Ever since I made the decision to start my own business, one of the first things I learned to do was change my outlook on money. I changed the way I thought I was supposed to spend, save, earn & make money. As a matter of fact the very first thing I learned was that there is a significant difference between earning money & making money.
In short, if your only source of income is your job, then I regret to inform you that you are not "making" money - you are earning it. The difference is this ... when you go to work, we show up and punch in. You work for however many hours for the day and then you punch out & go home. At the end of the week you are compensated for the time we worked. You "earned" that money.
However, let's say you find a way to convert an intangible idea into a tangible product - or you create, improve or provide some kind of service wherein which you place your own price upon that product or service. When people come along who are willing to & actually do pay your set price for that product or service; well then my friend, you have made money.
I have debated this issue with people for the past three years - ever since I adopted & implemented this mindset in my life. Who is right? Well, I can only say that in that time I have made more money believing in & using this way of thinking, than those who have debated me and not used it.
That mindeset has allowed me to ascend from being a renter to being a homeowner. It has allowed me to travel across the country, and has allowed me to reduce my debt significantly. In fact, I'm one to two months ahead on many of my utility bills! My student loans are paid off IN FULL; I have no significant credit card debt, and my next car note payment isn't due until December!
If you want to change how much money you have in your pocket and in the bank, you need to change how you deal with money in your mind. The dollar - that paper product - that people both live & die chasing after - is not money. It's currency, and currency is nothing more than a tool used to implement & manifest your ideas & visions into reality. Money is an idea, and however you view that idea will manifest itself in your life.
By that, I mean if you believe that the only people who are supposed to have money are the people who you see on TV, in the movies, and who you listen to on the radio; or wherever you think "rich people" are supposed to be - and you are not one of those people - you then exclude yourself from where you believe the money is; and thus you are excluding yourself from the money!
The people who I observe to be doing well financially are those who start out working for their money, but then reach a point where they shift gears and then begin making their money work for them. It's like watching two cars start off next to each other and travel for a given distance then one of the drivers switches gears and leaves the other car in the dust.
I have a friend who started working for UPS (United Parcel Service) right after high school, who after just over 20 years of employment, is getting ready to retire. While everyone is running around using the economy as an excuse for not doing well, this man is getting ready to retire. How?
Well it's quite simple. He busted his butt for a certain amount of years earning & saving his money. Then he "switched gears" and began investing his money in stocks and real estate. His stocks "make" him money because they continue to perform well. Because he "provides" homes for his renters, he "makes" money there as well. Truth be told ... I wish I had his focus back then!
Ultimately, there is no excuse for being broke. We're all human beings made from the same stuff. The only thing that truly separates us are our circumstances. You cannot choose where you are born or where you grow up, but at some point you can choose where and how you live. When you reach that point, it's all on you. You have to be just as willing to accept accountability for your unfavorable conditions as you would be to take credit for your successes.
There is more than enough wealth out there for us to have. It will never run out! However, if you don't feel you're worthy to have any of it, you will never bring yourself to do what's required to obtain your rightful share of it. If that's how you want to live, that's fine by me. I have no problem taking your share while I'm going after mine.
What is my definition of "MONEY?"
Means
Of
Never
Ever
Yearning
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