I Am Writing

Written by Barbara Huson

If you’ve been following me for any length of time, you know that I’m writing my 7th book, Rewire for Wealth. My publisher’s given me a very tight deadline. With holidays looming, I’ve decided to take a short break from my weekly blog.

But, I don’t want to leave you, my loyal readers, without some weekly encouragement so my wonderful assistant, Lynda Jo, will be posting past blogs you may have missed—or, as is so often the case, you need to review again (it’s amazing how things will land in your inbox just when you need them). You’ll also see updates on my writing progress.

Here’s the first encore from August, 2018.

My Personal Experience in Rewiring

I’m making myself crazy. I’ve been doing it for months. Ever since I decided I was ready to birth my next book. In a fit of over-zealous optimism, I gave myself till summer’s end to finish the proposal.

Well, summer is quickly coming to a close. My proposal, however, is nowhere near completion. Not even close. I’ve been beating myself up—unmercifully—for missing my goal.

I’m a big believer in setting deadlines. They’re terrific tools for staying on track. But, I’m recognizing, there’s a major downside to made-up deadlines.

The trouble comes when I don’t meet them. Rather than rethink the timing, I scold myself severely for screwing up.

Oh the absurdity of artificial deadlines! Yet, on reflection, I realize I’ve done this my whole life.

In fact, I suddenly realize, it’s actually a habit that’s been hardwired in my brain. And the very thing I’m writing my book about—3 steps to rewiring the brain—is precisely what I need to put into practice. Yes, there’s hope!!!

I’ve already begun the 1st Step: Recognize. I clearly see that chastising myself for falling short of an arbitrary deadline is unhealthy, unproductive and habitual. Sure, deadlines can be motivating. But self-flagellation is no way to foster creativity.

Now, the 2nd step, Reframe. I need to see this differently. Looking back, I realize (big sigh!) proposals always got written, projects always got completed…just not on my schedule. Instead of defying the current, what if I deferred to Divine timing? Only in hind sight can I possibly know what’s actually in my own best interest.

Finally the 3rd step, Respond Differently. I make a promise to myself. From now on, if I’m feeling stuck, if doors stay closed, if nothing flows freely and it ceases to be fun, I’m viewing these as indicators that it’s time to surrender and reassess rather than doggedly pursue a rigid decision.

The essence of my rewiring experience boils down to this: I’d rather live with the tranquility that comes from trusting a Higher Power than the stress of self-imposed pressure.

Are you still pursuing a goal that’s past its “expiration date”? Why? Leave a comment below.

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

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.

Get the support you need to create the Wealth you desire in my virtual community of women supporting women, The Wealth Connection. Now only $47/month! Join the conversation today!

Blame It On Your Brain

Written by Barbara Huson

I remember a friend telling me that her son, a financial advisor, tried to explain some financial concept to her. “I want you to get this,” he insisted.

She listened intently but when he finished, she told me, “I hadn’t heard a word he said. I went into a haze. I felt so stupid. Why do I do this?”

I see this all the time. A woman attempts to take financial control but she’s suddenly struck by a sense of foreboding. It’s as if she’s entering a place she shouldn’t be and a voice in her head screams out: Danger! Keep Out! Immediately, she shuts down.

It wasn’t until I started studying Neuroscience that the reason for this pervasive reaction became clear. Women’s and men’s brains process financial (and other) information differently. Men see investing in the market as a challenge. Women see investing as a threat.

Our prehistoric brains were wired to ensure our safety and survival. Anytime we feel threatened, our rational brain shuts down, sending us into fight, flight or freeze mode.

This doesn’t apply only to beginners. I’ve had women who work in the financial industry or manage large budgets in their jobs, tell me, “I do this for a living, but my own finances are a mess.” If you’re in this boat, there is a way out. It’s not filling your head with more facts, but instead learning to rewire your brain.

I’m excited to announce McGraw Hill will be publishing my latest book, The Rewire Response: Mind Training for Wealth, Well-being & Whatever Else You Want. I just got the contract so it won’t come out for a while. But I’ll be sharing some brand-new programs on rewiring this fall. Stay tuned.

