and M4 for the day (you rotate with other students). In fact, BMW will not let you drive your own BMW vehicle on the track because they want you to drive their BMWs hard.

Of course, $1550 is a lot of money. So, I did my due diligence and researched other student’s experiences with the course. By and far, most people enjoyed the class and highly recommend it. They say the instructors are top-notch. As a result of taking the class, their driving, even on their daily commute, improved by leaps and bounds.

So, it certainly sounds like something I want to do.

The Dilemma

But here’s the dilemma. At $1550, the class is quite expensive. I was ready to back down and forget about it. But then I asked myself why I was turning down the class. I dug deep down, looked hard, and discovered the only reason was the cost. While on the surface it sounded like a valid reason, what was really going on was my dad’s money scripts from when I was a child were playing in my head.

• It’s too expensive.
• Wow. Look at the price tag!
• I don’t have any money.
• What a waste of money!
• I’m better off investing that money.

These are money myths in one form or another. Other money myths include believing that you’re a slave to money, that money tore your family apart, and that the rich stole their riches. (If you’re interested in learning more, please get your free 7 Money Myths Preventing You From a Positive Cashflow.)

My Money Stories Growing Up

One of the most vivid memories I have with my father is when I was about 4 or 5 years old and we were in a Woolworth’s (boy, I just dated myself!). I was looking at this pink rubber ball and wanted it. I remembered my dad said over and over that he didn’t have the money. I was little at the time so I didn’t understand what money is. I kept thinking why he didn’t just open up his wallet and take some money out.

I looked at the ball and then back at him. I did this several times. He just stood there and stared at me. I was hoping that by standing there I would somehow get the ball. But at the same time, I was thinking about what he had said about not having enough money. For some reason, I remembered seeing the price tag. That image is still seared in my mind, even to this day. The little white label stuck to the ball said 98 cents.

I left the store that day thinking how poor my dad was. I wondered if I would ever have enough money. The “we’re poor” story would play itself out over and over when I was growing up, and even when I got my own job and started making money.

Never-ending and Harmful Money Scripts Play Themselves Out Constantly

For example, whenever we went shopping as a family my mom, brother, and I would look at an article of clothing while my dad stood off to the side, afraid to spend money. Eventually, he would come over, and with a chuckle, point out the price to us by picking up the price tag. He was also saying we were being foolish by wanting to buy something that expensive. If we didn’t leave, he would start pleading with us to put it down and tell us we need to go. Of course, for our dad the danger was the longer we stood there looking at an item, the more likely we would buy it, which meant he had to fork over his wallet.

Because of this script, It took me a long time to release my money energy blocks around buying a luxury-brand like BMW. I had many of the same money energy blocks as I did with the M School. To keep this article short, I’ll talk in length about that experience in another article so that we can keep the focus on the M School.

So the dilemma was simple: I wanted to take the M School class but it was too expensive. I was looking at the price tag, much as my father did. For the longest time, I would do this whenever I went shopping. In fact, it took many years of behavioral modification to stop myself from reaching for the price tag as soon as I picked up something.

A Burning Desire

But one thing was consistent throughout this conflict: My burning desire to go to M School. Eventually I turned the question around and instead of looking at what I did not want, I started to look at what I do want.

• I’ve always wanted a BMW. It took 20 years for that dream to be come true.
  • I freed up some money blocks and got out of my own way as a result.
• I’ve always wanted to learn how power-slide (also called drifting).
  • Yes, this is fulfilling my inner child, which I think is important to freeing our money energy blocks.
• I’ve always wanted to get behind the wheel of a BMW M car and take it out on the track.
  • With this class, I get to drive a M2, M3, and M4, all provided by BMW as part of my tuition.

Not About the Money

The interesting thing about the reasons I had for wanting to take the class had nothing to do with money. They are about fulfilling my childhood–and now adulthood–dreams and fantasies. Taking the class is about the experience of driving the Ultimate Driving Machine. They are about living a life in which I can look back as a old man with as few regrets as possible.

Here’s a funny thing about making dreams come true: If you succeed, that’s great! But even if you don’t succeed, you give yourself permission to dream even bigger dreams.

And having your dreams come true is a pretty darned good feeling!

In the end, it’s not about the money. You will hear me say this over and over again. Money’s purpose is to act as our faithful servant, enable us to life comfortably, amplify the good we can do in the world beyond our physical limitations and bodies, and of course in as short a time as possible.

Freeing Myself From Money Energy Blocks

I saw the ball at Woolworth’s when I saw the price tag for the M School. I thought back to that helpless kid standing in Woolworth, who did not know how to get what he wanted.

I had been in a self-imposed prison without knowing it. It’s impossible to cannot escape from a prison if you don’t know you’re in one.

Over time, I was able to look down into the weeds and realize it’s not about the money. I have more than enough money to take the class, especially if I use my credit card rewards points to pay for the travel and lodging.

You see, I was just playing back the script my father taught me. I don’t have any money. Yet, even when I do have the money, I am still making myself miserable, never doing things which make me happy. What it boils down to is I would rather be miserable than spend 98 cents.

He could have said I didn’t need yet another toy. Yet, his thinking was limited. He had a scarcity mindset. So, he said he didn’t have money.

That failure mindset is transferred to succeeding generations. Rather than asking me how can I get what I wanted, he filled my head with scripts of helplessness by telling me why I can never get what I wanted.

Though I’m about living my life with more abundance, especially after having lived so many years in scarcity, I would play this script without realizing what was happening.