Some of the beliefs that affect our finances have little to do with finances at all.

What is a “belief.” A belief is a long-held idea about how the world works and our role within it. We all go through our lives as though our beliefs are facts. But if there’s one thing I want you to understand, it’s that a belief and a fact are two different things.

A fact is something that can be objectively proven. For example, it’s a fact that I’m a woman. It is not a fact that I’m incapable of having enough money to live an abundant life…but I could easily have grown up believing that to be a fact.

Families often hold beliefs that are passed down from generation to generation. My client Evelyn’s father always said, “There’s nothing worse than a rich woman.” Obviously, this belief made an impression on Evelyn! Not surprisingly, she’s had difficulty accumulating any wealth. On an unconscious level, she certainly didn’t want to do anything to become “that” woman. In her young mind, to be wealthy would mean becoming someone her father wouldn’t like. If that meant struggling financially, so be it. As a result, her worth as a woman became entangled with her financial future. Can you see how our beliefs about self-worth and our beliefs about money can become a confusing knot in our young psyches? That knot stays tight inside us unless we consciously decide to untie it.

Our beliefs about money can also affect our self-worth. It’s a circle that closes in on itself and doesn’t improve until we break the cycle by changing our beliefs. If you grew up in a family that struggled to make ends meet, for example, you might believe you’re incapable of having more. But that’s just a belief, not a fact, and it doesn’t have to keep you stuck in limitation. You can live the life you really want!

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