A long, long time ago, wealth was something those ‘other people’ had and enjoyed. The nonwealthy looked wistfully toward those who bought items of luxury, employed the services of others, enjoyed visits to spas, vacation destinations, etc. Many times the nonwealthy simply went about living their nonwealthy lives wishing and hoping something might be different, but rarely did their financial situations change.

Nowadays, the idea of wealth and creating it is as common place as, well, the air we breathe. It’s insidious. The headlines beckon us each day…

“Learn this trick and $10,000 a month will drop into your checking account.”

“Learn to market on the web and be a millionaire in 6 months!”

“Come to this seminar and you’ll miraculously know how to build your fortune like never before.”

“Watch this video…the experts will show you how!”

We’re pulled this way and that, as we experience what is commonly referred to as the “shiny object syndrome.” I love that term because practically all of us fall for it at least part of the time. Even me. We WANT to think that someone else has the clue, the answer, the secret, the key. But do they? 

But maybe we’re looking for the wrong key.

And maybe the key is different for women than it is for men. I believe so, and this is why (and these are what I call Genderalizations so if they don’t fit you, it’s OK):

For men, money is the primary way they provide for and protect the ones they love and care for. Money is a way they compete in this world; i.e., I have a bigger gun than you do so I will make a better provider! sort of thing. Money, for men, is tied to success and ego and their natural competiveness.

For women, on the other hand, money is generally looked at as a way to both provide security and take care of others. Because we’re naturally born ‘takercareofers’, money, to women, is the way in which we take care of those we love.

Sometimes the difference between ‘providing for’ and ‘taking care of’ can be fuzzy. Think of it this way: men give money to women who then use that money to buy groceries in order to be able to take care of the feeding, clothing, educating, etc. of the children. It’s subtle, but there is a difference.

Both genders, however, see money as freedom; the freedom to do what they wish to do with their lives. Whether it’s being the best provider, being the best takercareofer or being the best whatever it is you want to do, money buys you the freedom to do those things.

What does money mean to you? Just something to think about…

Women who do great things don’t sit around wondering what can go wrong; they sit around imagining all of the things that can go right!

One of my favorite things to teach women in our Creative Wealth for Women program is the power of the mind to ‘choose’ what it thinks about. At first, the person learning this concept usually doesn’t want to admit it. They say things like…

“But I can’t help it!”
“I can’t stop thinking about…”
“My mind just wanders.”
“I just can’t keep myself from thinking about…”

Yet the fact is, we CAN control our thoughts; it’s just that before we can, we must become aware of them.

This means we have to take time to notice what you’re thinking…and when you DO notice your thoughts, what kind of thoughts are they?

What are YOU thinking about?

To find out, simply ask yourself these questions:

• Are my thoughts positive or negative in nature?
• Are my thoughts optimistic or pessimistic in nature?
• Am I thinking about the past, the present or the future?
• Am I creating my life or pretending to be a victim in some way?

Yes, noticing your thoughts takes practice because, for some reason, human beings have such a hard time accepting the idea that WE are at the root cause of all things life-related. And yet, when we do, we are all powerful in creating the exact life we wish to live.

Once you get pretty good at being aware of your thoughts, you’ll start to notice that you have certain thought ‘patterns’ that replicate themselves day in and day out. It’s these thought patterns that must be changed in order to change our lives. After all, even if you don’t want to admit it, we ARE what we think about most of the time.

Have you ever noticed that there is one thought that comes into your mind over and over again that then leads to the same additional thoughts that then leads you to the exact same conclusion or idea every single time? We often refer to this as a ‘chain of thought’ because one thought leads to the next and so on.

A friend of mine once told me that every time he thinks about getting himself a scooter to ride around town on in order to save money on gas (he has a large truck for work), he ends up deciding he should get a Harley!

What are some of your thought patterns? Take time today, and every day, to follow your thoughts. Then make a decision about whether you want to continue following them or you want them to follow you.

Just something to think about…

Each day I get up and do what I do…help kids and adults learn how money works.

Each day when I hear people whining, I hear my Mom say, “If you’re going to whine, go outside.”

We all have the opportunity to take every situation and turn it into a positive experience. There are unlimited opportunities everywhere, if you’re willing to look, if you WANT to look and if you’re willing see.

This video explains why I do what I do and why I know that every person in America can thrive if they want to!

One of the things that I, Elisabeth, am known for is having ideas that stretch the limits of what is generally considered ‘normal’. I love what this lady says about having a healthy disregard for the rules. It’s one of the premises I teach in all of my financial literacy programs for kids and adults. 

I like to teach people to “Question Everything”

I like to teach people that “Rules are someone else’s opinions of what your behavior is supposed to look like.”

In other words, bringing into the conversation the idea that you may be doing something for some other reason than that it’s really what’s in your heart to do.

Here’s a cool video from a fellow blogger named Misty Gibbs about a woman talking about what it means to be a gusty gal. I’m not sure it’s all about having guts, but you get the gist of it. 

Enjoy…