Broke is Temporary but Poor is Eternal

Money is energy. It ebbs and flows. Some of you are very frustrated right now that the “flow” feels blocked. Perhaps it is. But if you are experiencing this, you must tell yourself that this is temporary. When our income goes down the danger is that we tell ourselves horrible things—and we feel bad about ourselves. We scare ourselves and say “I’ll never get ahead. I’ll never make enough.” Stop that!

I tell my clients that “Broke is temporary. Poor is eternal”. Everyone goes through periods of being “broke” in their lives. Like I said, money is energy. It ebbs and flows. If your cash flow is down, do NOT tell yourself that you are poor! You may temporarily have to get very creative about getting your needs met. This happens. Life happens. But feeling “poor” is a very negative state of mind. Being broke is a temporary state. (And if someone says that they’ve never been broke, I likely wouldn’t believe them.)

I’ve gone through periods of being broke. Gasp! Did the director of the Women’s Earning Institute just cop to being broke at times? Sure. My family has dealt with unemployment and other unexpected life curve balls. I’ve had to temporarily get very creative about getting our needs met. But I also tell myself, “This is a temporary state of being. I am an abundant person.”

Remember this: Money—having it or lacking it—cannot change the essence of who you are. You are wonderful. You are a divine child of the universe. Money is a lovely tool. And we do want more of it to make our lives easier. But money is our servant. We are not the servant of money.

I sometimes think that part of why some people fear money is because they fear it will somehow change them. But money does not have this power. You have this power. If you are a strong, ethical, generous person, you will be this whether you have a lot of “flow” in your life right now or not! The amount of money in your life has nothing to do with who you are. (A line from the movie The Matrix is running through my head: “The Matrix cannot tell you who you are!”)

So, it is okay to admit you are “broke” right now, if this is the current truth. This will pass. How do you communicate this to others while still focusing on the positive and getting your needs met? Try this: “I’d love to go on our yearly Las Vegas trip, but my cash flow is down right now. How else can we have a lot of fun for less money? I really want to get together.” This is living in integrity with money. It is honest. And when you are honest, it allows others to be honest too.

Lastly, now is the time to start a gratitude practice. Make a list of all the things you are grateful for. Spend time on this list. When you focus on all the good things in your life, you feel better. And money flows easier when we feel good about ourselves, so stay focused on all the amazing goodness that is in your life.

A good friend of mine lies in bed every night going through all the things she is grateful for. She often falls asleep somewhere in the middle. She credits this practice with helping her get through a temporarily difficult financial time in her life. She stays focused on the positive.

So remember—being broke is temporary. Be mindful of what you tell yourself. You are an abundant person. Remember that.

Upcoming Events

March 4, 2009, 6:30 to 9pm, Live in Seattle (Limit: 22 people)
An Evening with Mikelann– Conquering Underearning in a Down Economy
Are you earning at your potential? Or are you struggling against an “internal income ceiling”? In this powerful evening seminar, Mikelann Valterra, founder and director of The Women’s Earning Institute, explores “underearning”— the pattern of earning below your potential. She addresses the psychology of why women undersell themselves and most importantly—what to do about it. (This will be a very useful and thought provoking evening, so be prepared to be engaged and energized. Women are in greater danger of underselling themselves in this economy. Don’t let this happen to you!)

Here is just a portion of what you will learn in this seminar:
* Identify the five hidden forms of underearning (and how they may be costing you money!)
* Explore the concept of “noble poverty”—is it holding you back?
* The impact of the “money fog” on our earning ability
* How women under price themselves and what to do about it
* 2 powerful negotiation strategies that conquer the “good girl syndrome”
Cost: $59 To register: http://www.womenearning.com/an-evening-with-mikelann-valterra/