Here’s a fantasy scenario: If you had to choose between getting a million dollars in your hand tomorrow, and being given the mind of a millionaire but no money at all, which option would you take? Would you say, ‘I’ll take the money!’ or ‘I’ll take the mind’?
There are many benefits to be obtained from having access to a large sum of money; the opportunities for profiting from a sudden influx of wealth should be almost immeasurable. Yet we constantly hear unfortunate stories of persons who have received sudden fortunes, such as lottery winners, and who end up losing all their money in a short time.
On the other hand, there are inspirational tales of very wealthy people who, through business failure or some major calamity, lost everything they worked hard for, only to regain it in a few short years.
Donald Trump’s riches-to-rags-to-riches-again story comes readily to mind as a perfect example of someone who, although he lost his money, didn’t lose his ability to make money.
Years ago, if I really had to choose between the money and the mind, I would have definitely selected the money. However, after listening to an extraordinary audio book, Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker, I realised that, like many other beneficiaries of instant wealth, I would have probably blown my fortune in record time.
I can vividly remember the first time I heard Eker talk about the 17 ways that rich people thought, which were different from the beliefs of poor and middle-class persons. I actually replayed the three-hour CD several times before I put it down. Thanks to Eker, I developed a greater understanding about the reasons why wealth had eluded me for many years.
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Your wealth files control your money behaviour
Eker explained that people’s thought processes have a tremendous impact on their financial results; their negative thoughts can actually hinder their ability to improve their finances. Many of these notions about money were created from past experiences, things they heard as children or the behaviours that they copied from persons around them.
All the information that you have gathered throughout the years about money is stored in your mind in folders that Eker referred to as your ‘wealth files.’ In every situation where you need to make a decision about money, he revealed, your mind goes back to these files to determine how to respond. “Your actions can only be supported by the mind files that you have,” Eker confirmed.
Eker pointed out that the reason why some people are able to create and maintain large fortunes is that they think differently about money, themselves and other rich people, than persons with poverty mindsets. If you want to change your financial results, Eker advised, you first have to know how rich people think and then consciously change your focus to think like they do.
Do you really want to be rich?
One reason why millionaire-minded persons are able to create great wealth is that they are committed to being rich, while others just say they want to be rich. Eker insisted that most people don’t really want to be rich as “they have negative wealth files in their subconscious mind that tells them there is something wrong with being rich.”
If your wealth files contain conflicting beliefs that say having money would be wonderful, but also suggest that being rich could be a problem, then your mixed money messages will ensure that you never attain lasting wealth. Some possible negative thoughts are that people might harass you for your money, that creating wealth is too difficult, or that rich people are greedy.
“You always get what you subconsciously want, not what you say you want,” Eker declared. If you don’t have the wealth you say you desire, he continued, then either you really don’t want it, or you are not willing to do what it takes to get it. Wanting something doesn’t necessarily lead to getting it, Eker explained, as you have to commit 100 per cent of your effort into achieving your goal.
To truly commit to improving your financial situation, you need to be willing to do whatever it takes for as long as it takes, until you are successful. “Getting rich is not a stroll in the park,” Eker admitted. Are you prepared to work long hours, sacrifice leisure activities, and contribute time and money into obtaining your objectives? Your answer may accurately reflect your financial results.
If you want to commit to increasing your wealth, Eker recommended that you should write a short paragraph explaining specifically why having money is important to you, and how much wealth you want to create. Then, ask a supportive friend or coach to listen to your declaration of your financial commitment, and at the end of your affirmation to respond by saying, ‘I believe in you.’
Copyright © 2011 Cherryl Hanson Simpson. No reproduction without written consent.
Originally published in The Daily Observer, March 10, 2011
Read other articles with T. Harv Eker‘s advice:
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Cherryl is a financial consultant and coach, founder of Financially S.M.A.R.T. Services. See more of her work at www.financiallyfreenetwork.com and www.financiallysmartonline.com. Contact Cherryl