As long as I remember, I have had a pretty negative attitude towards money, without really realizing it. It's time to change this.
I aim to change from a Donald Duck to a Scrooge MC Duck, without the scrooginess but with the aim to help out others as much as I can.
I didn't grow up poor. We always had enough. It was the way I looked at money. The story and believe system I created in my head and as is usually the case, it's what we learn from our parents.
I believe my father has been unemployed for a year and a half or so, when I was young, but I don't remember much of that time. It's not like we had no food on the table during that time. I haven't lived through real poverty ever.
My Parents and Money
Nevertheless, my parents - although they always had enough money - were kind of Dutch in spending it (sorry mom, I know you'll be reading this). Compared to other people around us ( friends, classmates ) we were getting little pocket money or money to buy birthday presents. And yes, that is what kids ( and even adults often do ) comparing. Comparing usually leads to negative emotions like jealousy or greed. I'm doing my best to do it as little as possible these days.
Even now, as pensioners, my parents have the attitude of:
"why drink a coffee at a coffee place, if we also have coffee at home?"
They don't see the benefit of going out and rather stick to their daily routine. Plus they don't like spending "extra" money on it.
I guess I never understood why they spent so little while they had so much? And, what confused me even more: why did they spend so little on things they enjoyed doing?
My Money Mindset of the last 15 years
In 2002, I left my parent's house to live on myself. As most students tend to do, I spent all of my money on food, drinks, cinema, music and other stuff I enjoyed. I usually spent more than I had and then experienced short bouts of no money.
This pattern kept repeating after I finished my studies (2007). I was often out of jobs ( as most jobs made me unhappy, killed my creativity ) and had way less to spend than I wanted. I often felt I had to borrow money, either from my parents or from the government ( the last three years of my studies). It led to me starting to dislike money more and more. I struggled financially for many, many years.
Money wasn't meant for me
I felt money wasn't meant for me. It was just an evil thing, that I didn't deserve. This lead to me struggling for a decade and a half and might even have contributed (there's another money word) to my depression.
Although, in a way, I already was the opposite of my parents (money wise): I spent more than I have, I wasn't doing it the right way, not doing it with the right intention and believes.
My Current Money Mindset
These days, I'm starting to become more and more like the opposite of my parents. I drink coffee in a coffee place every single day. Thank you Portugal for your great, fairly priced coffee! :>)
I am spending more and more money on what makes me feel good
This usually means food, haha.
I stopped penny-pinching
Penny-pinching only made me unhappy, feel the lack of money. It did not bring me more money. It made me think that I hadn't enough (to spend).
And that is where I want to head to with this story:
I let go of the Scarcity Mindset - I set the money free
For 30 plus years, I have been building a scarcity mindset around money. I started to see it more and more as something negative, in all ways possible:
- as something that powerful people use to do bad things
- as one of the main reasons for most problems in the world
Lately though, since a year or so, the moment I got into cryptos and Steemit, I am doing all I can to let go off that negative money mindset and you know what, it starts to pay dividends.
How I learn to Love Money
Here's some things that I do, that can work for you too:
Instead of seeing money as something negative, as something unreachable, something that just isn't meant for me, I'm focusing on the opposite.
Where in the past, I often jokingly said to friends and family:
There will be a day when you will all be sitting around my pool, drinking cocktails.
I'm not a fan of cocktails and pools but what I was trying to say is the following:
It might not seem like it, but I will be rich one day.
Did I really believe that? I don't think so.
These days I start to believe more and more that I will be rich, sooner rather than later.
In fact, I'm rich already.
Perhaps not compared to many other people my age. Especially when I compare myself to 30 somethings from my home country, The Netherlands. But, I am rich compared to so many people in the world, compared to most Portuguese people.
And, if my mom is still reading:
My parents have changed their money mindset recently. They are going to help me out financially with a house here in Portugal and I'm so grateful for that.
Instead of being poor in The Netherlands, you need so much more money out there to survive, I decided to be rich in Portugal. And you know what, it feels great :>)
Without further ado, here's some things that I do to Improve my attitude towards money/ my Money Story:
- Spending More
I spend more, so I will need more. I spend more to show and to start to believe that I have plenty. And, because I want to believe that I actually enjoy spending money.
- Realizing how much money I actually (already) have and being happy with and grateful for it
If you're a crypto investor like me ( and you are, if you're on Steemit ), you have more money than you might think/ see. And, besides that, there's the potential for it to become (worth) so much more in the (near) future.
- Visualizing money
I heard of this trick of visualizing that money grows on trees or that it rains down on you from the sky. There's an abundance of money on the world, so why wouldn't it come towards you?
