It’s not actually what you experience that forms your beliefs. It’s what you decide about that experience. The same concept is true if you are trained with limiting beliefs about money or money or you have scarcity mindset.
Two people can grow up with exactly the same experience and end up with two opposing beliefs from the same event.
In this blog post, we’ll embark on a journey to identify, challenge, and ultimately transcend these mental money blocks or limiting beliefs about money with 14 most common money fears and scarcity mindset you may know all too well.
#1. Beliefs Rule Reality.
I don’t know how to say it stronger than that. Your beliefs are keeping you where you are—not your past choices, not your family history, not your environment, and not the world at large.
If you believe in struggle, you will struggle.
If you believe money is tough to come by, it will be tough to come by.
If you believe you are powerless to change your “luck,” you will be powerless and develop scarcity mindset and money blocks.
Your past does not have to dictate your future—but it probably will, unless you change the unhelpful beliefs stored in your subconscious mind.
Lots of people grow up poor and stay poor.
Comparatively few people grow up poor and use that experience to forge a prosperous life—but I did, and you can too.
#2. Where To begin With Your Belief Work To Change Your Limiting beliefs About Money.
If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it a hundred times, “Manish, I followed everything in the guide, and it just isn’t working!” “It always works,” I counter.
Still, it hadn’t worked for them—and it may not be working for you. If it isn’t working, there is a reason.
Of course, I can’t tell why your particular dream hasn’t manifested.
It may be that you’re stuck in a flow stopper like self-pity or martyrdom.
It may be that you stopped flowing positive energy toward your desire, and are only paying attention to what you don’t have (which means you’re actually creating not getting your dream).
But sometimes, you are doing everything right, and your dream still hasn’t manifested. You’re not even getting a sign here and there.
The likely culprit?
#3. Your Foundational Limiting Beliefs About Money.
Unless you are currently creating more money than you know what to do with, you do have money blocks or limiting beliefs about money that you’ll want to change.
Below is a non-inclusive list of the money beliefs you might consider changing.
I’ve separated them into categories to make them easier for you to identify.
#4. Beliefs About The Value of Money.
- MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL.
- MONEY IS DIRTY.
- MONEY IS A CURSE.
- MONEY IS POWER.
- MONEY IS FREEDOM.
- MONEY IS EVERYTHING.
- MONEY MEASURES WORTH.
- MONEY MAKES YOU DESIRABLE TO OTHERS.
- MONEY MAKES YOU HAPPY.
- RICH PEOPLE ARE BETTER THAN POOR PEOPLE.
- POOR PEOPLE ARE BETTER THAN RICH PEOPLE.
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#5. Beliefs About You and Money (Scarcity Mindset)
- I DON’T DESERVE A LOT OF MONEY.
- MY SPOUSE/PARTNER CREATES MONEY BUT I DON’T.
- I CAN’T HANDLE HAVING MONEY.
- I CAN’T HAVE MONEY.
- I CAN’T SAVE MONEY.
- I AM ALWAYS IN DEBT.
- I DON’T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO SHARE OR GIVE AWAY.
- I AM SMART AND TALENTED, THEREFORE I SHOULD GET MORE MONEY.
- I WORK SUPER HARD, I DESERVE MORE MONEY.
- I DON’T KNOW HOW TO MAKE MONEY.
- I DON’T KNOW HOW TO CREATE MONEY.
- I CAN NEVER GET AHEAD.
- I HATE MONEY.
- I AM A FAILURE WHEN IT COMES TO MONEY.
- I WOULD FEEL GUILTY IF I HAD MORE MONEY THAN [NAME].
- OTHERS CAN CREATE MONEY BUT NOT ME.
- THE ECONOMY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MY MONEY PROBLEMS.
- [NAME, ENTITY, EVENT] IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MY MONEY PROBLEMS.
- IF I DON’T WORRY ABOUT MONEY SOMETHING BAD WILL HAPPEN
#6. Beliefs About The Ease With Which Money Comes To You.
