Yesterday I was doing a presentation for this group and I was trying to explain the relationship between what we earn and the beliefs we have about money. So I said “Okay, this is what I would like you to do and you could try this at home too. Take a deep breath, hold it for a moment then let it out slowly and I’m going to suggest what your annual income should be.”
“Your income should be $10,000 a year, $20,000 a year, $40,000 a year, $50,000 a year, $60,000 a year, $80,000 a year, $100,000 a year, $140,000 a year, $175,000 a year, $200,000 a year, $300,000 a year, $400,000 a year, $500,000 a year, 1 million dollars a year.” So we went through this exercise and I told the people to pay attention to any thoughts, any body sensations or any emotional feelings that came up while I was making suggestions about their annual income. So I asked them, “What came up when I said the numbers that were way low than your annual income right now?” People said they felt disconnect, maybe some anger as some people felt how dare I suggest them earning that level of income. Then I asked them what happened when I got closer to what you’re earning right now? Some people said it felt ‘normal’ others expressed it by the word, ‘comfortable’. So the term ‘comfort zone’ and what you just said might be linked together!
Our beliefs really control what our financial thermostat is. Then I asked, okay, what it felt like when I called out the numbers that are slightly higher than what you’re earning right now. Pretty much everyone in the room said that it felt great, it was exciting and wonderful. I asked them what happened when I started suggesting numbers that were way higher than what you’re earning right now. One lady put up her hand and said, “When you got at $200,000, literally my throat constricted and this blow of negative emotions came into my body with a lot of anxiety. It was really like a punch-in-the-gut kind of a feeling.”
So that’s the power of our beliefs. Our beliefs around money dictate how much we think we’re worth and what we’re comfortable earning. So it’s really not about hard work or picking the right career, it’s about what your beliefs are and changing them so you can get the beliefs that support a much higher income level.
