Mind Training
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Financial Miracles or Financial Misery? A Metafiscal Solution.

Written by Barbara Huson

I spent much of my adult life in financial misery. Even as I learned more about money, I still felt out of control. Then everything changed.

The solution didn’t come from a financial text, but a spiritual one, A Course in Miracles.

From the Course I learned that we have “two thought systems” or two distinct “voices” in our head:

  • The voice of Fear (the Ego).
  • And the voice of Love (the Soul).

The Soul and the Ego have conflicting agendas. Thus they produce dramatically different results–either miracles or misery.

“You cannot follow two masters,” the Course warns. “There is no compromise between the two.”

My financial life radically shifted as I began to recognize their differing agendas.

The Ego’s job is to keep us safe.  A job it learned very early in life, when our survival depended on getting love, approval, and attention. The Ego is all about instilling fear as a means of self-protection. 

But know this: what helped us survive as a child will suffocate us as an adult.

The Soul’s job is to make sure we soar. The Soul, which gets its marching orders directly from God, pushes us to do what we’re here to do—which is usually way outside our comfort zone.

Up till then, I had no idea my resistance to managing money was my Ego’s misguided effort to protect me.

Mustering up the courage to ignore my Ego and heed my Soul—though terrifying at first—moved me out of misery and into miracles. It will do the same for you. 

Here are 3 steps for plugging into your Soul. They require persistant practice. It’s truly a lifelong challenge.

  1. Observe your feelings. Frustration, tightness, anxiety, fear, inadequacy, needing to control…all signs you’re in Ego (which always speaks first, screams loudest and never shuts up.)
  2. Don’t try to stifle the Ego. That’s part of its devious plan. The Ego depends on distractions such as busyness & other addictions to prevent you from surrendering to silence.
  3. Close your eyes, take some deep breaths, relax. Your Soul, which is quiet but tenacious, needs you to be still and listen. Only in stillness can you make out its muted whispers, its sacred wisdom, its loving guidance.

What’s your practice for plugging into your Soul?

If you enjoyed this Words of Wealth, click here to receive a copy in your inbox every week.

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A Simple Truth: Why the Rich Are Different

Written by Barbara Huson

Scott Fitzgerald: “The rich are different than you and me.”

Ernest Hemingway: “Yes. They have more money.”

I often see this exchange between the two authors quoted. I always want to take it one step further:  “But why do the rich have more money than most.”

And my answer would be: “Because the rich think differently.”

And here’s the difference: The Masses think like a Consumer. The Rich think like a Wealth Builder.

There is a major difference between the two.

A Consumer thinks: I want more money so I can buy more clothes, take more trips, eat out more often, and have more fun.

The Wealth Builder thinks: I want more money to save and invest for the long term so that I can have more freedom, more choices, more fun, and more opportunities to give back.

Do you know what separates these two mind-sets? Instant gratification.

It’s the difference between snapping up those Prada shoes—which you simply must have because they go perfectly with that Juicy Couture dress you just bought—or depositing that same sum straight into a savings account, or better yet, a mutual fund.

The decision is yours to make.

I’m not suggesting self-deprivation. There’s a world of difference between denial and discipline.

True, the discipline of saving may require delayed gratification. But think of it this way—you’re giving the money to YOU (not Visa or Starbucks) so that ultimately you can purchase what you please without pressure or worry.

What about you? Do you think like a Consumer or Wealth Builder?

If you enjoyed this Words of Wealth, click here to receive a copy in your inbox every week.

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My Career’s a Success. My Finances, a Mess!

Written by Barbara Huson

Years ago, I noticed a puzzling phenomenon. It’s far more prevalent today. I call it the Secret Shame of Successful Women.
 

Bright, sophisticated professionals, making ample incomes, who have little (if anything) in the bank to show for it. 
  

These women look like the epitome of success—whip smart, business savvy, high earners—yet suffer some degree of financial distress.

They’re either too ashamed to reach out for help (I should be able to do this) or stubbornly resist change when they do (I have no time).   

At first it didn’t make sense. You’d think they’d know better, right? 

If you can relate, let me reassure you.

First, you’re not alone. Second, there’s nothing to be ashamed of. Finally, this has nothing to do with intelligence…or even money.

Financial instability is symptomatic of something far deeper.

The real culprit is all the bottled-up emotions you’ve likely spent a lifetime avoiding. 
 

And what better way to avoid your suppressed pain or trauma (that your inner child still carries) than financial avoidance and the resulting turmoil.  

So rather than feel the pain, you create distraction. Unconsciously, of course.
   

But unless you deal with your repressed emotions, you’ll keep repeating the same dysfunctional behavior. Avoidance, which became your early survival mechanism, has been hard-wired in your brain from continuous repetition. 
 