- YOU HAVE TO EARN THE MONEY YOU MAKE.
- MONEY COMES WITH INCREDIBLE STRUGGLE.
- MAKING MONEY TAKES A LOT OF HARD WORK.
- IT TAKES MONEY TO MAKE MONEY.
- THERE IS NEVER ENOUGH MONEY.
- THERE IS ALWAYS JUST ENOUGH MONEY.
- THERE IS NEVER MORE THAN ENOUGH MONEY.
- MONEY IS HARD TO COME BY.
- I NEED TO EARN MY MONEY.
- THERE IS NOT ENOUGH MONEY TO GO AROUND.
- THE UNIVERSE IS LIMITED IN ITS ABUNDANCE.
- MONEY ONLY COMES TO ME THROUGH MY JOB.
- ONLY A SELECT FEW GET TO HAVE MONEY.
- IF A LOT OF MONEY COMES EASILY, IT MUST BE ILLEGAL.
- YOU NEED TO BE SUPER SMART TO MAKE A LOT OF MONEY.
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#7. Beliefs About What You Have to Give Up to Get Money.
- IF I AM FINANCIALLY ABUNDANT, I WILL HAVE TO SACRIFICE MY HAPPINESS.
- IF I AM FINANCIALLY ABUNDANT, I WILL HAVE TO SACRIFICE MY FAMILY.
- IF I AM FINANCIALLY ABUNDANT, I WILL HAVE TO SACRIFICE MY FREEDOM.
- IF I AM FINANCIALLY ABUNDANT, I WILL HAVE TO SACRIFICE MY INTEGRITY.
- IF I REALLY LIVE MY TRUTH, I’LL END UP BROKE.
- IN ORDER TO BE RICH, YOU MUST SACRIFICE YOUR FREE TIME.
- YOU CAN’T HAVE MONEY AND HAPPINESS.
- I WILL HAVE TO DO WHAT I HATE IN ORDER TO HAVE MONEY.
- MONEY WILL CHANGE ME FOR THE WORSE.
- YOU HAVE TO DO LOTS OF THINGS YOU DON’T LIKE IN ORDER TO HAVE MONEY.
- MONEY ALWAYS COMES WITH STRINGS ATTACHED.
- IT TAKES MONEY TO MAKE MONEY.
#8. Beliefs About What it Means When You Have (or Don’t Have) Money.
- IF A LOT OF MONEY COMES EASILY, IT MUST BE ILLEGAL.
- BEING RICH IS A SIN.
- HAVING MONEY IS GREEDY.
- WANTING MORE MONEY IS SELFISH.
- MONEY SPOILS YOU.
- RICH PEOPLE ARE SNOBS.
- RICH PEOPLE ARE EGOTISTICAL.
- RICH PEOPLE ARE SELFISH.
- RICH PEOPLE ARE EVIL.
- RICH PEOPLE ARE CORRUPT.
- RICH PEOPLE BECOME WEALTHY BY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF OTHERS.
- THERE IS NOBILITY IN BEING POOR.
- MONEY EQUALS POWER, AND POWER CORRUPTS.
- IF YOU DON’T HAVE MONEY, YOU’RE POWERLESS.
#9. Beliefs About What You Have to Do to Keep Money.
- I MUST BE SUPER CONSCIOUS OF EVERY SINGLE DOLLAR TO BE SURE I DON’T LOSE THE MONEY I CREATE.
- I MUST SACRIFICE TO SAVE MY MONEY.
- IF I AM NOT HYPER-VIGILANT SOMEONE WILL TAKE MY MONEY.
- I MUST HIDE THE MONEY I CREATE.
#10. Beliefs About What Happens When You Get Money.
- ACCEPTING MONEY OBLIGATES ME.
- WHEN I AM RICH, I WON’T HAVE TIME FOR MY SPIRITUALITY.