I’d love to know… Does this help explain why you, a smart woman, have a tendency to avoid money? Leave me a comment below.

Would you like to try out coaching with me? Join The Wealth Connection for six-months—Only $297 and get a 30- minute private coaching session with me! (The coaching alone is a $300 value.) JOIN TODAY!

Lifting the Veils of Confusion

Written by Barbara Huson

The class was titled “Women, Money and Power” and I took it over 30 years ago.

I had attended countless financial classes, read countless money books but this one class changed forever my relationship with money–and, much later, my approach to teaching it.

On the first day, I remember sitting in a circle, in the middle of which was a clump of white netting, like a bridal veil, flung carelessly on the floor.

The instructor walked over to the netting, scooped it up, and announced: “This is what we’re going to do in this class. We are going to lift the veils that cloud our understanding of money.”

Underneath the netting was the Wall Street Journal, which (ironically) I’d recently subscribed to. I couldn’t understand a word of it and I was about to find out why.

“To lift the veils,’ the instructor continued, “We have to get in touch with the decisions we’ve made about money, most of which were made early in life and are now unconscious. These decisions are like veils that get in the way of our financial understanding.”

She patted her head. “The more we can see in here, the more we can see out there.” She pointed to the newspaper.

The instructor was speaking from experience. Although she was the director of the University’s MBA program, had a degree in economics, and an extensive background in financial services, she had a long history of financial neglect in managing her own money.

“I had all the technical information to act in a responsible way, but I wasn’t doing it,” she told us. “I realized that I may have some deeper issues and I better start working on them.”

Reflecting back, I asked myself: Why does the mainstream, male dominated financial industry still takes a strictly intellectual, left brain approach?

Why don’t they get that, regardless of IQ, education or experience, many continue to behave in disturbingly irresponsible ways with money?

The industry focuses solely on changing behaviors. Yet our behaviors are not the problem. They are symptoms of something deeper. And we aren’t likely to find the solution “out there’, in a conventional finance class or book.

If you see yourself exhibiting self-sabotaging behavior, keep this in mind. While you’re learning the facts you also need to examine your blocks. While you’re exploring the difference between a stock and a bond, you also need to delve into your attitudes, beliefs and early messages about money.

Unless you do the inner work, shifting your behavior will be a constant struggle.

Have you done The Inner Work of Wealth? What early beliefs about money did you uncover? Leave me a comment below.

Get the support you need to create the Wealth you desire in my virtual community of women supporting women, The Wealth Connection. Join the conversation today!

How Does One Become Wealthy? Part 2

Written by Barbara Huson

Here’s the good news about creating wealth. Believing that you can do it, or not, is inconsequential. You just have to decide that’s what you want and be willing to do whatever comes next.

Powerful intentions produce sheer miracles. There’s a sort of magic inherent in a strong intention that will carry you through the toughest and scariest of times.

Here’s a 2-part exercise for creating a powerful intention.

1st Fill in the blank:

My intention is_________________.

You may have more than one, but for now, limit it to one. Be very specific. You can always add, change or modify later.

2nd Ask yourself this question:

Why do I want to create wealth? Why is it important to me? What will wealth allow me to do?

This is the Higher Work of Wealth. When you can tie creating wealth to your deepest desires, you’ll be far more likely to stay the course despite the obstacles. And there are always obstacles.

But if your desire is greater than your fear, success is inevitable.

Can you identify your deepest desires when it comes to creating wealth? Leave me a comment below.

Get the support you need to create the Wealth you desire in my virtual community of women supporting women, The Wealth Connection. Join the conversation today!

Rewiring—Why Willpower is Never Enough

Written by Barbara Huson

There’s a lot of talk about your money mindset. But, far more important, is understanding how your mind and brain work together.

In a recent experiment, at the University of South Wales, students were told: “Whatever you do, don’t think about a red apple.”

As you’d expect, most couldn’t get that image out of their mind. Which is quite normal.

But what about those who swore they’d successfully obliterated the image from their mind?

