You Are a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero
Many of us have a conflicted relationship with money that keeps us from reaching our financial goals.
Money is a complicated subject.
Some people love and obsess over it, while others have come to despise it with the belief that “money is evil.” And while some desire money, some feel ashamed of having so much of it.
Our culture has many negative beliefs about money.
For example, we often think it’s why people turn into greedy and selfish monsters.
But this is a myth! Explains Sincero.
Making money allows people to break free from financial constraints and use their time and energy for what they care about.
It’s how philanthropists and activists can start charities and spread the word about important issues.
Often, our attitude to wealth will fluctuate between good and bad.
For example, if you visit a friend with an impressive widescreen TV, you might want to buy a similar TV. But then you might see a person you don’t like bragging about owning the same TV. And suddenly, you may feel disgusted with yourself for having similar desires.
Another misguided belief about money is that if one person gets rich, it means someone else stays poor.
This idea stems from what’s known as a lack of mindset, which leads us to believe that there aren’t
enough dollars or resources to go around.
But think of it this way: If you eat a sandwich, do you think someone in another country is having their sandwich taken away?
Exactly.
You eat your lunch to have the energy to work and create opportunities for others to do their job, thereby making it possible for them to afford their own sandwiches.
Sincero used to waste much of her youth with low-paying jobs such as catering, babysitting, and knitting. But now she’s here to help you avoid wasting another minute and begin a healthy and lucrative relationship with money.
Money isn’t inherently evil; it’s simply an effective way of conducting business.
On its own, money isn’t good or bad – it’s a blank slate.
It’s up to us to decide whether we will use it – for good or evil.
Certainly, there weren’t any evil intentions when the concept of money was invented back in ancient times.
People just wanted a better way of doing business than bartering, which had become a royal pain in the ass.
Back in the day, if you wanted a nice fur coat, you might have to build a stone wall. Or a nobleman could be asked to trade his daughters in exchange for a seaside castle.
Negotiations like these could take a lot of time and involve a lot of yelling, whereas with currency, if you wanted a camel, all you had to do was open up your purse and pay for it.
So rather than being evil, it’s more accurate to recognize money as an efficient way to get things done.
Here’s an exercise to help you disassociate money from evil:
- Try writing two “Dear Money” letters, as if you were addressing a person – one that explains your negative feelings, and
- one that explains at least a few positive feelings.
Once you’ve finished, read the letters out loud. At this point, you’ll realize that your negative feelings don’t hold up to logic, while the positive things all make sense.
To continue nurturing a positive attitude toward money, express your gratitude when you get paid and treat these occasions as blessings.
You can improve your situation by putting out positivity to encourage solutions to emerge.
Even though we’re taught to accept what we see and hear as reality, the truth is far more complex.
Since our brain is processing our five senses, we’re creating an illusion – our own unique universe in which we constantly live.
So our brains must be positively processing things and creating a prosperous universe.
At any given moment, we can interpret things as being either good or bad
It’s easy only to view things negatively and get stuck in a bleak worldview. So you might think, “I’ll never be able to afford a vacation, so why even bother trying to save money?
Screw it, let’s waste it on junk food; at least that’ll make me happy for a little while.”
This kind of thinking can last a lifetime.
Alternatively, you can start putting positive thoughts into your universe and experience opportunity and good fortune.
This kind of attitude could change your financial situation, just as it did for the author—Sincero once found herself in desperate need of money, so she thought about people she might reach out to.
One person who came to mind was a client who’d once taken a coaching class she offered.
Over a year earlier, he’d signed up for a basic offer at $25 per hour. Now, she thought, maybe he’d be interested in upgrading to the premium package at $300 per hour.
But when she opened her email, there was already a message in her inbox from the client she was thinking of, asking her how much she was charging these days!
It worked out because the positivity she was putting out allowed the universe to respond with the perfect solution.
Money can bring either positive or negative energy into your life, so learn to control it.
When you exchange money with someone, it’s not just a physical transaction; you’re also putting either good or bad energy into the universe.
That’s why making the right kinds of transactions is important to bring good fortune back your way.
For example, if you made $50 raking up leaves on your neighbor’s lawn, this puts out different energy than stealing $50 from someone’s pocket on a crowded subway train.
If you’re an employer, you also put out energy when you pay your workers. So, if you’re ripping people off and underpaying them, you’re giving out bad energy and creating a negative relationship.
But if you’re being honest and paying your employees the right amount, the relationship and energy will be positive.
You should always be aware of the kind of energy being created in these money situations and strive to keep all your dealings positive.
You should also think of how you can channel this energy so it can continue to generate more good in the world.
You shouldn’t focus your energy on one thing but rather be open to all good possibilities for this to happen. By focusing on just one person or possibility, you’re blinding yourself to the infinite number of other opportunities that await and can provide more positive money.
It’s a lot like finding the man of your dreams.
If you’re focusing all your attention on one guy, your happiness is completely under his control, whether or not he decides to return your feelings.
So instead, focus on recognizing the qualities of the person you’re looking for, and you’ll soon find there’s more than one guy out there who can bring you the positive love you’re looking for. (not consulting advice)
There are ways to break free from your fears and worries about making money.
If you feel like your anti-money beliefs are still too deep-seated to shake, here are some more ways to break free.
- One of the best ways to start thinking differently is to dive right in and make a bold move toward making your dreams come true.
Sincero’s dream was to be a successful life coach.
To help her make that transition, she had a choice of paying $15,000 for a group class or $85,000 to be taught by an experienced coach in one-on-one sessions.
She knew that one-on-one sessions would be far more rewarding, even though the cost was more than she made in a year.
But she committed herself to finding a way to come up with the money.
It was a big step, but it forced her to stop thinking “no way” and start thinking, “There must be a way.”
Once you leap into the great unknown, there are bound to be lingering doubts and worries.
But instead of ignoring them or letting fear take over, write them down as a way to acknowledge their power and move on.
These wobbles are usually irrational.
You might have similar thoughts or believe it’s too late to change, but it’s all nonsense!
Any subconscious worries can be altered to create a new narrative for your story.
You don’t necessarily have to pay for a therapist to change the narrative in your head.
In fact, it’s best when you can prove to yourself that you have the power to think positively and control your own destiny.
Create specific financial goals to help increase your chances of monetary success.
Generally speaking, people don’t become rich unless they want to.
So naturally, it’s important to tap into your desire for money if you want to start banking the Benjamins.
The key to unlocking that desire is to get specific about why you want money and how much of it you need.
Then you can set solid goals for yourself.
A famous example of how well this can work comes from actor Jim Carrey, who wrote a $10 million check to himself when he was broke and desperate for a job.
Carrey dated the check three years in the future, and sure enough, this act sparked his motivation and his career.
By the time the date on the check arrived, he’d landed his biggest role yet in the movie Dumb and Dumber, which earned him enough money to cash that check.
A goal like this is effective because it’s specific. When you’re precise about the goal and how meaningful it is to you, it increases the likelihood of the goal becoming a reality.
Think of it as placing an order with the universe.
Now, you wouldn’t place an order at a sandwich shop by saying, “One sandwich, please.” You have to tell them what kind of bread whether you want mayo or mustard, and so on.
This way, you’ll get what you want – and the same goes for getting what you want out of life.
Being specific also provides a great boost to your determination.
A sandwich is great, but a sandwich with all your favorite ingredients in just the right proportions is what gets your mouth watering.
But being specific also doesn’t mean limiting yourself.
Remember to stay open to the surprises the universe has to offer.
This concept is known as surrendering to universal intelligence.
The world is full of opportunities; a true badass doesn’t let them slip by.
Thanks for reading!
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