Know your money
mind-set - Part 1  

“Money
doesn't grow on trees."

"The only way to get ahead is to work
harder than everyone else."

"You think I'm made of money?"

Do any of those messages sound familiar?
Maybe you grew up with a dad who liked to remind you that he wasn't a
Rockefeller. Or maybe your mom was constantly struggling to stretch a dollar.

Regardless of the message, awareness of
your particular money mind-set – the system of conscious and unconscious
beliefs you have about wealth – often can be the first step in building a life
of abundance.

An Internet marketing whiz I'll call Pam
was a perfect example of that principle. She had observed that whenever she got
close to a financial breakthrough, her business took a downturn. She lost a key
account, a client failed to pay for services or the marketplace inexplicably
faltered. Pam was stuck at what I call a "success set point."

Not a coincidence

Whenever Pam approached $60,000 in income
for the year, her business would suffer a setback. The pattern was so
consistent that it clearly was not a coincidence. As we delved deeper into
Pam's money mind-set and family messages – spoken and unspoken – the basis of
the pattern finally dawned on her.

Her father had been a salesman, with bad
financial years far outnumbering the good years. Pam's mother kept up a façade
of cheerfulness, focusing on the great times they'd have when "Dad's ship
comes in." The problem was, his ship never came in, and Pam unconsciously
decided not to surpass her father's income. The sum for his record-setting
season? You guessed it, $60,000.

Pam had constructed a money mind-set that
kept her stuck so she wouldn't out-earn her father. After Pam understood the
foundation of her financial belief system, she began to change it.

Vision of success

Awareness of your money mind-set is only
the first step in building wealth health. Next, of course, you need to combine
awareness with an expanded vision of success. Be sure to read my column in
Healthy Living next week for details on envisioning your financial future.
Right now, let's tap in to your money mind-set to transform negative messages
from limiting to liberating.

What was your
family's money mantra? Identify the
messages, particularly the negative ones, from childhood.

Consider how
these limiting messages influenced your actions over the years. Are you overly cautious? Do you believe all wealthy
people are greedy?

Challenge the
message. Is what you're telling
yourself true? Does it apply to you?

Change your
money mantra. Create a positive money
counter-message such as, "the more wealth I have, the more I have to
share."

Read it aloud several times throughout the
day.

Pam has set an aggressive new financial
vision, and she's well on her way to meeting it. She also treated her parents
to a long-overdue holiday. And that's what wealth is all about.

Libby Gill is a
personal and professional development coach, corporate consultant and author. www.libbygill.com