The saying “the rich get richer” has often been misinterpreted. Many people use it as a way of insinuating that there is something sinister or dishonest about how people get rich. The add-on phrase “the poor get poorer” seems to make the point that the rich are actually taking from the poor!
The truth is – it is easier to get more money once you have some. But in my experience it’s not why we think.
What I’ve noticed about being broke (been there, done that!) is that so much energy is spent on the state of “broke-ness” that there isn’t any energy left for the ambition, creativity and hard work that it takes to generate money.
I’ve noticed this with family members and friends who are in dire financial straits. There is so much attention placed on the “lack”, the fear is debilitating.
It doesn’t always take money to make money – but it does take creativity and courage. And those two things are inhibited by focusing on what you don’t have.
Remember, what you focus on expands!
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Money Secret #3 – Want more money? Get out of your comfort zone!

As I look over the eight years I’ve been in business, it is so apparent to me now that every time money has come to me in large sums it’s because I did something different – and most likely uncomfortable at first.

Submitting a proposal I doubted my ability to deliver, putting out a newsletter for my business that I feared people wouldn’t read, approaching someone I may have considered “out of my league” at a networking event – all of these activities were out of my comfort zone – yet every one of them has led to more business coming my way!

“Your comfort zone equals your money zone,” (CZ=MZ) so says T. Harv Eker, author of “Secrets of the Millionaire Mind”.

Most people want more money but they aren’t willing to do what it takes to get it. If you aren’t willing to grow yourself, push your boundaries, feel the fear and act anyway, there is a good chance your income will remain the same.

What is one thing you could do right now to get more money? I bet most people have an answer.
Ask the boss for a raise. Start a part-time business. Call that past client. Sell items on E-Bay.
And yet most of us will immediately create an excuse as to why we can’t do that.

But I’ll give you a BONUS SECRET. Come real close…money likes action! Every time you hesitate taking action on an idea you have, money moves away from you to someone else who is taking action on an idea.

Think of anyone you know who has money continuously flowing to them and I will bet they are a person of massive action!

To sum up – money is a powerful and useful tool but if you don’t get into action and you don’t manage your money – you won’t have any.
 
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Money Secret #2 – There is nothing wrong with having a lot of money.

This is so counter to the belief system I was raised with. I was taught that spiritual people don’t have money and that rich people were most likely greedy, selfish and materialistic. We were encouraged to only concern ourselves with our “daily bread” – that was all we could expect and shouldn’t want for more.

So let me ask you this, if abundance and money is so bad, why did God use it as a reward for obedience?

Do you remember the story of King Solomon? He was a young ruler in Bible times and God offered him anything he asked for. King Solomon asked for wisdom (of course, he already had hundreds of wives and concubines ;-).

Of all the things he could have asked for – he asked for wisdom! Well, God was apparently so impressed, he gave Solomon wisdom and riches! As a matter of fact, by calculating the Bible account of all that Solomon had – it’s been determined that he was the richest man who ever lived!!

If money is so bad, why did God “smite” Solomon with it? Perhaps money isn’t the problem after all.

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Money Secret #1 – Money won’t stick around where it isn’t wanted.

Well, that’s silly – everyone wants money. And while it’s true that everyone may SAY they want money, let me ask you something. How do you treat something that you really want in your life?
If we really want something, we cherish it. We respect it and show appreciation for it. Does how you’re handling money show that you respect it.

To respect money – you must manage it (pay attention to it). Here’s where I made a classic blunder. In the past, I always told myself I would manage money someday when I got money.

That’s like saying, “I’ll start exercising when I lose weight.” You want the result before doing the work.

You must start managing what you have. And this doesn’t mean any specific savings or investment plan. It means putting money aside for the things that are most important to you.

Most of us pay our bills first because that’s what we’ve been taught is the responsible thing to do. But what happens after paying your bills for 50 to 60 years and you have no retirement savings. How responsible is that?

I follow a money management system that recommends putting 10% of after tax income in different accounts, such as: Give, Learn, Play, Long-term Savings, and Financial Freedom.

While I haven’t always been able to do the exact 10% allocation, I have made sure I put something in each account. The principle to remember is – it’s not about the amount, it’s about the habit.

So start managing (respecting and paying attention to) your money and watch what happens.

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So think about the last time you were upset about something. Then ask yourself these questions:

1) What happened?

2) What are the facts? (what could be seen and heard by others, verifiable facts, observable behaviors = he took the last biscuit is a fact; he is selfish is not)

3) What am I adding to the facts? (Most of our stories embellish the facts and add inflammatory language. “He always” or “she never”, or derogatory terms such as “jerk” or “chauvinist”)

4) What am I pretending not to know? (What facts might actually disprove my story if I were to acknowledge them?)

5) Have I been guilty of this very same thing? (But when I did it – I had a good reason. My intentions were good, my behavior was bad. But with them – their intentions are automatically evil.)

Often you will find that it is what you’re telling yourself (your story) rather than what is actually happening that is causing the negative reaction.

Now when people become upset, I know to ask them “what are you telling yourself about this situation that has you so upset”. Even more powerful is when I remember to ask myself that same question.

Once you’ve mastered doing this with past situations, start to apply it in the moment. As soon as you feel yourself getting triggered (usually some physical sensation, tightness in your chest, faster heart rate, sweaty palms), take a time out and ask yourself those five questions. The old adage “count to 100” seems to make sense now that we know what we we’re supposed to be doing during the one hundred seconds.

Over time, you will be able to practice this outside “observation” before the situation begins to deteriorate and take steps to keep it on a positive track.
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