Most of the time it came in the form of a lesson about what not to do based on the bad personal experiences of the one giving the advice or some it was something they heard from someone else. In all cases the advice was negative and was intended to protect you from making the same mistake. The funny thing is that people are very quick to share negative advice. If they had something positive to share, they would have probably kept it to themselves.
The younger we are when we get this bad advice, the more likely we are to believe it. If your family is anything like mine, you learned that money didn’t grow on trees, having money wasn’t everything, it takes money to make money and money was the root to all evil. This last one was the nail in the coffin. These statements formed a basic foundation to keep you happy in your poverty. You knew if nothing else, at least you were a good person because you didn’t have much money—unlike the evil rich.
The reality is the advice you got was nothing more than someone passing along their frustration with not having enough money to meet their needs. They most likely got the same advice a long time ago and every bad decision they made or money they lost reinforced this singular idea. They never learned how to make money and worse—how to change their situation. They got stuck in a cycle and never figured a way out.
So now we turn our focus to you. You stand at a crossroad and have a choice to make. Do you continue to get your money advice from people who don’t have two pennies to rub together or will you decide to follow the example of successful people who have learned to make and grow their money. Like Dorothy and her ruby red shoes, you already have the tools to change your situation. You just need to change your money mindset.
Money isn’t good or evil—it’s currency. It’s a medium of exchange. Having more of it puts you in position to do more for those you care about. How can it be evil when you tithe with it in church. It’s how we pay for all the good things we create in the world. Money can be created at will, all you need is to create a value exchange. If you want money, provide a service and value that someone would be willing to pay for. Once you’ve learned how to make the money, you can focus on growing and protecting it.
I intentionally saved for last, the idea that it takes money to make money. I don’t completely disagree with this one because it’s easier to make money when you have some. The thing that’s not always said is that it doesn’t have to be your money. You can get it from friends and family as a gift or loan and if that fails, you can borrow it from banks and other lending or credit institutions. The key to the statement is it doesn’t have to be your money. You can use other people’s money (OPM) to grow richer. You have to develop an abundance mindset and provide value. You’ll get more money than you know what to do with. It’s time we free ourselves from the trappings of other people’s failures and create a new understanding and relationship with our money. The first step is what you’re doing right now—opening your mind and getting educated about money and its place in our lives. Let’s go.
