Chapter 14
“You see, in life, lots of people know what to do, but few people actually do what they know. Knowing is not enough! You must take action.”
– Anthony Robbins, author of Unlimited Power
The financial crisis that has been taking place has proven to us that the old method of doing business is not working. The ones predominantly in charge (men) did not prove to be genius leaders when it came to managing our money in a global system. There are more and more voices pointing out that women may have done a better job if they had been in the position of managing those huge resources of money. They say that the financial crisis would have looked different if it was called Lehman Sisters and not Lehman Brothers.
My point is not whether women are better than men in managing money. My point is that once we as women become more knowledgeable in this area and we continue to educate ourselves about money, our results might offer something different than the present-day results.
The financial arena is a place where women can contribute much more and become much bigger than the way we currently see ourselves. But in order to do this, we need to get more experience in this arena. That is what this book have been about – experiential learning. The insights that you have received while reading this book are powerful, but it’s not the insights alone that will create real change in your life. If you skipped any of the exercises, I suggest that you go back and do them. If you truly value yourself and the contributions that you can make to other women, our daughters, and the world – then go back and take all of the action steps included in the 6-week course, Taking Control of Your Money.
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Now that the outside limitations are out of the way for us, the only limitations are inside. As you know by now, clinging to what is familiar makes it difficult to move into the potential of your future. Hanging on to your old ways might first look like security, but hopefully by now you see that this only leads to personal frustration and not to the prosperity you wish for. If your old ways had been working for you, you would not have spent all this time reading this book! So – now that you have invested your time (which you know by now is extremely valuable), it’s time to make the profit! You’ve heard the cliché, when one door closes, another one opens. It’s time to close the door to your old habits. Exciting opportunities await!
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Today everybody talks about The Secret and The Law of Attraction. The Law of Attraction suggests that you need to think the right thoughts to attract the things that you wish to have in your life. In other words, it says that you attract into your life whatever you think about. All this is true, but in The Secret the teachers forgot to tell one tiny secret … Without the Law of Goya nothing would happen!
The Law of Goya is very simple. GOYA stands for Get-Off- Your-Ass. This means that without getting off your ass nothing will change in your life. Truly. (I want to thank my friend and teacher John Assarf for teaching me this.)
Think about it: If you want something, you have to go for it. You have to take action. If you don’t go for it, you won’t get what you want. You will never know how much power you have until you start to test it, use it, and go for it.
I know when fear and stress show up in our life, most of us want to slip back into our old habits and back to what feels “safe.” But, if you truly want to make a difference in your financial life, you are going to have to step into the fear. The only way beyond fear is through it.
Fear stands for False Evidence Appearing Real (F-E-A-R). The fact of the matter is that there is no real thing that is scaring us. It is only our thoughts that make it look as if something is scary. In other words, it is only your thoughts that make taking control of your money look scary. If you spend all your time and energy resisting or trying to dodge the fear, this is exactly how you will spend all of your time and energy – and you won’t be making money. Trust me, I’ve been there.
Remember how you used to sit around and wait to get paid what you felt you deserved? Remember when you waited for someone to recognize your talents and pay you accordingly? It doesn’t work like this. You must be pro- active. Take action –- ask for a raise, raise your rates, say ‘no’ to low-paying jobs, … speak up for yourself.
As Erica Jong, author of Fear of Flying, has said: “I’ve not ceased being fearful. I’ve gone ahead despite the pounding in my heart that says: turn back, turn back, you’ll die if you go too far.” Can you relate? Feeling this kind of fear happens to all of us. It is natural. Your job, no matter how uncomfortable it feels, is to stay the course.
Now some of you might say, “I’m not scared,” BUT … and then go on to a long list of explanations and excuses about why you are not taking control of your money. These might sound something like this: “I don’t have the time right now” … “I don’t think it will work” … “I don’t think fear is my issue” … etc. I have to break it to you that all of these excuses are another sign of fear.
When you know what you need to do and you don’t do it – this means that somewhere in your unconscious you feel scared. Your mind feels threatened and it tells you all of these stories (like the ones above) because your mind’s job is to protect you. But remember your mind is holding onto your OLD blueprint. You don’t want to operate anymore from your old blueprint. Therefore when your mind gives you all the excuses, simple say to it: Thank you for sharing. And then … DO IT anyway!
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Did you know that because you are starting to take control of your money and are willing to step outside of your comfort zone, you are becoming a role model for other women, our daughters and granddaughters?
When a person does something that previously they considered impossible for them, it sends out a signal to everyone that they themselves can do it too. No wonder the slogan of US President Obama – “Yes We Can.” –- has captured the hearts of millions around the world. It resonates with each and every one of our heart’s desires.
For too long we have let our mind control us instead of allowing our heart to lead us to our dreams. We have given up on too many dreams because we thought we didn’t have the money for them. But how would we know if we could ever have the money for them if we never learned how to play the Money Game? If we do not participate, it will be impossible for us to learn and grow in this area.
When you Take Control Of Your Money not only do you grow and become a bigger person, you also start dreaming big. The world today needs women who are willing to dream big and follow those dreams. This is a time of crisis, AND on the other hand it is a time of huge opportunities – especially for women. The world is open today to new ways of managing money, new ways of leadership, and new ways of thinking and being. Women are the source for these new ways. You can become part of that movement when you take this small step – taking control of your money – in your own private world.
The “funny” thing is that this trend is taking place already, and it is taking place not in the rich and wealthy world, but in the poorest of the poorest regions; in Africa, the Far East and in South America. Microfinance banks know by now that the best investment of their money is loaning it to women. Women are the ones that are building the economies of these developing countries: women make up nearly 95% of all loan recipients from microfinance banks. The results have shown that women are the best investment for improving the economies in these countries.
Now, if those women can do it – women who are mostly uneducated and in many cases even illiterate – surely we as modern and educated women can do it. All it takes is the willingness to step out of our comfort zone and do things differently. We are the only ones stopping ourselves right now!
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This book has not just been about how to make more money, but also about how to become more of who you are. I hope you acknowledge yourself for the growth that you have experienced over these past weeks. When you close this book, please do not let go of all that you have learned. Remind yourself every day that you know how to Take Control of Your Money and then DO IT.
Have you ever heard the saying – Knowledge becomes wisdom when it comes from your own personal experiences? You have read this book and now have a lot of knowledge about money and finance, but your knowledge will only turn into wisdom once you start DOING!
If you find yourself making excuses about why you are not staying on top of your money, stop and recognize that this is just fear. Take a breath, and then take action (no matter how small). Instead of focusing on the excuses (I’m too busy, I don’t understand, I lack the skills, etc.), say to yourself, I can do this.
I know you can do this. You are a powerful woman.
The reason our company is called Open Circles Academy is because we believe in the ripple effect. You know the image – a stone thrown into the water and the ripples spreading from it growing wider and wider. By taking actions to improve your own life, you will be able to influence, inspire and motivate others in their own life. In other words, the more you as a woman master the financial arena, the better it will be for your life, your family, your community, your country, and the bottom line the world.
You can become the change that this world needs. Ready, set, ACTION!