Transforming Your Belief System to be Wealthy
Your belief system will define your destiny.
In a small town in Johore, the foreman of a textile factory would pass a bakery shop every morning. He would adjust his watch according to the clock that was hung outside the shop.
On the day of his retirement, he went into the shop to thank the owner.
“Every day, I have to blow the whistle to let the workers out for lunch at noon time. I want to thank you because your clock has helped me to whistle at the right time all these years”
When the owner heard it, he started to laugh, “It’s so funny. All these years, I have been setting the clock according to your whistle”.
This joke reminded me that many people have wrongly set their beliefs about wealth.
As a result of their upbringing, education, experience, relationships, and many other factors, their beliefs have been influenced by other people’s fears, biases and errors.
They also reinforced these beliefs through their self-talk. These are voices that they speak to their minds. They sent messages, influence their beliefs, and control the way they feel and act.
Over time, these beliefs were unconsciously programmed in their being.
They lived by these beliefs and if these beliefs were not positive, it might lead them down the slippery slope of poverty and failure.
What are the differences between the beliefs of the poor and the wealthy? Please let me share some of the major ones with you.
1. The Poor Believes…
2. The Wealthy Believes…
1
I am a victim of life.
I am a victor of life.
2
I am not born to be wealthy.
I am created to be wealthy.
3
I don’t have what it takes to be wealthy.
I have everything I need to be wealthy.
4
I don’t know how to be wealthy.
I can learn how to be wealthy.
5
I am unlucky! I keep losing money.
I am blessed! I keep attracting wealth.
6
I play the game of life so as not to lose.
I play the game of life to succeed.
7
Money is the root of evil.
The love is the root of evil.
8
Money is not the most important thing in life.
Money is one of the most important things in life.
9
Money cannot guarantee happiness.
With or without money, I can be happy.
10
I don’t like money.
I love what money can do for us.
11
Money will bring out the worst in me.
Money will bring out the best in me.
12
I am suspicious and resentful of the wealthy.
I learn from the wealthy.
13
Money will create more problems.
Money will create more solutions.
14
I see problems in being wealthy.
I see opportunities and I turn problems into opportunities to be wealthy.
15
I need money to make money.
I need ideas and action to make money.
16
Money does not grow on trees. It’s hard to make money.
Money is everywhere. It’s easy to make money by implementing a plan to create wealth.
17
I need to work hard to make money.
I need to work hard and smart to make money.
18
I leave my money to the experts.
I manage my own money.
19
I dream of being wealthy.
I plan and work on my plan to be wealthy.
20
I work for a living.
I enjoy life for a living. Work is exciting, meaningful and fun.
21
I deserve the money for the time I spent.
I earn the money for the results I get.
22
I work to keep myself alive.
I work for a higher purpose to serve others.
23
Selling is not for me. I cannot cheat, lie and con others.
I need to sell to be wealthy. I can tell the truth in a professional, exciting and loving way.
24
I feel uncomfortable when I am trying to become wealthy.
I learn to enjoy, live with, and overcome whatever discomfort in the process of becoming wealthy.
25
I work for money.
Money works for me.
26
I can only have a maximum of $____ in my life.
I can have any amount of money in my life.
27
I know I am right.
I know I can be better.
Table 8.1: Beliefs of the poor and wealthy
If you examine the above beliefs, you will find that they fall broadly into three categories as follows:
* Life Management,
* Money Management, and
* Wealth Management.
* I’m not born to be wealthy,
* I cannot be wealthy,
* I don’t like to be wealthy,
* I don’t know how to be wealthy, and
* I cannot discipline myself and take action to be wealthy.
Life Management
Our Creator wants you to succeed but He will not control you like a robot and force it upon you. He wants you to be successful, happy and wealthy.
Sadly, many people have directly or indirectly condemned themselves to a life of poverty and failure.
They have invariably subscribed to the following lies at different points in life:
Many held on to these negative beliefs and live them out in their lives.
They perceive themselves to be victims rather than victors of life.
They are paralysed to changing their lot and will not take proactive action to improve their lives.
Looking ahead, they see problems holding them back rather than opportunities to move them ahead.
