What I learned over the last several years was how untrue that really was.  Now, don’t get me wrong I work, but the work is no longer hard.  I can have a career that I love and make the money that I am worth without sacrificing myself and my personal time in the process.

What stuff gets in the way of you doing what you love and making the money that you desire?  Are you sick and tired of struggling with money issues?  Want to find out more about what money means for you and where your limiting beliefs come from?

I want to pose some questions for you to ponder.  Get out a piece of paper and write your answers down.  Let the information percolate for a while.  See what ideas pop up for you that are unresolved when it comes to money.  Let me know how you do as I would love to read your comments!

1. What are the money stories that you grew up with? We all have them and they have shaped our beliefs about money since we were very young.  What’s yours?

2. How has this money story shown up in your life? Think about this one because I bet it shows up over and over again.  For me, I was always working and finding jobs that required that I work long, tedious hours in order to make a good living.  What about you?

3. What is the underlying belief that is within that story? These are the beliefs albeit positive or negative that has shaped your money story.

4. Within the story, what is there to love or be grateful for?

5. Within the story, what is there to forgive?

6. What do you value in your life right now in this moment?

7. How would having more money support what you value most?

Are you ready to answer these questions?  Are you ready to have a different belief about money?  If you want to really make the changes to bust through your money roadblocks then watch for upcoming details about a brand new group coaching program that I will be launching in 2010!  Imagine finally being rid of what stands between you and making the money you desire…

For example, I recently spoke with a woman who was interested in joining my mastermind program. She was letting fear and cost stand in the way of her stepping up to the plate.  Instead of investing in the program, she decided it was better to play it safe and small.  She said things like, “I can’t afford it” and “I don’t have the money” and even “I don’t know if it will be of benefit to me.”  These are words that are rooted in fear and lack and will have a direct impact on your ability to raise your own fees and up your prices.

So what kinds of words will let you stand in your power around money?  Talking about money in ways that are rooted in abundance and power like, “I value myself enough to spend money on this program that will greatly benefit my business” or “I would love to spend that kind of money on (fill in the blank)” or even “Things that cost more have a higher value”.   Do you feel the difference in these statements?

When you use words that are powerful you automatically shift your belief about YOU and what’s possible in your business and life. You’re creating a shift deep within yourself that values quality, which recognizes that good things DO cost more and that they are worth it.

Next time you hear yourself using language that is rooted in lack I want you to immediately shift to those powerful words that can help you make the shift from lack to abundance.

Do you like this tip?  You can learn more money secrets in my upcoming coaching program “The Money and Mindset Program:  How To Bust Through Your Money Roadblocks and Solve Your Biggest Pricing Challenges Easily! To find out more, contact me at maureen@daretobephenomenal.com

Write down your answers and see what comes up for you.

1. What stories did your family tell you about money?  Was there a story that was repeated over and over again in your family?  Were these stories positive or negative?
2. How did your mother portray her attitude about money? What messages did she send about money?
3. How did your father portray his attitude about money?  What messages did he send about money?
4. Did you worry about money as a child?  What stories or words would you use to describe your worry about money?
5. What did you learn about money as a child?  How did these lessons make you feel about money?
6. When given the opportunity to learn about money do you resist learning this information?
7. Does money flow in and out of your life smoothly or do you have difficulty getting and giving money?
8. Do you feel in control or out of control with regard to your financial situation?
9. Do you know what your financial goals are?  Do you have a plan to get there or are you using the hope and pray method?
10. When you think about money do you feel dread or excitement? Why?
11. What are you willing to do about the beliefs about money that are having a negative impact on your ability to attract abundance into your life?

For some of you when you read these questions it is going to stir up all sorts of feelings about money.  It’s ok and it’s totally normal.  It is all part of the process of busting through those negative beliefs so you can embrace new, positive beliefs about money.  Let me know how you do and best of luck through this journey.

Read on to get the all the details!

Many women entrepreneurs are filled with fear and doubt. They feel that are not worthy or good enough to make their business successful.  They mistakenly believe it can’t be that easy to have success.  Or, if they start to experience success they fear they won’t be able to handle it.  Does of any of this sound like you?

I want you to remember that fear and doubt is not what is TRUE about any situation. Ok, I hear you saying, “but I feel fear!”  Your right, you are feeling fear and  I am not suggesting that you stop feeling a feeling; that’s just not possible.  But what I am suggesting is that you stop and reboot your mind and tell yourself “IT IS NOT TRUE”.  When you experience fear or doubt consider reciting the following statement:  “I’m feeling (fear/doubt) but I don’t believe it to be true just because I feel it.”

Try this exercise and feel the results:

1.  Close your eyes and vision something specific you want in your business.  Maybe it’s to make a certain amount of money or to get a specific number of new, ideal clients.  Whatever it is, vision it.   Do those old doubts and fear creep in when you think about what you want?  That’s ok, it’s totally normal as you begin to train yourself into a new way of thinking and believing.

