Do you feel rich, secure, and financially abundant? Or do you worry about having enough to make ends meet?
Now, this ain’t about the cha chang cha chang… or the ba bling ba bling. I’m not asking about how MUCH money you make or spend. I want to know how you feel about your current circumstances.
Money can be a source of stress, fear, and limitation. Or it can be a beautiful tool to solve problems, live generously, and change the world.
How you think about money determines the role it plays in your life.
Don’t get me wrong. The numbers in your bank account do matter — but they’re not the whole story. If you’d tried to tell me that in my early 20s while I was working two day jobs, bartending at night, facing tens of thousands of dollars in credit card debt and living on my friend’s couch? I’d have rolled my eyes. I was way more concerned with changing the – to a + on my bank statement, not my brain.
Now after two decades of growing my fledgling business into a highly profitable, socially conscious company that helps millions, I can look back and see how changing my beliefs about money changed everything.
True wealth depends on your money mindset.
What Is a Money Mindset?
Your “money mindset” is simply your set of beliefs — usually subconscious — about money. It’s the way you approach earning, saving, spending, and sharing in your life.
Your financial habits — good and bad — are rooted in mindset. Your feelings of security or uncertainty, limitation or resourcefulness, victimhood or generosity are impacted by your beliefs about money.
All of the messages you’ve internalized about money over your lifetime boil down to two basic orientations toward money — scarcity or abundance.
Scarcity vs. Abundance Mindset
Do you live in an abundant, expansive universe? Or do you live in a world of fierce competition for scarce resources? When we talk about money mindset, it really comes down to these two belief systems.
A scarcity mindset looks something like this:
You’re always scrambling to make a few bucks or wondering how to earn more money. You stress about paying the bills, complain about paying taxes, and resist giving anything away. You scrimp and save yet somehow you never have enough cash leftover for a nice dinner, date night, or a movie. Whether you’re making minimum wage or a competitive salary, you have a “broke” mentality and it never quite feels like enough.
Scarcity beliefs about money sound like this:
- I’m not good with money.
- Someone else will take care of this for me.
- People with money are greedy.
- I’m not _____(smart/talented/privileged/etc.) enough.
It sucks.
If you’re thinking, “Marie, that’s not my mindset; that’s just my life. I DON’T have enough money.” That’s exactly what a scarcity mindset would say.
Don’t worry — if you’re operating from a scarcity mindset, you’re NOT stuck there. Stick with me here, and let’s flip the coin.
An abundance mindset looks like this:
You appreciate what you have — whether it’s pennies in your pocket or a private jet — and enjoy being generous with others. You have confidence in your ability to make and receive money.
You know there’s always enough, and there will always be more. You enjoy sharing the wealth and don’t fret over bills or unexpected expenses.
An abundance mindset sounds like this:
- I love learning about money.
- I can take charge of my finances.
- Money gives people the opportunity to contribute to others and make a powerful impact.
- I am always enough just the way I am.
Whether or not you’re operating from an abundance mindset right now, remember — mindset is malleable. When you know where your beliefs came from, you can change them.
Where Does Your Mindset about Money Come From?
Many of your deeply ingrained beliefs about money come from childhood experiences you might not even remember.
If you were raised in an environment of scarcity, you might take that mentality with you into adulthood. Maybe your parents said things like, “Money doesn’t grow on trees!” or “Are you kidding? We can’t afford that!”
If you grew up in an environment of generosity and financial security, you might have a more abundant mentality. You heard messages like, “It’s only money, you can always make more” and, “We’re so lucky to have everything we need.”
Early experiences with money, lessons taught by your family, and the habits of people around you all affect how you think about money.
Your current environment matters, too: The people you spend time with, your neighborhood, the books you read and the podcasts you listen to. Research shows we’re more affected by our environments than we think. If you’re surrounded by people with a broke mindset, it’s easy for their habits to rub off on you.
Before you start cursing your childhood or vowing to ditch all your scarcity-minded friends, slowww down.
The people around you matter, but it’s not really about them. Changing your mindset starts and ends with you.
6 Ways You Can Change Your Money Mindset
Are you royally screwed if you learned to believe in scarcity?
Not at all. You can train your brain for a new money mindset starting today.
Not many people I know, including myself, grew up with wealth, whether that’s actual cash or an abundant money mentality. We don’t have to be stuck in that scarcity mentality. We can break out of it. You can choose to release your limiting beliefs around money and create an abundance mindset.
In this MarieTV, I’ll show you six ways to turn that money frown upside down — including habits I use personally to maintain an abundant money mindset.
