What is Poverty - Consciousness and How Do You Know If You Are Poverty-Conscious?

FEAR OF SUCCESS IS A LIMITING BELIEF

You know what you want but you are afraid of going all the way to get it. Everything is going great; your plans are in motion and you are seeing tangible results. But you stop. Self-doubt takes hold despite the evidence of your progress. That is a sign that you are afraid of success and change. It is limiting belief which is coming from your past because you were taught to think in poverty-conscious terms. It must be rooted out!

POVERTY-CONSCIOUSNESS EQUALS DEPRIVATION

Do you frequently think about what you don't have? Are you always depriving yourself and despite that money still seems to flow through your fingers like water; no matter how you scrimp and save for that "rainy day"? Do you wonder why it is always so hard? That is evidence that you are living a poverty-conscious life. Continue to think like that and you will get a lot more of it.

Man's power of choice enables him to think like an angel or a devil, a king or a slave. Whatever he chooses, mind will create and manifest. Frederick Bailes

POVERTY-CONSCIOUS THINKING FROM THE CRADLE

Far too many people believe that having a lot of money - being wealthy - brings you heartbreak and ruin. You don't know how "they" made their money. You will be out of your depth, out of your class and you won't know how to act with "those" people. You won't know who your real friends are - as if they know now -, and in any case, money doesn't last, and it doesn't make you happy. Rich people take drugs, they are degenerate; you don't want to be like them, do you. Rich people are not like us.

Or as I was recently told, and quite vehemently, by an American-born and bred couple in their late thirties who are extremely proud of their middle-class status "people are supposed to be common, not snobs like them". Then the wife said "I hope Michelle (Obama) doesn't wear expensive clothes". Don't you find that shocking? I did. I had never heard such nonsense from educated people before.

Here's a tip: You will never get very far in life or have a life of ease with that kind of thinking. Get a more balanced view about wealth from DailyOM's An Instrument of Change: Wealth is Neutral

A WINNER'S STORY

A person of modest means unexpectedly receives a large sum of money. They never had so much "spare cash" before. They spend, spend, spend and can't seem to stop. They have lots of new friends who, before the windfall, were just "Hey Fred, Hi Jane, Mornin' to ya".

The spending spree ends with a thud after a long stretch of highs and more highs, and they are suddenly back where they started. This person feels let down. They don't understand what happened. How could it have finished so fast? It felt great. The urge to buy things they did not want and spend money on people they did not like was irresistible.

Men are not prisoners of fate, only prisoners of their own minds. Franklin D. Roosevelt

This winner now needs a job. They return hat in hand to the dead-end job they hated. They are welcomed back with cheers and commiserations from everyone, and that's the way the world is shrugs. Some expressions say hey, you gotta work hard for your bread; things like that don't last.

Everyone is pleased; never mind the whispers when they left. Over a beer after work, the salute is We always knew you were a good guy who wouldn't let us down; or Great to have you back hon, it's good to see you back where you belong.

If anything in this article resonates with you in any way, decide to change your life now. What you think today is the basis for your tomorrow. Decide which you want.

This is Catherine "Yours Truly" Hidalgo signing out.
Life is for Living

Remember, happiness doesn't depend upon who you are or what you have; it depends solely upon what you think. Dale Carnegie

Achieving Prosperity Consciousness Versus Accepting Poverty Consciousness

Most people believe that to become wealthy you must get good grades, get a good education, find a job, get a promotion in your job, and rise to the top of your business. Others think that to become wealthy, you need to have a PhD, or at least a Master's to do well. Many more will think that in order to become wealthy, you have to work the hardest, and even if you do end up working the hardest, it doesn't guarantee you wealth, but at least you gave it your best.

It feels like deep down all of us would like to do what we want to do when it comes to making money in the world, but because of the social conditioning in our surroundings, it can make it nearly impossible. There is a fear that if we do not follow the same pattern as everybody else, then we are doomed to failure, causing us to take any potential risks and putting us back into our mainstream "safe zones".

When it comes down to how much money you are having in your life, I believe that it really comes down having one of two mind frames - prosperity consciousness or poverty consciousness.

Even if you land a six figure job, would this be considered wealthy? Most people would, considering that 2/3 of the world's population is in poverty. To them, this would be a blessing. But what if you were earning ten million dollars in income, and all of a sudden it became six figures a year. You would be really angry, maybe even depressed, because you are now only earning a mere 1% of what you had before. This, to you, would be considered "poverty".

When being prosperity conscious or poverty conscious, it's all a matter of your perspective. To somebody who has always been used to poverty all their life, they will accept the state they're in and think that six figures a year has made their life. A person, who is always prosperous, will think that six figures a year is not nearly enough to give them the real financial freedom to literally do whatever they want at any given moment in their life.

