Talk your way to financial
freedom: a new view of career abundance.
by Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D.
Feeling trapped by lack of funds? We can learn from
those
who live comfortably and retire early. They use language differently
from those who are stuck in a scarcity process.
1. Banish the word "expensive" from your
vocabulary.
Replace with, "That's not a priority for me."
In
one small town, a group of people get together every day for coffee and
conversation. "Jane" refuses to participate
"Two dollars for a cup
of
coffee? " she sniffs. "Expensive!"
When you work at home,
you
need a break and you want to talk to other like-minded people. The
value of coffee is table rent and support. Sometimes you are not just
buying coffee -- you're buying motivation.
My acquaintance "Tom" refused to
pay a few hundred dollars for professional help with his resume. "Too
expensive," he said. "I can do it myself and my friends will give me
feedback."
Tom continued to send
out
resumes with no results, not realizing every week he delayed finding a
job would cost him hundreds, even thousands of dollars. And his friends
were even more clueless about resumes than he was.
Bob hired a coach to keep him
motivated as he builds his business. Expensive? Sure -- but he feels
he's spending five thousand dollars a year so he can build his income
to a hundred thousand dollars a year...or more.
My friend "Laura" used to get her
nails done every week while she was unemployed and broke.
Impractical? Frivolous?
Expensive?
For Laura, manicures
were
a symbol of where she had been and where she will be in the future. She
spent money for her priority with no regrets.
2. Banish the sentence "I can't afford it."
Replace with, "That's on my wish list."
Adding an item to your official wish list makes a
statement.
Do you really want a new car, kitchen set or vacation? Or do you
realize you already have what you "can't afford?"
Looking around my eclectic collection of living
room
furniture, I can dream of spending lavishly for designer furniture,
ceramic artwork and crystal lamps. I also know these items will never
appear on my wish list.
Even the best-mannered cat will deposit an
occasional
surprise on the couch, and the dog's exuberant personality can leave a
trail of broken glass. Regardless of politics, many of us empathized
when the wife of newly-elected Governor Jeb Bush admitted," When you
have pets you can't have an elegant home."
Saying "can't afford" puts you in a one-down
position.
Creating a wish list generates abundance and clarifies values. I'd put
"three cats and two dogs" on my wish -- but not "designer furniture."
3. Forbid all talk about what you don't have.
Replace with appreciation for what you enjoy now.
Hortensia complains about her lack of money. True,
her
salary is not high by any standards -- but her job offers security,
generous vacation time, and excellent retirement benefits. Her location
allows her to hike in the woods and fish in the lakes. And she can't
think of anything she'd rather be doing.
Most of us have more than we realize -- in real as
well as
abstract terms. I encourage clients to meet with a financial planner,
especially if they're facing experiencing career transition. Often a
professional review helps career-changers realize they're better off
than they realized.
Bottom Line
Talking your way to financial freedom -- simple?
Yes, but
effective. Try these steps for a week and notice a difference -- first
in your thoughts, soon in your life.
Related article: A scrooge-y view of abundance.
Click
here.
Recommended reading:
Teach your
intuition to send you a telegram (not a post card) and make brilliant
decisions for business and career. Click here for more information.
Your 21-Day Extreme Career Makeover Click here for more
information.
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