- WHEN I AM RICH, I WON’T HAVE TIME FOR MY FRIENDS.
- WHEN I AM RICH, I WON’T HAVE TIME FOR MY FAMILY.
- WHEN I AM RICH, I WILL BE TIED TO OBLIGATIONS AND STRESSED OUT.
- WHEN I AM RICH, I WON’T BE ABLE TO HANDLE THE RESPONSIBILITY.
- PEOPLE WILL LOVE ME ONLY FOR MY MONEY.
- PEOPLE WILL SCORN ME BECAUSE I HAVE MONEY.
- MONEY COMES WITH A LOT OF RESPONSIBILITY.
- PEOPLE ARE MEAN TO RICH PEOPLE.
- IF I HAVE MONEY, I’LL JUST LOSE IT ANYWAY.
- IF I HAVE MONEY, I’LL LOSE ALL MY FRIENDS.
- IF I HAVE MONEY, PEOPLE WILL BE AFTER ME FOR MY MONEY.
- IF I HAVE MONEY, PEOPLE WILL BE JEALOUS OF ME.
- IF I HAVE MONEY, PEOPLE WILL JUST WANT ME FOR MY MONEY.
- IF I HAVE MONEY, OTHERS WILL BE GOING WITHOUT.
- IF I HAVE MONEY, I’LL BE MORE VISIBLE.
- IF I HAVE MONEY, I’LL BE HELD TO PUBLIC SCRUTINY.
You may have a lot of money blocks or limiting beliefs about money to change. I changed hundreds of them. And it’s important for you to know.
#11. Core Beliefs Are The Root of Your Undeservability.
All of our experiences (or, more accurately, what we believe about our experiences) gel together to form and strengthen beliefs about ourselves that will color every interaction, every creation, and every dream we ever have.
They form our core beliefs about who we are. What are core beliefs?
Core beliefs are your bottom-line beliefs about you.
They are the beliefs that shape your entire life—including the amount of success and abundance you allow yourself.
Let’s face it: if you don’t value something, you’re not going to treat it well, which means you have a belief that it’s not worth treating well.
Imagine your car is a rusted, banged up, barely drivable 1975 Ford Pinto. How would you treat it?
If one car had to stay out in the snow, it would be the Pinto, right? There would probably be trash in the back seat. The car would never get washed because, why bother?
Basically, that car would get no lovin’.
Now, imagine yourself driving the latest, coolest Porsche—yeah, the one whose price tag is close to a million bucks.
That car might score two spaces in the garage—just to be sure no one dings it by parking too close.
And I’ll bet it would not only be washed, but also detailed regularly and lovingly.
You’d feed it top-quality gas and service it like clockwork.
We take care of what we value—be it furnishings, cars, homes, or people— but far too many of us don’t value ourselves.
That lack of value is just a piece of the devastating impact that negative core beliefs have on us.
If we believe we are flawed, or not good enough, or unimportant, or unworthy, we won’t think we deserve to live lives we love, and we certainly won’t think we deserve abundance.
Guess what that does to our ability to create? Yup—it pretty much kills it.
But wait, I really do believe I deserve it, but my life still sucks.
Maybe your conscious mind believes you deserve, but what about your subconscious mind?
It’s not only possible, but highly probable, that you have conflicting beliefs—that you are holding two seemingly opposite beliefs at the same time.
So, which belief manifests?
That depends on a lot of factors, but generally, the stronger belief manifests, even if it’s a belief that you’ve forgotten about for a long time.
That’s why testing for beliefs comes in handy and helps you to eradicate your scarcity mindset.
#12. Uncover Your Core Beliefs.
Once your foundational beliefs are tested and the constricting ones are changed, take a long, hard look at whether one or more of these core beliefs are yours.
Core Beliefs (Note: this list is non-exclusive)
- I AM NOT GOOD ENOUGH.
- I AM FLAWED.
- I AM UNWORTHY.
