When I first started my coaching business I felt inept and powerless when it came to making money. I had a difficult time imagining that I could ever make a decent income. I believed that the only way I could end up with any money at the end of the month was to manage it very frugally.
However, I realized that if I were ever going to become successful at creating money that I had to become 100% responsible for how I was interpreting my ability to create it.
I became aware that I had an on-going internal dialogue about my inability to make money. I felt like it was out of my hands - and there wasn’t anything I could do about it. I had the belief that entrepreneurs were either born with the “money making gene” or not. In short, I felt like I was powerless when it came to money.
At one point when I was feeling particularly frustrated with my failed attempts to make money I told myself, “I am sick and tired of struggling with this! From now on I’m going to be 100% responsible for my thoughts and beliefs around money.”
I realized that what I think is my “reality”, or what I believe to be “the truth” about my situation was really just my interpretation. One of my mentors, Jim Bergquist, a master at coaching the inner principals of creativity in business, helped me to see how I was interpreting my ability to get clients and make money.
Through this process I realized I had to discipline myself to actually BE different instead of just thinking differently. I started to tell myself, “I can see the way I’m interpreting this is not very powerful because I don’t feel empowered …and then I would go to, “Am I willing to be 100% responsible for my financial circumstances?”
I now apply this to all situations and circumstances in my life – not just with money - and I’m actually getting really great at creating some amazing results!
I recently went out to dinner with my husband. He seemed preoccupied after having had a busy week. I started to feel resentful that he wasn’t being present and more conversational. But then I stopped myself and realized that I was being judgmental. This served as an indicator that the way I was interpreting my situation wasn’t very powerful.
Even though I had believed that my husband was “entirely to blame for his attitude” I chose to accept complete responsibility for how I was showing up.
And in that moment I had the insight, “I could just passively listen and feel resentful or I could actually show up differently - and while I can’t control my husband I can control my reaction and therefore the quality of my experience.”
I let go of my resentment and listened to him with genuine interest and without any judgment. Soon the energy shifted and we ended up having a wonderfully connecting evening.
Apply these principles and you’ll find that you can transform not only the financial success you achieve in your business but in your life as well.
Leslie Cunningham specializes in working with women entrepreneurs who experience fear and self-doubt in their ability to consistently make more money in their business. The end result that women achieve through following Leslie's advice and expertise is that they are able to permanently get off the emotional financial roller coaster ride and break into six-figures and beyond. http://impactandprofits.com/