Thinking-Rich.com

I have a couple of questions for you today that relate to success and obstacles you may have in reaching it. I’m talking financial success - purely money, honey, because you can be extraordinarily successful as a friend, a parent, a spouse, even a businessperson and still be lacking the financial success you desire.

Think about these questions for a few moments:

• Who in your life has the most doubt that you can achieve real wealth?
• Who is always asking “what if you fail?”
• Who is the first to tell you that you don’t have the motivation to succeed?
• Whose voice is the loudest when you’re told you don’t have the dedication required to become rich?
• Who tells you that you’re too lazy/stupid/unworthy?

Unless you’re in a demoralizing and/or abusive relationship that you really need to reassess, my guess is the person who you hear this from most is yourself. That’s right, the person who most wants to succeed (you) is probably the strongest negative force to overcome. Maybe the words sound like echoes from your past, and that may be where you first heard them, but the nagging voice in your head is being kept alive by you.

Even if you were raised in an extremely encouraging atmosphere where you were told repeatedly about your “potential,” you can have crushing doubt. Hey, living up to someone else’s expectations is no party. What if you screw up? What if you can’t live up to that potential? What you if you fail? It’s hard not to think “I’m better off not really trying, because that way I’ll always have that magic potential.”

And let’s get even deeper here. Some of us - no matter how we were raised - have so much self-doubt that we’re literally fighting inside our minds for even a shred of self-respect. What can I say about the biology or psychology of that? I’m not highly educated in either field, but I believe that even these chemical or mental twists that strip away our faith in ourselves can be overcome. Same as background. Same as being talked down. Same as ridding yourself of a scarcity mindset.

I don’t think there are many people who achieved wealth while allowing this inner doubt to overcome them. I believe - from what I’ve read and what I’ve seen - that even if the voice inside them had doubts, these people blazed ahead, taking risks and knowing above all they would succeed.

They didn’t fear failure, because they allowed failure to become a teacher.

They didn’t believe they lacked motivation or dedication because they went to bed each night and got up each morning knowing nothing was going to stop them.

They didn’t allow themselves to believe they were stupid, because they recognized that they couldn’t possibly know everything they’d need to succeed. Instead of letting their lack of knowledge paralyze them, they looked for people who did know what was needed and used their knowledge to solve the problem.

They knew they were worthy, because everyone on this Earth has worth. You are unique and you are valuable and nothing you think can make you unworthy.

You can be like them. You just have to think like them. No big secret. No special club to join. Learn to think rich and you can become rich.

Before you think I’m just another member of the Empty Head Happy Thought cult, I’ll tell you I’m not going to blow smoke up your backside. It can be very hard. If depression or anxiety is a problem for you (as it is for a majority of Americans) you will certainly have days when that voice can seemingly tear down everything you’ve accomplished, when it can make you believe that you were just fooling yourself all along. It can make you ready to destroy everything you’ve worked so hard for. But here’s a secret that we both know and we can share between us … those days pass. If they didn’t pass, we’d never have the strength to even try. So, as much as they suck, let’s just let them have their day. Let’s put aside our motivational books, hide our lists of goals that we’ve already achieved and those we’re still working on, let’s tuck our plans under the mattress and simply take care of ourselves.

The storm will rage and the less we rage against it, the stronger we’ll be when it passes. And again, it will pass. Just let go and when it’s gone, get back up and get on with your plans. This is another thing rich people know. They know if you don’t take care of your body and mind, they won’t take care of you. Rich people know when to pause, regroup, and return even stronger.

On the road to richness, there are going to be rough stretches. Even after you’ve arrived at richness, there are going to be rough stretches. The difference is you’ll be riding them out in a Mercedes, baby.

Just one last question: Would you forgive yourself for having self-doubt if you were raking in the money anyway?

Yeah. Good answer.

~$~