"The Trouble With Money"

© Wes Hopper - All Rights Reserved

"Earn as much money as you possibly can and as quickly as you can. The sooner you get money out of the way, the sooner you will be able to get to the rest of your problems in style." -- Jim Rohn

When I saw this quote from Jim Rohn, I realized that he was on to something. I think it's true that as long as we have money issues we never get around to addressing the other problems in our life. We fall into the error of thinking that we need to get "enough" money (whatever that means) before we can handle the other stuff

Why does money consume our attention for so much of our life? It's because we haven't mastered it; money has mastered us!

The sad part is that we operate under the illusion that more money will solve the problem. What we don't realize is that if you can't manage a little, you can't manage a lot! No matter how much you get, it flows through your fingers like water until you change your relationship with it.

Most of us create more than enough income to become financially free if we managed what we earned properly. I believe that almost anyone could be financially free by age 50 or earlier if they had a plan to do that when they entered the work force.

The secret is to develop a system to manage money, and then FOLLOW IT. Simple, but not easy. It's not easy because it requires us to develop new habits, to exercise discipline, to practice self-restraint. Ugly!

The secrets have been available to all of us for a long time. I like the system described in the classic book, "The Richest Man in Babylon." In it, a simple plan of paying yourself first, living within your means, investing your savings and continuously improving your skills is presented. Anyone who follows that process will master money.

Harv Eker has systematized it even further, with a specific money management system that covers all expenditures, coupled with a plan to build passive income and create financial freedom. It's simple, it's effective and you can start right now at any income level.

So why don't we all do something like this? Part of the reason is that we weren't taught to manage money, and no one modeled it for us. The other reason is that it's just a lot more fun to spend it all! Eventually, of course, the party's over.

But you can always start now. If mastering money is something you need to do, start now. Study "The Richest Man in Babylon" and then get Harv Eker's "Secrets of the Millionaire Mind." Start your system of managing money. Simplify your life.

Harv puts it this way, "If you do now what other people won't do, eventually you will be able to do what they can't do!" That's what financial freedom means.

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Article #2 - Mind Matters - "Money Programming"

What really governs our relationship with money? Not logic, not understanding, nothing rational. Our relationship with money is emotional, and it's run by our subconscious mind.

Our money programming comes from our family and from the world around us. We learn as little kids that money is scarce - "We can't afford it." Rich people are "greedy and snotty." We're told that we "have to work hard for our money" because "money doesn't grow on trees."

Most people go to their graves never learning that none of those old sayings have to be true. So be aware that when you set out to master money, you may have some deep pockets of resistance in your mind to reprogram.

If you've been reading this newsletter for very long you know that we live in an affluent, abundant universe. There's no shortage of ideas, opportunities, resources or money for anyone. But your old mental programming might not agree - at first. So be persistent. You CAN master money.

Some of the affirmative statements that you may want to install in your mind to replace the old stuff might sound like:

"I'm an excellent manager of my money"
"Money flows easily to me from multiple sources in increasing quantities"
"I provide great value to the world and I am lavishly rewarded for it"
"Money is easy to manage and I love doing it"
"The Universe is abundant and there is always enough"
"Money is a wonderful tool for good"

Burn these ideas into your mind and watch your relationship with money change. Take charge and master money. You'll be very glad you did.