- I AM NO GOOD.
- I AM UNSUCCESSFUL.
- I AM NOT VALUABLE.
- I AM INFERIOR.
- I AM NOTHING.
- I AM INVISIBLE.
- I AM INSIGNIFICANT.
- I AM UNLOVABLE.
- I AM UNACCEPTABLE.
- I DON’T MATTER.
- I AM UNIMPORTANT.
- I AM A MISTAKE.
- I DON’T BELONG.
- I AM UNWANTED.
- I AM UNWELCOME.
- I DON’T FIT IN ANYWHERE.
- I AM UNBALANCED.
- I AM A FAILURE.
- I DON’T DESERVE.
- I AM A LOSER.
- I AM INADEQUATE.
#13. How to Tell If You Have a Negative Core Belief.
Core beliefs are a little trickier than other beliefs to nail down and change.
Most everyone has difficulty seeing the core beliefs they hold. Why?
First, no one wants to admit that they believe such awful things about themselves.
Second, these beliefs are very, very old, and we’ve had many decades of practice in hiding them from everyone, including ourselves.
Think about it: if you have a belief like …
- I AM FLAWED
You obviously believe it. You also fear it—because what if it’s actually true?—and you fear others discovering it and using it against you.
So, you might hide your belief by judging others before they judge you, or by getting angry at others’ weaknesses (or strengths).
You might also avoid being seen, being vulnerable, or becoming too close to others.
You don’t allow success, abundance, or any depth of love, because deep down you believe you’re flawed, and you don’t deserve it.
Yes, core beliefs can be tough to discover, but here are some clues:
- You had a shame-based childhood.
- You came from a dysfunctional family.
- You were abused as a child.
- You are a child of an alcoholic or addict.
- You didn’t feel loved as a child.
- One or more parents were narcissistic.
- You do all the work, but can’t seem to move beyond a certain plateau of success.
- The idea of being visible terrifies you.
As with your foundational beliefs, I recommend using applied kinesiology to test for core beliefs. Ultimately, though, when you get really quiet and still, and peer inside to the deepest part of your being, your gut will tell you what you truly believe.
Once you’ve discovered your core belief(s), take the time you need to change it/them. It will take a while, but it will be so worth it. I urge you to take core beliefs seriously.
They not only hamper your ability to create abundance, but also hold you back from creating and reveling in lots of other awesome realities.
#14. This May Be The Most Important Work of Your Life - And Yet, You Will Resist It.
This is critical, my friend. Belief work will literally change your life forever. It will make your life easier, more abundant, fun, successful, and so much more.
And yet, you will find this work the most difficult thing you’ve ever done. Why?
Well, not because it is difficult. It’s actually relatively easy.
You’ll find it difficult because you’ll put it off, dismiss it, procrastinate, ignore it, diminish it, and do everything you can to ensure it never ever gets done.
I find it fascinating that we’re so reticent to change beliefs.
We subconsciously feel threatened if we mess with fundamental aspects of ourselves such as the beliefs that (seemingly) define our world and our place within it.
I don’t know for sure what the reason is, but that explanation makes sense to me!
I do know that, for everyone who has engaged with this work (myself included), changing beliefs is fraught with challenges despite the fact that the process itself is relatively easy and straightforward.
You will have to overcome your internal resistance in order to change your beliefs. I have come to accept, for myself, that:
- Changing beliefs will never feel fun and exciting.
- I won’t want to change beliefs. I will have to force myself to sit down and do the belief-changing exercises.
- I won’t expect the beliefs to change.
- When I’m on the other side of the belief, I won’t be able to imagine why I ever thought the negative belief was true.
- After I’ve changed my beliefs, my life will change with little to no effort at all.
- I will wonder how I could have ever resisted such an amazing process in the first place.
So, my friend, when it comes to belief work, your best approach is to just do it and change your limiting beliefs about money and also other areas of your life. Trust me, you will be extremely grateful that you did.