Years ago, I had a client who, as soon as she paid off a huge debt, was suddenly flooded with scenes of early abuse. 

Financial tension had conveniently masked those terrible memories. 

I assured her those memories were coming up to be healed and urged her to find a therapist specializing in trauma recovery, which she did right away.
   

As my former client now admits: facing your pain leads to financial gain. Otherwise your deeply scarred inner child continues running your life, keeping the chaos intact
 

I’d love to hear from you if you can relate to this blog. 

If you enjoyed this Words of Wealth, click here to receive a copy in your inbox every week.

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Getting Unstuck Can Be So Simple

Written by Barbara Huson

“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.” Lao Tzu

Been feeling stuck lately? Frustrated with your finances? Not loving your life?

Listen up. The solution is deceptively simple, yet undeniably life changing…guaranteed.

Stop telling your old story.

If you do only this one thing, you’ll rewire your brain and revolutionize your relationship to money—and everything else, for that matter—within months.

Here’s how it works. Start by observing the words that come out your mouth.

Do those words describe your life as it’s been, your flaws, or your fears?

Stop right there and instead talk about the life you desire to create, who you want to be, how you’d love to feel.

Granted this takes considerable vigilance and determination…and may feel awkward, even phony, at first. I said the solution was simple, but it’s far from easy.

Yet every time you share your future aspirations (rather than retell your familiar reality), you literally weaken the old dysfunctional neuropathways and strengthen new, more desirable ones.

Or as A Course in Miracles explains: “What you share you strengthen.”

Here’s a true story that illustrates the incredible power of your words.

Phil Hellmuth is a professional poker player who’s won a record 14 World Series of Poker. But before that, he suffered an 8 year losing streak. No matter what he did, his bad luck wasn’t budging.

Then one day he changed a few words he regularly used and his life turned around.

He altered his email address from “trying to be the greatest” to “being the greatest” . To date he’s won over $22million.

No surprise, he recently told a Wall Street Journal reporter: “I’m a big believe in the power of the word.”

So am I. Are you? I’d love to hear examples of how this has worked in your life?

If you enjoyed this Words of Wealth, click here to receive a copy in your inbox every week.

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Faith & Finances

Written by Barbara Huson

Deepak Chopra once said, “We need a more spiritual approach to success and to affluence.”

I couldn’t agree more. I’m convinced that the moment you inject faith into finances, the instant you invite the Divine into your relationship with the ‘almighty dollar,’ your experience with money grows deeper, richer, more meaningful, and the results are truly profound.

A few years ago I even coined a word to better describe this: Metafiscal—that which blends financial know-how with metaphysical principles; a melding of the sacred and the mundane in regards to money.

You don’t have to be religious to be Metafiscal. I’m certainly not. But when you develop a deep sense of trust in the inexplicable forces of the Universe, everything changes.

Financial success becomes far more than a practical process. It turns into a transformational journey, a personal healing, a sacred initiation into your power, enabling to you to become all you’re meant to be and do what you’re put on this planet to do.

If you enjoyed this Words of Wealth, click here to receive a copy in your inbox every week.

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And You Thought It was about Money!!!!

Written by Barbara Huson

Once a woman achieves financial stability, no longer struggling to make ends meet, something within her dramatically changes…though she’s rarely aware it’s happening.

Her brain, no longer tasked with simply surviving, is ready to rewire itself.

She finds herself yearning for Greatness, no longer satisfied with mediocrity.

She deeply desires to create wealth, not for its own sake, but for its original meaning—well-being.

She strives for power, not to appease or dominate others, but to have dominion over herself.

She searches for significance, not by being the best or making the most, but by doing what God put her on earth to do.

Rewiring, however, requires tremendous effort. She must intentionally respond differently, not habitually, consciously choosing behaviors that permit her to thrive…rather than merely survive.

Yet, unless she’s vigilant, her old neural connections will keep recreating ‘not enough’. She’ll unwittingly remain rooted in the hard-wired neuropathway offering the least resistance (otherwise known as her comfort zone).

I truly believe when enough women understand how to rewire their brains by taking the path of most resistance, building their wealth and claiming their power, a global transformation will occur.

We’ll have the values, visions, sensitivity and the resources needed to change this world, heal this planet.

This, I believe, is our essential legacy, our inherent destiny, our financial responsibility as women.

Tell me about the legacy you want to leave in the comments below.

If you enjoyed this Words of Wealth, click here to receive a copy in your inbox every week.

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When Your Brain Screams “STOP!”

Written by Barbara Huson

Be forewarned. Anytime you try something new, your habitual brain immediately protests: ‘Watch out, this doesn’t feel right! Stop immediately!” 