Well, according to brain scans, “even those people who are good at suppressing certain thoughts still harbor traces of the thought in [ their brain’s] cortex.”

And any deeply embedded thought—say of scarcity or inadequacy—exerts an irrepressible force to behave accordingly, regardless of your efforts to change.

Will power—trying not to think about buying those to-die-for designer shoes, which are way out of your budget—is a fruitless task. A far better (and easier) solution—thought substitution rather than thought control.

So instead of NOT thinking of the red apple or NOT buying the designer shoes, you’d be far more successful substituting a dramatically different thought, like imagining a white cloud or a surplus of cash in your savings account.

“Using brute force to not think about something simply won’t work,” noted the study, “Because the thought is actually there in our brains.”

From now on, stop struggling to exert willpower and focus on rewiring your brain by calmly and continually repeating positive affirmations, such as: I love watching my bank balance grow; It’s so fun to save; I am smart with money and my Future Self thanks me.

What deeply embedded thoughts do you live with and what could you substitute to improve your relationship with money? Leave me a comment below.

There’s still time to join the Spring 2019 Session of my ReWIRE Mentorship Program!

If you are eager to create Wealth & Well-Being in your life, apply for this 5-month Mentorship program today!

Click here for more information or to apply!

Does It Ever Get Easier?

Written by Barbara Huson

I’ve begun another journey. And I’m wondering: do the first steps ever get easier?

A few years ago, I birthed a new body of work: ReWIRE: Mind Training for Wealth + Well-Being, combining neuroscience with personal finance. Last week I finally finished the book proposal.

My agent is shopping it around. Even after writing 7 books, I have to say: beginnings are a bitch. Let me tell you why. Perhaps you can relate.

We rarely feel certain that we’re actually ready to begin. If anything, beginnings are a disturbing blend of excitement and fear, optimism and despair. (What if every publisher rejects me? What if I still need to learn more, be better prepared?)

And beginnings are scary. In order to start one thing, you have to let go of something else. For me, I’ve had to stop giving workshops and retreats in subjects I know and love to find the time for studying a brand new subject.

Beginnings are also frustrating. They are full of interruptions and false starts. I began working on my proposal last summer. But fear, resistance, and various distractions kept delaying my progress. I kept worrying I wasn’t doing it right, that I’d never finish.

Yet beginnings can’t be rushed. They must emerge. The key is to stay focused but surrender control, allowing one thing to lead to another. For example, I spent months trying to find just the right agent. I’d been spoiled by my old one—a razor sharp editor—who’d quit the biz. As I’m about to give up hope, I find out she’s back. And she whipped my proposal into shape, just as it needed.

Now I wait. Will my baby find a good home? Beginnings are mired in uncertainty. Then I read this on social media: “Be okay with not knowing for sure what might come next, but know that whatever it is, you’ll be ok.”

And I sigh with relief! It may never get easier. Yet I know, I’ll be fine, regardless of the results.

How do you handle the beginnings in your life? Join the conversation here.

It’s not too late to join me and an amazing group of women in the Spring 2019 session of my 5-month ReWIRE Mentorship Program. Click here to learn more!

No More Claw Marks

Written by Barbara Huson

There’s a story about an experienced mountain climber who trips, falls and is clinging to the side of a ledge.

“Help me, God,” she cries. Then she hears a voice:

“I’ll help you Sadie, but first must do one thing,”

“I’ll do anything,” she cries.

And the voice replies, “You gotta’ let go of the ledge.”

That’s what adversity continually calls us to do: Let go of what is holding us back. If you’re struggling with a seemingly insoluble problem, ask yourself, right now: What do I need to release? And see what comes up.

It may be something tangible, like a job, a relationship, a geographic location. Or it could be an attitude, belief or emotion, like anger, fear, or self-doubt.

I promise you one thing: it’ll probably be what you’re most afraid to give up.

Why is this important? Because letting go creates space for something new to enter.

What do you suspect you need to let go of? Share in the comments.

Wondering where to begin on Your Path to Prosperity? Take this short quiz to find out. Click here.

