Defining Money

I was having an interesting conversation with an old business acquaintance of mine the other day and it got me to thinking about how confused most people are about money.


Its hard to believe that something as important as money (almost as important as oxygen) would be the source of so much misunderstanding, but none the less it is. As I started looking around I noticed that almost everybody has a relationship with money that they would like to change, or at least see that relationship improve.

Then I was visiting a friend and they had the television set tuned in to the news, the moderator was talking about money. Normally I don't give the television more than five minutes a year of my attention but this time I listened, in part because of the conversation I just told you about.


This particular news report had some expert (college educated) expounding on what he called the reality of the "recession" and how many people would "need" extra assistance from the government to either find work or get "re-trained."


If it wasn't for the headline posted next to the talking heads on the TV screen that read "Money" I probably would have tuned out the so called expert right away.


We are constantly bombarded with opinions from so called experts about how we should be handling our money, how we should earn our money, how we should feel about spending our money and how much of our money we should trust to so called experts to help us with our money.


This reality started screaming at me that it should be no wonder why so many people are confused about their money and have such a crummy relationship with it. I'll even bet that most of those experts are living pay check to pay check too so who would really want their advice?


Almost everything we are told about money is a lie...especially if it comes out of the mouth of a college educated "expert." That is not to say there aren't some experts (college educated) who know what they are talking about however I want to see their financial statements before I read or listen to another one of their advice columns or news broadcasts.

Think back to when you were a kid and make a list of all the things you've been told about money while growing up. Things you heard relating to money, people with money, earning money, having lots of money etc...


The first one that comes to mind for me is that "Money is the root of all evil."


The news program I just told you about repeatedly told its listeners that nobody has enough money. I am sure that if you take a fe minutes to do this you'll discover there are dozens of negative statements you've been told about money and not very many positive ones.


What are some of the other opinions you've heard? Make a list and evaluate for yourself all the negative thinking that has been rammed into your brain regarding money. This list is really important because it demonstrates the contrast (negative thinking) you have where money is concerned and if you want to change your relationship with money you'll have to change the way you think about money.


The Double Day Dictionary defines money like this:


1) Anything that serves as a common mediumof exchange, or measure of value, or as a means of payment of debts or services rendered, especially coins and paper currency officially issue by a government.

2) A specific form or denomination of coin or paper currency.

3) MONEY OF ACCOUNT.

4) Assets having monetary value.

5) Profit or pecuniary gain: to make money.

6) Wealth: That town has money.


Have you ever heard the expression "If you want to get ahead you'll have to work hard for your money" or something similar? Have you ever asked yourself what that kind of thinking does to increase the effort you require to make money? When I re-programmed my brain about how hard it is to make money I discovered I could make a lot of money with little or no effort...hmmmmm...


To a suspiscious mind it may occur that we have been told all these lies about money just to keep us working for someone else...hmmmmm?


How about the expression "a fool and his money are soon parted?" What does that say to you about you when the month runs out of money and you are broke for ten days while you wait for another paycheck? This statement affects your subconscious thinking and therefore your relationship with money.


Another "opinion" I heard when I was growing up was that "Rich People" got that way by taking advantage of the common working class. Maybe you didn't hear it put in those words but I will bet you your next paycheck that you have been told something similar about "How" rich people act and behave, that they are bad people or greedy and you decided a long time ago to never be like them.


So let me ask you...are you rich? OR... Are you living pay check to pay check? You got what you decided on didn't you?

Stop and think about it for a minute...your thinking about money reflects the experience you are having with money right now.

If you don't believe me then look at your checking account balance and then look in the mirror and get honest with yourself.


Money is an idea, not a thing and believe it or not the idea of money is a very positive one. When money was developed, it came from an idea whose time had come. It was a necessary invention to say the least


Way back in the stone age before currency and coin, rival groups of cave men used to take and steal what they wanted from other groups of humans. This not only proved to be fatal for many but it also meant that often the "winner" ended up with damaged goods due to the risk of the conquest.


Somewhere along the line some one and probably more likely several some one's decided to offer an exchange of goods or trade instead of killing and being killed.

This idea is the basis for money as we know it today and it was a very positive development in human evolution.

Today most people make money or earn it by trading their time for money and this is the most common transaction for most people. It is a form of "Bond Service" where the Corporate entity or employer will dictate how you live, where you do it and what clothes to wear while you do it. This my firends is just one step up from slavery.


I once heard Robert Kiyosaki discussing money at one of his conferences where he introduced the idea of being a business owner and or an investor as he was discussing the "Cash Flow Quadrant." If you haven't picked up and read this book you owe it to yourself to educate yourself about money and Kiyosaki is an excellent source of positive thinking toward money. This book along with "Rich Dad Poor Dad" should be in the library of every aspiring entrepreneur.

Watch this 6 minute video produced by Robert Kiyosaki about money and government:





When you look at a coin (US), say a penny you'll see a picture or likeness of someone on it. Have you ever thought about that coin as a "person for hire?" Putting that coin to work for you instead of working for it is the basic concept of becoming a business owner or investor and earning profits and dividends instead of working for a paycheck. This is a different way of thinking and it has made some people a lot of money...why not you?

Earlier in this post I mentioned making a list of the things you've heard in your lifetime about money and I called it a contrast list. Get that list out and on a separate piece of paper write down the exact opposite of each negative "Opinion" you had written down about money.


Do this for the entire contrast list for example:


money is the root of all evil...is re-written to say:


Money provide me with the means to make great decisions and more choices.


When you are finished re-writing all the negative statements or opinions about money, you will have a clarity statement about money and this "new thinking" will more accurately reflect the kind of thinking you deserve to have toward money. It will also represent a more accurate definition of money as it could be in your life instead of the negative definition of money you grew up with.

Tape this new clarity statement about money to your bathroom mirror and read it out loud to yourself every time you look into the mirror so you can begin the process of changing how you think about money. As you read it actually visualize yourself feeling differently about your relationship with money. Afterall you deserve it don't you you?


Last but not least you owe it to yourself to do a media fast and turn off the CNN (constant negative news) and find positive media to tune into.

I have a DVD I'll recomend called "Know For Yourself" and it could be the beginning of your own positive evolution toward changing your thinking process.

If you're interested in being self educated instead of listening to the talking heads all the time visit http://bit.ly/winnersedge and if you decide to buy a copy for yourself use the coupon code 112615 to receive a 20% discount at the time of purchase.