Money Mastery:  What Do You Believe About Money?  By Mary Anne Fields, Life Coach & Trainer, www.LifeUnfolds.com What do you believe about money?  Do you believe it grows on trees?  Or doesn’t?  Do you believe that money is security or money makes the world go ‘round?  Do you believe you have enough or can never have enough?  Are you rich or poor?  How you answer these questions about money gives you a good picture of your money world.  It doesn’t mean the answers are the truth, just your truth.  Changing what you believe about money can transform how money shows up in your life.  Changing your beliefs can change your thoughts and feelings.  Changing your thoughts and feelings will change your actions.  It will provide you with peace and ease about money. I've found in working with clients and workshop attendees that  some beliefs change quickly and easily.  Often just noticing and briefly examining your belief will change it.  Other beliefs are more entrenched and take more time. Doing the exercise below will help with these ideas.  After doing the exercise, you will start to notice when the belief shows up and how it affects you.  This is where change begins, by noticing and examining the thoughts and feelings associated with the belief.   EXERCISE:  Listed below are statements about money.  Check or circle all of those that you believe are true.    Add some of your own beliefs to the list if you think of some that were not included.  With your list in hand, engage with a trusted partner.  Ask the partner to play devil’s advocate and dissuade you from your position of belief in that statement.  Obviously, this is not arguing with anger, more like a gentle debate; no shame, no blame and no defensiveness.  If you do not have a partner, then write your own arguments, for and against.  Really stretch to see another point of view. Let’s take the statement, “Money is security” as an example.  You say, “I must have money to feel secure.  Money makes me feel safe.”  Partner says, “If you were walking down the middle of a downtown street at 3 am with a million dollars, would you still feel safe? Or would you feel more in danger?”  You say, but that’s not the kind of security I mean, not physical safety.  Emotional safety, you know, security.”   Partner says, “Even if you were fabulously wealthy, your spouse could leave you, you could become seriously ill or die, you could lose it all in a stock market crash or bank failure, etc.    Your home could be destroyed by a tornado and you could lose your pets and family pictures.  So you don’t have emotional security either.”    You continue the discussion until you are persuaded or until your partner runs out of ideas!   BELIEFS ABOUT MONEY  Money manages itself.                                                    Money should not be talked about. Money and spirituality don’t mix.                               Saving money is a virtue.  Being in debt is the American way.                             Once I have enough money, I will be okay. Money is the primary reason I work.                        I don’t have to understand money, he/she does it.  I’m embarrassed about money.                          I think I should know all about money. Money must only be spent on things of value.  Everyone else understands money better than I do.            Money buys me respect.  Money makes people do evil things.                            Money is behind all the evil in the world.  I cannot accept money from friends or family.   I don’t have enough money. You have to save money for security.                                    Medical care should be profitless.  Money is a flow.  If you're in the flow, money will come. You get what you pay for.   If the above article resonates with you, and you feel you could use some help with changing your relationship with money or having more prosperity and abundance in your life, give me a call. I help clients every day with improving their quality of life by addressing these concerns. Let's collaborate. Don't delay, call today!  To contact me for a complimentary session...click here. Mary Anne Fields,  Business and Personal Coach, Trainer & Speaker         www.LifeUnfolds.com/contact.htm (713) 528-5971 maf@LifeUnfolds.com All rights reserved.  Copyrighted by Life Unfolds, Mary Anne Fields, 2005.