The Immense Power of Shifting Your Perception

Written by Barbara Huson

“There is another way of looking at the world.” When I read this lesson from A Course in Miracles (ACIM), I knew I had to share it with you. What I’m really sharing is the profound, but simple, secret to creating miracles AND rewiring your brain.

The secret is this: whenever you’re upset, disturbed or challenged, try consciously changing, or reframing, the way you interpret an event. In other words, firmly say to yourself: “There must be another way of seeing this.”

Admittedly, reframing can be difficult. I’ve found three techniques that have helped me shift my perception—and, as I’ve only recently understood—reprogram my unhealthy beliefs and behaviors into much healthier ones (which, in itself, is a miracle).

One technique is what psychologists call Selective Attention—consciously selecting one thing to concentrate on while ignoring everything else. The absence of attention to what you don’t want weakens maladaptive neuropathways. For example, instead of constantly retelling your old story, talk only about your dreams and desires.

Another technique, first introduced by Carl Jung, is Shadow Work. When you don’t like or can’t accept parts of yourself, you disown those traits and project them onto another. As I wrote in my first book, Prince Charming is simply a projection of the powerful, responsible part you refuse to acknowledge in yourself. When you take back your projections, you come to know the truth of who you really are.

The third, as described in ACIM, is understanding The Therapeutic Value of Fear. Fear, discomfort or pain, the Course explains “is aroused only to bring the need for correction forcibly into awareness.” For our prehistoric ancestors, fear alerted them to real and ever present danger. But nowadays, fear is alerting you that you’re listening to Ego and you need to course correct by tuning into your Soul.

In my experience, the simple act of seeing things differently has been a game changer.

How about you? I’d love to hear about your experience with reframing.

Do you know that women learn better in community? Try my new virtual community, The Wealth Connection and learn to Grow Your Wealth!

The Caterpillar Story

Written by Barbara Huson

Two caterpillars spy a butterfly overhead. One turns to the other and says “You’ll never get me up in one of those things.”

Do you ever feel like that caterpillar? Part of you wants to fly. Another part clearly doesn’t.

That’s precisely what’s going on when you feel stuck–an internal conflict. Part wants to. Part doesn’t.

The trick to getting unstuck isn’t by denying or disputing your resistance. What you ignore, you empower. What you resist, persists.

I speak from experience. After my divorce, I tried hard to learn about money. But nothing worked. I’d pick up a book, attend a class only to fog up, glaze over, give up. Until one day, a therapist challenged me.

“You know Barbara,” he said bluntly, “you really don’t want to get smart about money.”

I couldn’t argue. In that moment, I met the part of me that desperately wanted to stay ignorant. The part that was terrified of angering her parents, losing everything, and most of all, afraid no man would love a financially savvy woman.

I spent months getting to know this part. But I also did something quite smart. I kept repeating affirmations in an effort to fortify the other part. I AM smart about money. I AM excited to learn. I AM a great role model for my kids. I AM attracting a man who loves a powerful woman.

I now realize I was literally rewiring my brain. Instead of dwelling on what scared me, I focused on what I wanted to create, how I wanted to feel…even if it seemed impossible. As neuroscientists tell us, what flows through the mind creates pathways that wires the brain

Slowly the fog lifted. I actually began enjoying the learning process, seeing results, relishing how powerful I felt. Those feelings haven’t changed in over 30 years.

How do you focus on the change you want to create? Leave a comment below.

Do you struggle to understand investing? Men and women view wealth & power through very different lenses. Join me for this FREE call: Women & Wealth: We’re Different than Men & Why that Matters and I’ll help you become a Savvy Investor and begin to build Wealth, as a woman. Register Now!

Neuroscience

I Am Writing

My Personal Experience in Rewiring

And You Thought It was about Money!!!!

Blame It On Your Brain

Lifting the Veils of Confusion

How Does One Become Wealthy? Part 2

Rewiring—Why Willpower is Never Enough

Does It Ever Get Easier?

No More Claw Marks

The Immense Power of Shifting Your Perception

The Caterpillar Story

Meet Barbara Huson

Recent Blog Posts