They will not take charge of their problems and work at turning them into platforms to achieve wealth.
They will not take responsibility to craft their destiny.
In other words, they will not improve their abilities to respond to changes and improve their future.
Instead, they lay blame, justify, and give lots of excuses when things do not happen according to their expectations.
They will not learn, improve, and take actions to overcome challenges and press on to achieve their dream life.
They leave their life to the winds of change instead of raising the sails to catch the winds so as to propel themselves forward to the harbour of wealth.
Money Management
Money is amoral. In and of itself, it is neither good nor bad.
It is what you do with money that makes it right or wrong.
Money is not the root of all evil. The original proverb states, “The love of money is the root of all evil” (1 Tim 6:10).
When a person is so obsessed with having money that he will not do anything good with it or worse, he will do even the wrong thing to possess it, then the “Pandora Box” of evil will be opened.
I also believe that it is the lack of money that is another probable cause of evil. I have never seen a rich man robbed a bank before.
Money can be addictive. The more you want it, the more you will desire it. If you’re not careful, it can consume your heart and mind.
When you are obsessed with wealth, you’ll fall into a bottomless pit of greed and dissatisfaction.
It is like salt. The more you take it, the thirstier you’ll become and, eventually greed will consume you.
Money is not the most important thing in life.
There are other more important pursuits and values, including our Creator, wisdom, integrity, character, reputation, family, friends, society, and planet Earth.
That’s why H. L. Mencken said, “Make money your god and it will plague you like the devil”.
Many of my friends told me, “Money cannot guarantee you happiness.”
Half in jest, I might reply, “I agree. However, without money, I guarantee you will become unhappy.”
If I wanted to stretch the humour, I would continue by saying, “People who are rich and not happy just don’t know where and how to use their money”.
They actually have more opportunities to shop around.
“At least, with money, they have more choices in dealing with unhappiness. They can also be more comfortable during difficult times.
“They can pay others to do what they don’t like to do and handle some of their problems.
“Between being wealthy and being poor, it makes more sense to be wealthy. Obviously, the best choice is to live for the highest calling.”
If the motives, means and ends of wealth-creation are negative, it will cause problems.
However, if they are positive, it can lead you to a life of positive emotions, contributions and results.
For example, I’m writing this chapter in Rimini, a beautiful coastal town in Italy.
I’m here because a good friend had asked me, “Patrick, I’m going to Italy for business. Why don’t you hop on to the plane with me so that we can catch up with one another?”
I replied without hesitation, “Sure, after all, I’m free this weekend”.
I’m happy I had the freedom to spend time with a friend and enjoyed a great learning experience at the same time.
Without money, this would not be possible. (By the way, my friend sponsored the trip. Any more friends out there?)
Money, as they say, is a good servant but a bad master. It won’t make a good master out of me too.
That’s why I endeavour to use money to support worthwhile causes.
Money is an important resource to help you fulfill your individual and organizational visions.
It is a useful tool that can be used to help people live a better life and make our world a better home.
Wealth Management
In my years of studying wealthy people all over the world, I realized they do not necessarily have better personalities, brains, looks or even resources than anyone of us.
In fact, many of them have faced more odds in life.
They have had to overcome greater challenges to be wealthy.
To be wealthy, what is needed is have a plan for creating wealth.
Continue to work on refining and implementing the plan throughout your life.
Unfortunately, many people do not have a plan.
Even if they do, few are willing to commit themselves to it.
Many people are not willing to invest time, energy and money to make their plan work.
Few are willing to learn, improve, and take action to achieve wealthier results.
In the final analysis, the motives, means and ends of creating wealth are so that you can contribute to the people and the world around you.
Rephrasing the words spoken in one of the movies on Spiderman – With great wealth comes great responsibility.
I would like to conclude by quoting a saying, “What you sow, that you will reap”.
The seed of belief that you sow in your mind will produce the fruit you will reap in your life.
Wealth creation begins as an inside job.
Becoming wealthy starts with an internal journey.
In your wealth-creation journey, continue to transform your limiting beliefs to become powerful beliefs so that they will support you to be wealthy.Go4It!
I hope this message will find a place in your heart.
By the way, I have also recorded other reflections.
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