"I know how to earn money. But I have trouble accumulating it."
I knew what she meant. I'm almost certain I'd uttered those words myself, possibly even a year or two ago.
There are some fundamental truths about money that, if we miss them, can lead us on wild goose chases and mental gymnastics that produce little more than constipation.
Anyone looking to accumulate money should think long and hard on the following:
Money Flows
You can't stop it from happening. You can control the flow of money if you are intentional about budgeting and directing its path the moment it hits your bank account. But otherwise it has a way of going where it wants to go without your consent.
Very few people say, "wow, look at all the money left over at the end of the month." No, most people go, "where did all that money go?"
There is nothing fundamentally wrong with money flowing. As a rule, it generally flows to the top 20%, and that is also not wrong. Rather, it's something to understand about the nature of money. You can't do anything about it with your head stuck in the sand. But you can do something about it if you understand it.
If we're not going to have any money left over at the end of the month regardless, wouldn't it make more sense to direct its path than to wait and see what happens? Wouldn't we then be able to align our spending with our highest values?
This certainly isn't to create a connection between money and values, because most people's values hurt their chances of earning more money. What I'm saying is that you have a choice of who and what you support, and you cast your vote with your spending.
Money is Unlimited
Time is limited, but money is not. If we wish to tap into the flow of money, then we must begin to accept this as true.
If something is available in unlimited abundance, we would not want it. Since money doesn't care whether we want it or not, and it doesn't actively respond to our needs, we should let go of desiring it.
There is plenty of evidence to suggest that supply is unlimited. It's practically the thesis of Paul Zane Pilzer's God Wants You to Be Rich.
There are two things that happen when we voice the desire for money. First, we hear it. Second, others hear it. While words do not matter as much as our mindset and emotions, they are always an outward reflection of what's going on inside.
So, when we say, "I want money," we're expressing a need for which there is no shortage. We convince ourselves by repeating our thoughts, as thoughts always become beliefs. Others hear us and they perceive us as less confident. So, they go do business with someone else.
It is difficult to accept the limitless supply of money when you don't have any, but money is changing hands every single day. If you're not seeing this, you are less money conscious than you realize.
The people you see at the grocery store, at restaurants, at the gas station, at the movies, at the aquarium... they are all spending money. Money is changing hands in large quantities every single day, regardless of economic conditions (another truth well worth observing). This also goes back to the first truth, that money flows. It's always in motion.
Erect More Tollbooths
How do we move from the 80% to the 20%?
First, we must get our minds right about money. Shed old beliefs. Cast aside conditioning. That is, perhaps, the hardest part. Everyone has worked very hard at convincing us of their guilt associated with money.
If you believe taking Jerry's last dollar is to you detriment, because you are concerned for Jerry, then you haven't understood something about money. It doesn't care about anyone's needs.
Money is always exchanged for something of value. So, who's to say Jerry didn't gain something of value from the purchase? What if spending his last dollar with you set him on a path of discovering his own limitlessness?
We're all supposed to feel bad about money. Every aspect of society reinforces this. But that is exactly what keeps us from attracting wealth.
Since there is money changing hands every single day, the only responsible thing for an entrepreneur to do is to erect more tollbooths, to have a deep understanding what people are looking for and to provide that. This is how you channel more money in your general direction.
We assume it's about value creation, serving humanity, making the world a better place. All things being equal, I think these are noble and worthwhile pursuits.
But they are separate from money. The only thing we get from attaching noble causes to money is more debt.
It's not your responsibility whether your customers follow the program and do things as designed. You will love them for it, and they will probably love you more because of the results they achieve. But it's not going to make any difference to your balance sheet at the end of the month.
Understand what people want and provide it. This simple act, already, is service on a magnitude you can't even comprehend.
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