- Getting Rid of Old Believes (that aren't helping you)
Let go of what you learnt as a kid:
'money doesn't grow on trees'
That saying might have been 'planted' in your brain and it is true, if you take it literally. But believe me, there is plenty of money. It just isn't divided equally as goes for most things in the world.
- Visualize or write down what you would do with Loads of Money
In the end, one of the main reasons for me to get rich, is to help others. Sure, I would make sure that I'm comfortable first - that I don't need to worry about money myself - but, everything that remains, will be used to help out others who have less and are willing to spread the goodness.
- Talking about Money More Openly
I also started talking more and more about money - a taboo topic usually - openly to others. And I try to do that in as positive a way as possible. I have plenty of money to do what makes me feel good these days and I foresee a future where I have so much more.
Money and Steemit
Steemit has been a huge influence in the changing of my money story. It made me see that I can make money without having to work for a boss, in my own time, in my own way and at my own pace. It showed me about the possibilities of empowering others financially (and emotionally, mentally).
It made me believe that I can actually become rich. It als made me realize that there's still loads to work on - especially in the division of money - but, I feel and know that I can actually be part of that change. It's an awesome feeling!
Feel free (it's actually free) to share your money story with us. How did it change since you entered cryptos and/ or Steemit?
Scrooge Mc Duck - Image Source All other pixels come from Pexels.com
I was thinking of doing a money series , i was just thinking about how to do it without getting into debates because i want to say some stuff people wont agree with. i have two posts sitting in limbo for weeks
How about you just take a stand with confidence? Debates ain't too bad either, just present your argument with the necessary backups and you'll sweep the board. You can be an initiator of a new school of thought, just do it!
Haha I appreciate your attitude, and I'm quite confident about my point of view, I just don't enjoy seeking out debates. It's extremely rare for people to change their mind after hearing you argue your points, no matter how well you state it, the people who you've convinced are usually the ones who you could have convinced without having a debate in the first place. And there are certain opinions which you can mention 100 times and find 100 people who want to have the same debate with you, not really my cup of tea. I will share my ideas, but I'm still searching for a way to share them in the most comfortable way possible. I already share my ideas about so many other things freely, money is a pretty complicated topic when you dig into it deeply and it's a really charged topic too with a lot of emotions and beliefs tied into it :-D
Keep doing that.
I start to believe more and more that you don't necessarily need to step out of your comfort zone (to improve and grow). You can increase your comfort zone though by making more things comfortable for yourself, by changing your believes.
That's absolutely true!
I lie in wait.
This guy is already initiating plenty of schools of thought and I am in his class as well as one of his colleagues. No hierarchy there ;>)
Lol...You can as well add to the number, don't you think?
Definitely :>)
Get them out of that limbo as soon as you feel the time is ripe :>)
I didn't write this with the intention to start any debate. And I don't think there's nothing new under the sun here. I'm just sharing my (changing) story
I think a lot of people in our generation have negative feelings about money/capitalism, like it's an evil thing, but I have found it so empowering to run several small businesses in my life. It's an amazing feeling to turn your skills, your resources, and your passions into dollars, that you can then use to buy the things you need and want. People talk like socialism is the way to care for the poor, but I find it so degrading to just take handouts from the government or from people who look down on you like you're worthless and like they're doing you a huge favor by allowing your existence. If we really want to fight poverty and value human worth, we should be focusing on encouraging a free economy and entrepreneurship instead of punishing it.
My mom read this post today and said I cut corners a little, haha! I said I need to slightly exaggerate to make things more entertaining but also that we all have our own point of views/ perspectives on situations.
Beautifully put!
I never received any money from the government and the only time I asked for it, I was really desperate and - in the end - didn't receive any but found myself two part time jobs (that was just before I started on my short film Zeespiegel (2010).
Hear! Hear!
Has anybody ever told you to run for president? ;>)
Lol! I don't think I could handle running a whole country :D
I have a zillionaire friend. He always tells me "The only reason you don't have more money is that you don't love it." And i always answer "I have enough!"
Now, since you have started to love it, let's hope you'll get more.
Enjoy.
Is you friend called Godzilla, by any chance?
You mean like "godzillionaire"?
Sure. (But I'm not sure I got the joke though - Did I use the "zillionaire" wrong? )
You got it! :>)
having a clear idea about money and its operations is essential. Nevertheless, kudos for the paradigm shift from the dutch mentality to the contemporary idea about money. You've got to do what you've got to do and....I think money won't be money if it is not utilized to bring satisfaction. It was a nice exposition, I like!
Cheers. The aim of life is to be happy as much of the time as possible. And ,if money can help you with that... I still believe that real happiness lies in making other people happy (without neglecting your own happiness) and money can help you to do that.
Still true...I never based my claim outside the concentric circle of self.