I used to have a horrible mentality when it came to money. But there also was some part of me always had big dreams. That dream is by the time I turn 30 I would be making $100,000.
I wanted that number because to me it represented success. I didn’t want it to be Margaret and Ben are earning $100,000 together. I wanted to do it by myself.
It would mean that I was the epitome of being able to be successful adult. I would also be able to prove everyone wrong that tormented me as a teenager. But, as I started getting older and working through my twenties I started noticing a money block.
The money block came about around $55,000 in salary. I knew I had a lot to offer. I also knew that needed to keep getting raises so that I can hit that magical hundred thousand dollars mark.
But every time I would apply for a job that was a promotion and would let me earn more money. I would end up sabotaging myself. Then after I lost my job a few years ago. Instead of focusing on jobs where I can make the same amount of money or even more.
I ended up taking a job where I was $7,000 less than what I was making the year before. So after a couple years of making even less money than I had made in the past. Along with beating myself up I finally noticed my money block. I also needed to do something about it. At the time I was reading a Danielle LaPorte classic The Desire Map.
I had gotten to the part of the book that she was talking about her intentions and desires. She had this one liner in there and I’ll never forget it. It has totally changed how I look at money ever since that day.
“I want to make millions, and give most of it away.” — Danielle Laporte
I can’t tell you what it was like the first time I read that sentence. Honestly when I read “I want to make millions” part of the sentence my entire body started to seize. The first thoughts were negative.
How is that spiritual?
How is that honest how can I make million dollars when there’s tons of people out there that need the money more than I do?
But then I read the rest of the sentence “I want to give most of it away”. It is still the most beautiful thing I’ve ever read.
It was like a lightbulb went off and changed my money mentality.
Instead of looking at money as something I’m taking for others. I could now look at money as letting it be a resource that I could Shepherd to others. I could make those millions of dollars, and I could also give it away.
I knew tons of Charities right off the bat as soon as I started thinking that I could give money to.
There’s one specific ones that I love to donate my money to. The Florida mastiff rescue society. As a proud mommy of English Mastiffs, it’s something that touches my heart. Every time I look at their need for more money, I instantly start crying and wish I could give them more.
It was like my head and heart finally started opening up. I started thinking, well if I made millions and I was able to give most of it away look at the impact I could have.
Look at the amount of dogs I could rescue.
Look at the amount of happy families that could be having the dogs that are getting rescued.
It was a complete and mental shift and the biggest part was it took me out of the equation.
I have family members are wealthy and to be honest I always thought of them as greedy. They never talked about who they were helping with their money instead? Instead, they always talked about what they bought with their money. It was always, “so I just bought this new watch”. Oh, I just bought this new car. I upgraded to an even bigger house in a better part of town.
There was never in the conversation of them gave $100,000 to charity. Or giving money to a soup kitchen for Thanksgiving.
So of course I had this mentality that money was evil. I never got good examples of it being used for good. It was always used to make people look better and someone else.
When in reality, it was because they were so insecure; they needed to get the attention. And the only way they could do that was by having lots of money and buying things.
So I want you to look at your own money mentality and your own money mindset. If you really do think that you can earn more money I want to challenge you and asked why.
Here are some questions to ask you.
- Do I feel I’m valuable enough to earn more money?
- Do I trust myself to do good things with that money?
- What stories have you told yourself about money? Is it evil?
- Are rich people bad and greedy?
My money journey is not over. I still haven’t earned that $100,000 yet. But I have gotten a lot better at understanding my value and asking for my worth.
I don’t discount my services anymore. Instead I am proud of my current hourly rate. I know I am worth it. I also know that I can give the other person results.
Now I want to hear from you
I want to hear from you. What is your money mentality? What are your money blocks? How are you breaking through those myths?
