For most of my life, I’ve had some unhealthy views about money. Most people who grew up poor do. In my transitional stage of being middle class, on my way to being rich, it was brought to my attention that my beliefs about money still need to be improved.

There have been many false beliefs that have already been replaced with better ones. Do you have any harmful beliefs that might be holding you back? Take a second and think about it. Do you still believe that money is evil? And yet you desperately want some? Do you want to be healthy, so you workout and go on a diet, all the while believing in your heart that you are fat, and always will be… but wouldn’t it be nice to be skinny like those other people.

These are the kind of beliefs I’m talking about… the ones that we have programmed our brains to work by. When we try to do something in our lives that goes against what our brains have been programmed (beliefs) to do, our brains will self sabotage us. Think about it… have you ever been three days into that new diet and you’re starting to feel really great, when all of a sudden you seem to hit a wall and the only thing you can think about is that Whopper Value Meal? And you’re thoughts become more and more irrational, until you’ve convinced yourself that it’s okay to cheat just this once… and before you know it — you’re back on your same old SAD (Standard American Diet) lifestyle.

And while we’re kind of on the subject (or at least we will be), who is your role model in life? I’m not talking about the famous people… the actresses or models who have the kind of body that you want. I’m talking about the real life, in your life, people who have been where you are and have gotten to where they are. Seek these people out. Pick their brains. Find out how they did it. Become best friends. Statistically, you become who your peer group (friends) are. Don’t believe me? Look at the annual income of your 5 best friends… add them all up and divide by 5 to get the average yearly income… Now look at your yearly income, I bet it’s almost the same. Maybe it’s time for some new best friends. At the very least, find a few friends who at least want to better the quality of their lives and are trying to do something about it. Don’t befriend talkers, befriend doers.

So, back to my faulty money belief… Again, while reading (I’m an avid reader, and if you want to be successful, than it’s my belief that you should be too… just ask anybody who has come from nothing and made themselves successful — you gotta learn somewhere) Anyway, I was reading a book about finances and the author, Larry Winget, (you might know him from A&E’s show Big Spender) was talking about most people’s views on money. He brought up the point that, You don’t make money, you EARN it! Most people just want to have more money, they don’t want to earn it.

Do you see how this can be a hindrance to actually having more money in your life? Most people want to have better things, but they never do anything to get those things. Be an earner.