Mastering Money: What Do You Believe About Money?

What do you believe about money? Do you believe it grows on trees? Or doesn’t? Do you believe that money is security or money makes the world go ‘round? Do you believe you have enough or can never have enough? Are you rich or poor? How you answer these questions about money gives you an accurate representation of your money world. It doesn’t mean your answers are the truth, just your truth at this time. Changing what you believe about money can transform how money materializes in your life. Transforming your beliefs can change your thoughts and feelings. New thoughts and feelings will change your actions. New actions that are informed by your thoughts, feelings and beliefs change the results. Performing this process can provide you with peace and ease with money and your sense of prosperity. It can also transform many other areas of your life in almost miraculous ways.
I've found in working with clients and workshop attendees that some beliefs change quickly and easily. Often just noticing and briefly examining your belief will modify or eliminate it. Other beliefs are more entrenched and take more time. Performing the exercise below will help with these ideas. After doing the exercise, you will start to notice when the belief shows up and how it affects you. This is where change begins, by noticing and examining the thoughts and feelings associated with the belief.
EXERCISE: Listed below are statements of belief about money. Check or circle all of those that you believe are true or mostly true. Add some of your own beliefs to the list if you think of some that were not included.
Option 1: With your list in hand, engage with a trusted partner. Ask the partner to play devil’s advocate and dissuade you from your position of belief in that statement. Obviously, this is not arguing with anger, more like a gentle debate; no shame, no blame and no defensiveness.
Let’s take the statement, “Money is security” as an example. You say, “I must have money to feel secure. Money makes me feel safe.” Partner says, “If you were walking down the middle of a downtown street at 3 am with a million dollars, would you still feel safe? Or would you feel more in danger?” You say, but that’s not the kind of security I mean, not physical safety. Emotional safety, you know, security.” Partner says, “Even if you were fabulously wealthy, your spouse could leave you, you could become seriously ill or die, you could lose it all in a stock market crash or bank failure, etc. Your home could be destroyed by a tornado and you could lose your pets and family pictures. So you don’t have emotional security either.” You continue the discussion until you are persuaded or until your partner runs out of ideas!
Option 2: If you do not have a partner, then write the arguments down, playing both sides. Stretch to get out of the box of your beliefs. Prove that they might not be totally true or maybe they are even wrong. Provided below the beliefs are some questions to use to prime the pump, if needed. You'll be amazed at what you discover.
Option 3: Write down the statements you selected and write a situation where the statement is true and at least one situation where the statement is false. For example, "Saving money is a virtue." A true statement about this is that savings can be useful and good for emergencies and to purchase things you cannot immediately afford. The act of saving can also lead to maturity and growth of a person by exhibiting discipline and postponing immediate gratification. However, an opposing viewpoint is that you can save just to be saving and not allow yourself to have any pleasure or fun. Saving to an extreme can hurt you and thus is not a virtue.
BELIEFS ABOUT MONEY

(Check or circle each that you believe is true)
Money manages itself.
Money should not be talked about.
Money and spirituality don’t mix.
Saving money is a virtue.
Being in debt is the American way.
Once I have enough money, I will be okay.
Money is the primary reason I work.
I don’t have to understand money, he/she does it.
I’m embarrassed about money.
I think I should know all about money.
Money must only be spent on things of value.
Everyone else understands money better than I do.
Money buys me respect.
Money makes people do evil things.
Money is behind all the evil in the world.
I cannot accept money from friends or family.
I don’t have enough money.
You have to save money for security.
Medical care should be profitless.
Working hard brings money.
The harder you work, the more money you get.
It is wrong/weak to accept money from others.
People are respected more if they have money.
I need a lot of money to be secure.
You cannot have too much money.
I need to save enough to last me forever.
It takes money to make money.
Money can’t make you happy.
You cannot live without money.
Money is power, freedom, and independence.
Money can’t buy love.
Spiritual things shouldn’t cost money.
I need money to live.
It's rude to ask someone about his or her salary.
Money doesn’t grow on trees.
Money is security.
Everyone should just get a job!
It’s all about whom you know.
I can’t trust people who ask for money.
I should help people who are in need.
No one should make that much money.
People without money are losers.
There is never enough money.
Everything depends on money.
Once I get money, it’s hard to keep it.
Money shouldn’t be so hard to make.
Money is easy to get.
Money is made to spend.
Having money makes me feel better, happier.
Money is king.
I can’t accomplish my dreams without money.
There are more important things in life than money.
Receiving or buying beautiful gifts for myself makes me feel loved.
People like rich people better. It’s easier to like someone who is rich.
When I have enough money, I will be more generous and help others.
I look down on or feel sorry for people who ask for money.
If I don’t have money, bad things will happen to me.
You should never tell anyone how much money you make.
I value things by how much they are worth in money.
I could be _______(free, adventurous, happy…) if I had money.
It’s not fair that some people are rich and others are poor.
It’s only a penny (nickel, dime, quarter, dollar.).
A penny saved is a penny earned.
Money makes the world go round.
Time is money.
A fool and his money are soon parted
Don't put all your eggs in one basket
Diamonds are a girl's best friend
Marry for love, not money.
It's just as easy to love a rich man as a poor one.
Money doesn't grow on trees.
Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.
Money is a flow. If you're in the flow, money will come.
You get what you pay for.

Exercise Option 2:
QUESTIONS TO ASK ABOUT YOUR BELIEFS
1. Specifically, what is the belief? Be as specific as you can.
2. Why do I care?
3. Does it serve me to operate from that belief?
4. Does it conflict with my other beliefs?
5. Who will be upset if I don’t operate from that belief?
6. How does this belief affect me? Affect my life? Affect my relationships?
7. What if this belief weren’t true?
8. How would that affect me? How would it affect the world?
9. What if the opposite were true?
10. What did my family feel about this belief? How did I feel about this as a child?
11. Can you think of an example in real life that supports this belief?
12. Can you think of an example in real life that goes against this belief?
13. What if the whole world believed this? What would the impact be?

All blog content is copyrighted, all rights reserved, Mary Anne Fields and Life Unfolds, 2006