  

Peter Senge, in his brilliant book, The Fifth Discipline, calls this reaction “creative tension.” 

  

This tension feels terrible, but it has a purpose. It forces us to act. We’ll do anything to reduce it.

 

One way is to lower our sights, give up the goal, and sink back into old patterns. This is the quick and easy fix many women take. 

 

A tougher but ultimately more rewarding solution is to stay the course, using tension as a driving force to keep moving forward. 

 

The closer you get to achieving your goal, warns Senge, the stronger the forces become pulling you away, the louder your brain protests, and the more urgently you want to revert to old patterns.

 

I’ve seen it repeatedly with the women I work with. They’d fall apart at the brink of success, get cold feet, recall the pain of old failures, worry they made the wrong decision. 

 

My advice is always the same. It’s okay to feel bad. Just don’t let it stop you.

If you enjoyed this Words of Wealth, click here to receive a copy in your inbox every week.

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The Heroine’s Journey

Written by Barbara Huson

I have come to see that becoming financially savvy is, for many women, a Heroine’s Journey.

The purpose of all Hero(ine)’s Journey is a transformation of consciousness. Or as mythologist Joseph Campbell put it, “You have been thinking one way. Now you have to think a different way.”

That is precisely what most of us must do. We must think beyond being a Wage Earner and Dollar Watcher to becoming a Wealth Builder.

Wealth doesn’t come from your salary or your revenues. Wealth comes from investing your money in assets (stocks, bonds, real estate) that grow faster than inflation and taxes can take it away.

I know…investing can seem overwhelming. But not if you follow these 4 simple steps:

  • Start educating yourself. Keep an eye out for lectures, seminars, financial news, magazine articles, money books or people who are smart about investing.
  • Do something every day, even if it’s just flipping through a money magazine or reading a paragraph from Investing for Dummies.
  • Find a buddy, someone who will learn right along with you and hold you accountable. Check in with each other on a regular basis.
  • Visit a financial planner who will evaluate your current financial situation, help you identify your goals, create a plan for achieving those goals and protecting your future.

These 4 steps are the beginning of your Heroine’s Journey to empowering yourself personally as well as enriching yourself financially.

Leave a comment about your Heroine’s Journey to wealth.

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Your Lot in Life?

Written by Barbara Huson

You really want a different experience with money. You’ve tried everything, with little success. And you’re getting frustrated.

Maybe you’ve repeated affirmations, created vision boards, and talked nonstop about your desires for having more (aka The Law of Attraction)…and nothing changes. Not one thing.

Maybe you’ve started creating a budget, paying down your debt, or making more sales calls only to find yourself losing focus, losing interest, or losing patience.

Or maybe you’ve been so busy bringing in the bucks, you find yourself burnt out, feeling neither happy nor free.

So, why despite all your efforts, aren’t you making much headway toward a better, more prosperous life?

I promise, it has nothing to do with bad luck, a family curse, or your lot in life. It has EVERYTHING to do with your thoughts and beliefs about yourself and/or money.

I’d like to suggest that you try something different. Spend some time in self-reflection. Journal about the insights that come up for you around your beliefs about money and wealth.

What if you…

  • examine your limiting beliefs?
  • face your fears, meet your demons?
  • give voice to repressed emotions?
  • explore early messages you got about money (from family, church, society)?

…and begin to replace what no longer serves you with healthy, more powerful behaviors.

Where could start changing your thoughts and beliefs about wealth? Share below.

 

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The Mind/Body Connection

Written by Barbara Huson

Why do we do it? Spend more than we have. Save less than we need. Ignore our finances altogether.

Blame it on your brain.

Let me explain. Your brain consists of billions of nerve cells which connect to each other via neuropathways.

The more you think a thought or feel an emotion, the stronger a neuropathway grows. Eventually, a well-worn pathway becomes a hard-wired habit.

Let’s say you constantly stress because there’s never enough. That thought— ‘never enough’ —stimulates your brain to produce and transfer chemicals to the appropriate pathways.

The more you repeat that thought, the stronger the neuropathway grows until you automatically do things that leave you with not enough.

All the effort, will power, discipline, good intentions and financial facts in the world won’t change anything.

Your brain forces your behavior to abide by its wiring.

The key is not to focus on changing your behavior…which is exactly what most financial classes focus on.

Maybe you’ve noticed. It doesn’t work.

The solution— focus on changing your thoughts. What flows through your mind, wires your brain.

What thoughts do you really focus on? Share here.

Meet Barbara Huson

When a devastating financial crisis rocked her world, Barbara Huson knew she had to get smart about money… and she did. Now, she wants to empower every women to take charge of their money and take charge of their lives! She’s doing just that with her best-selling books, life changing retreats and private financial coaching.

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