2.  As you are face to face with those doubts and fears notice how it makes you feel and where in your body you feel it.  Now say to yourself:  “This is not true. There’s that feeling. It’s just not true.”

3.  Next go back to your vision and identify what IS important to you.  Remember what it is you want so much. Notice how it makes you feel inside; joyful, exhilarated, excited about the possibilities.  Stick with that feeling! Realize that you have a choice in how you will feel and how you will move forward in your beliefs and actions.  When you realize this, the possibilities become endless.  You understand what was possible once is possible again and again.  It all lies in your ability to switch on your empowering belief system coupled with choosing the actions that will move you forward.

When I was filled with doubt and fear it had a paralyzing effect on my life and my business.  Once I learned how to rid myself of the thoughts and beliefs and replace them with an empowering mindset I quickly remembered I had many successes in my life from which to recall and it was possible to have all I desired.  If success was possible once it it possible many times over.

I firmly believe everything always works out.  I am not always sure in the moment exactly how it will, but my belief system tells me it always does.  When I find  I don’t have all the answers it means I need to look for assistance from friends, business associates and most importantly from my own coach and mentor.

Finally, know that you have choices, evaluate the possibilities and go with the option that you want. Don’t listen to anyone or anything but your inner knowing and go for what you recognize to be true and right.

You can be your own best friend or your own worst enemy.  It is the beliefs you have about yourself, others or situations that moves you forward or holds you back. Your belief system creates how you see the world and the possibilities or barriers within it.   When self-limiting beliefs create roadblocks to your success, the result can stop you from living your best life.

A couple of months ago I attended the W.I.S.E. Women’s Annual Breakfast hosted by the Greater Lowell Chamber of Commerce. The guest speaker was Hank Phillippi Ryan successful author and award-winning investigative reporter for WHDH TV Boston.

Hank told the story of when she was writing her first book, Prime Time. She was speaking with her mother telling her that she was unsure if she could finish the book; she questioned if she had what it took to complete the project. Very simply her mom replied, “You will if you want to.”

How many times have you started a new project or was in the process of announcing a new product or service when you stopped and began to have doubts whether or not you could pull it off? I know that I have had those doubts creep into my mind on more than one occasion. But I also know that Hank’s mom was 100% correct when she passed on those words of wisdom to her daughter.

I want you to think for a moment about the conversations you have had with yourself today. Did you tell yourself you were phenomenal, successful and talented or did you tell yourself you were unorganized, forgetful, and lazy?

Most of the time we don’t even realize that the negative thoughts are playing like a tape over and over again in our head.  They have found a place in our mind so comfortable that we accept them as true rather than what they really are, an unproven self-limiting thought.

Your mind is an incredible tool that believes what you tell it, so why not challenge the self-limiting beliefs you currently hold as true.  What if you discovered that they were not true and could finally discard them and create true direction instead of a misguided story line?

When you banish self-limiting thoughts, you can make significant changes and begin to live life with joy, power and clarity. That clarity will allow you to see things differently.  It is a wonderful experience to be free of those negative beliefs and to make room for positive thoughts that move your forward!

As a business coach, I hear these negative beliefs from my clients all the time. We work through them by having them challenge their thinking and replace them with a new belief that is true or truer than the original.

Author Byron Katie, has done a phenomenal job in addressing limiting beliefs in her book titled The Work. I suggest you read the book to get the full understanding on the methodology. In part Katie suggests that we challenge each limiting belief by asking four questions:

1. Is it true? The answer is a “yes” or a “no” only.  If your answer is “no”, continue to question three.
2. Can you absolutely know that it is true? What proof do you have that it is true?  It most cases you will find it is not true.
3. How do you react, what happens, when you believe that thought?
4. Who would you be without the thought? Close your eyes and drop your story just for a moment and notice, who would you be without that thought? Who would you be without your story? How about if you were not capable of believing that thought.  Turn the thought around. Reverse the thought as many ways as you can and ask yourself if these reverse versions seem as true as or truer than your original thought.  http://www.thework.com

By challenging those negative thoughts you are now free to replace it with thoughts that empower you and move you forward into the business and life that you want.

What is your business mindset?  Is it working for you or against you?  Do you constantly hear that nagging voice of self doubt telling you it can’t be done or do your intentions clearly have you on a path of success and abundance?

It’s hard to change those limiting belief and self doubts.  I know, I used to have them.  But when I started working with my coach and mentor those limiting beliefs and self doubts started to melt away.  Why?  Because often times we are so enmeshed in negative self talk that we are unable to challenge those beliefs on our own.  Working with a coach who can point it out and help you shift those beliefs to ones that empower you and move you forward is well worth it!