Could Your Money Beliefs Make You Wealthy? Or Poor?

Could thinking good money thoughts really improve your finances? Find out how what you believe about money could help you accumulate more of it.

by Gary Foreman

Could Money Beliefs Make You Wealthy photo

For ages, mankind has speculated on the power of the mind. You can find quotes as old as the Bible “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” Or as new as “The Secret” proclaiming the “law of attraction.” Wise men of many philosophies and faiths have thought that what we believe has an influence on who we become.

Could the same be true for our financial affairs? Could it be that the things you believe are conspiring to keep you from accumulating wealth? If that’s true, what kinds of thoughts could be holding you back? And, if so, is it possible to replace them with ideas that would help you to reach your full financial potential?

Consider these ideas that could be damaging your finances.

1. You believe that you can’t accumulate wealth on your salary.

If you’re spending your entire paycheck, it’s easy to believe that you’ll never build any savings.

How could you possibly save hundreds of thousands when you’re barely making it to your next payday now?

2. You think that money is evil.

It’s a common belief. An often misquoted Bible verse is that “money is the root of all evil.” It’s actually the “love of money is the root…” Religious people of many faiths believe that you should separate yourself from the world and its riches. So accumulating wealth is something to be avoided.

Related: Is Money Evil?

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3. You think that all rich people are dishonest and unethical.

Many believe that anyone who has accumulated money had to lie, cheat, or steal to get it. That makes your poverty something to be proud of. You chose to be virtuous and poor rather than rich and thieving like them.

4. You think that you don’t deserve any money.

You may think that a big bank account is the reward you get for being a good person. And, if you’re like most of us, you have a few things in your past that aren’t a source of pride, so it’s easy to believe that you don’t deserve to have any money. In fact, it would be wrong for you to have a growing bank account or IRA.

5. You think that rich people are just lucky and you are not.

It’s reinforced every time you see a new mega-lotto winner announced. Accumulating money is a matter of luck. And, since you can’t control luck, you have no control over the fact that you’re still poor.

6. You think that you’ll lose friends or family if you accumulate money.

You’ve had friends achieve some success and gradually disappear from your life. You wouldn’t want that to happen to you, so you equate accumulating money to losing your friends. Therefore the best strategy is to make sure you don’t build up any net worth.

Whether you believe any of those six negative financial thoughts or you just want to take control of your finances, consider taking these five positive financial thoughts to heart.

1. You are not your money.

You are not valuable as a human being because you have money or because you don’t have money. You shouldn’t judge yourself or others that way nor should you let others judge you.

2. Recognize that money is just a convenient way to store wealth and make trading possible.

It’s just a tool. Use your rising wealth as a way to measure whether you’re achieving your financial goals.

3. Having money or lacking money is not a virtue or an ethical lapse.

Any sweeping generalization of the rich or poor is wrong and bigoted. There are good and bad rich people and good and bad poor people. Judging people solely on their wealth is wrong and could trap you in a false money paradigm.

Related: Ending the Fear of Poverty

4. You determine who your friends are.

Accumulating money doesn’t have to change you or your friends, especially if you don’t flaunt your wealth in front of them.

Related: When Friends Say You’re Cheap

5. You can affect your financial future.

It is not solely up to luck. Many people accumulate wealth by saving just a little each month and letting it accumulate. It may be hard to save money on your income, but it’s probably not impossible.

Scientists, philosophers, and theologians will probably debate how our thoughts affect our future for years. In the meantime, you won’t hurt yourself by thinking good money thoughts. Who knows? Perhaps what you think will help you accumulate millions!

About the Author

Gary Foreman is the former owner and editor of The Dollar Stretcher. He's the author of How to Conquer Debt No Matter How Much You Have and has been featured in MSN Money, Yahoo Finance, Fox Business, The Nightly Business Report, US News Money, Credit.com and CreditCards.com.