Making Real Money Online: What is Wealth?

What is wealth to you? What attitudes do you have towards money? Are you attracted and enthused by the idea of business or are your feelings conflicted or negative?

A couple of people have told me they get uncomfortable talking about money. In fact reading about business or making money makes them feel uncomfortable. It’s understandable though we should not leave unchecked thoughts that hold us back from succeeding.

What we focus on we get more of, so let’s think in ways that help rather than hinder!

First, let me see if we are on the same page about one thing. We all need money, right? For most of us some more money would be a welcome thing, agreed? In fact I have never met anyone who could not use more money than they currently have, even the richest.

What do I think of as wealth, is it simply having buckets of cash? No, actually while I do have an income target my personal goal, and my idea of what being rich really is, would be to have all the wonderful things I have now, a lovely family, great friends, work I enjoy. I want all that great stuff that I already do with the added bonus of not working 24/7 to get it, where chasing after money is no longer an issue. Sound good?

Think about what you would like to achieve. I bet you are not thinking of taking from or cheating others. I’m also guessing that in fact you are a generous person and would continue to be. We all want what is good for ourselves and our families. I don’t think that is greed. I’m guessing that is the main concern when people talk about money, the thing that gets people uncomfortable.

We are often raised to see money as somehow dirty. There is the fallacy that “money is the root of all evil”. In actual fact the correct phrasing is

“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”

Quite different, eh? Nobody is suggesting you go love money or become obsessed with it.

You will often hear people also say “money does not grow on trees”, or “do you think I am made of money?”, “money corrupts”, “easy come easy go”, “a fair days work for a fair days pay”.

Have you been trained to think of scarcity, sweat and cheats when thinking about money or fun and opportunity?

What do you think of when you think about money?

• Debt?
• Bills?
• CEO Fat-cats?
• Greedy bankers?
• Slimy snake-oil salesmen?
• Evil global corporations?
• Poverty?

Complete this sentence: “Rich people are _____________”.

Success starts in our minds. Are you setting yourself up for achievement or failure?

The Birth of a Spender-Debtor

Growing up I never thought of money as something abundant and positive. I knew it was something we all needed, but I also understood it to be a subject that caused a lot of stress and tension. We had a happy home but there bill-paying times were probably the least fun.

As soon as I could I left school with a hope of earning my own wage. My first pay was spent buying “stuff”. Anything I couldn’t buy before. Name-brand clothing and trainers, gadgets, you name it. Fast as I could I got myself a credit card and loaded it up.

Of course the bills and debt piled up, further re-enforcing my subconscious belief that money was scarce and something to be feared.

While I sorted out my debts, the fear of not having enough stayed with me.

Do you see how I trained myself to get into this situation?

Even when I was pretty well paid, I had the same attitudes and the same self-defeating spending patterns,  what would it have been like if I had budgeted and saved, or even (shock) invested a bit?

Positive Attitudes Towards Money

Rather than focusing on the negative perceptions of money, our conditioning and our societies “spend to feel better” culture, instead we have to develop a positive impression of what money actually is.

Money is simply a tool for a job. It is a token to represent an exchange of value. It is neither good nor evil. We project all sorts of unnecessary baggage onto money because it is important to how we live, but by our thoughts and feelings we cause our own problems with it.

• You do deserve to have money – There is no reason why one person deserves money and another does not. Of course you deserve to have money. Feel good about knowing that you do.
• You can be a good person with money or without – Think of all the good things you could do if you had some spare cash. We all like to do our bit for charity, how much more could you do if you knew you could be earning far more?
• There is enough money to go around – One of the myths about money is there is a finite amount. It serves some systems to keep that as the primary idea of money but it is not absolutely the case. Actually when you look at how the money system really works you will see money is created every day out of thin air. Banks work through trust, not piles of gold. When you see money is only numbers created through agreement you can imagine it is a much more flexible arrangement than people think. Of course we have to work within the system but hold this idea in your head, money is created every day so out there somewhere is a healthy share with your name on it.
• People with money can be honest – I have known many people who really believed anyone who has made a lot of money must have stolen it, defrauded for it or cheated to get it. Rubbish! How self-defeating is that?
• Your ability to earn and keep money is only limited by your beliefs – One of my hobbies is reading biographies of interesting and successful people. Soooo many started out with nothing but ended up achieving great things. It’s easy to excuse ourselves because we didn’t start out with “advantages” until you see people with far harsher limitations have done so much more.

I have to reinforce the last point, what we believe about money and success has a major impact on our achievements.

You have to know that it is ok for you to make money, reach your goals and feel good about it.

Do you think you have attitudes holding you back? Do you feel icky thinking about money? What phrases do you hear when people discuss money and wealth? What does wealth mean to you? Please do share in the comments …