My dad has worked in the same tool's business for most of this life. He owns a shop in a rundown neighborhood and is unnoticeable if you drive by it fast. There are some days where he only gets a few customers a day. To him, these are just "bad days" as he has gone through many of these days for many years in his life - 30 years in fact.

If I ever told him to be positive, positive in the sense that it would be wise to figure out what's wrong and change what he's doing, he would tell me to be realistic, realistic in the sense that it's because the economy is bad and some days you just won't get customers. That's just how life is.

My mom would be in support of my dad, but she takes it to another level. It's really sad seeing her sometimes because is always so obsessed with the fear of the economy, from people losing their jobs to companies going bankrupt to housing foreclosures. These things added, onto her already conservative mind frame, makes her entire life belief into principles of not spending money on useless things, save receipts, count every penny spent, always study, always get an education, always prepare for jobs, etc.

Don't get me wrong. I love my parents to death, but when it comes down to how much money one person deserves in life, they both have a related poverty consciousness.

If I ever asked them what if would feel like to drive a Mercedes-Benz (instead of a Honda CR-V), they would probably chuckle and say, "Maybe in another lifetime..." They are so accepting of their financial status that even the mere idea of a wealthy thing coming into their lives would seem unimaginable.

I'm sure a lot of people not just family members, but friends put them "back into their place." Are you one of these people? If you told your friend today, "Hey, I'm going to do what I love, create a business out of it, and become wealthy." Would they be cool with it?

Or would they say something like, "Good luck..." which really means, "Yeah right but I'm really going to say good luck to you just out of courtesy to make you feel good at this moment."

Or would they really support you? You know your friends best but when it comes down to how much money you intend to make, it comes down to you, and only you.

So look around you. Look in your pockets right now. Look in your bank account. Are you in debt right now?

Whatever financial circumstance, you can choose to achieve prosperity consciousness or accept poverty consciousness. It's as simple as making that decision in life.

So how do I see a poverty consciousness?

To me, it would be someone who cuts out every coupon available in the newspaper for them to get discounts. It would be someone who never spends money on anything that involves pleasure, leisure, or entertainment, someone who doesn't take risky chances but rather plays it safe by taking years of education imploding their brains with everlasting information, someone who is willing to take any type of job from even the meanest boss because at least they are getting paid, and someone who thinks money is hard to come by, so being grateful for what they have helps them cope with everyday life.

This would be an example poverty thinking.

And how do I see a prosperity consciousness?

To me, it would look like someone getting annoyed by money hitting their head from the sky like how rain falls from the sky. It would be someone who sweeps the piles and piles of money that overflows the inside of a football stadium, or a person who walks through the beaches of money lying around like the sand laying around. It's a person who swims across the entire ocean of money and cannot sink because there is too much of it, and somebody who beliefs that there is so much money in their possession that they will never run out of it as it comes from everywhere and every imaginable source possible.

This would be an example of prosperity thinking.

Many people would believe that this type of prosperity consciousness is deemed as "unrealistic" or "unreasonable." Who cares what other people think. Ultimately, you're the only one who chooses to believe what is realistic and what is not. Everything in the world is just based on one's perception of something, and if you choose to belief that something is real, then it is. So learn how to develop achieve a prosperity consciousness even if takes wild imagination, rather than accepting a poverty consciousness, and you'll be able start attracting the riches from inside your thinking and transform it into outwards physical reality.

For more articles on self-improvement and personal success, please visit Tristan Lee's Blog

7 Symptoms of Poverty Consciousness

Prosperity and poverty are states of consciousness; an inside thing. You must overcome the poverty inside, before you can achieve prosperity outside. The renowned philosopher and teacher, Charles Fillmore said: "Prosperity is a way of living and thinking and not just money or things. Poverty is a way of living and thinking and not just the lack of money or things". Below are 7 symptoms of poverty consciousness. Please read on.

1. Holding-on to borrowed things. Some borrow things and deliberately refuse, or forget to return them. They keep the borrowed items to themselves, believing they need it more than the owner who acquired it! Be it a pencil, a book, $10 or ￡50 note, a borrowed item is not a gift, and as such must be returned or re-paid, as and when due. Low self-esteem is a symptom of poverty consciousness.

2. Get-rich-quick mentality. Many seek short-cuts to fame and fortune such as lottery, pools betting and casino. In the process they scorch their fingers and even fall deeper into the abyss of poverty. Expecting a financial miracle without working for it is a sure sign of poverty consciousness.

3. Love of comfort-zone. Deep within, many want to remain just where they are financially - their comfort zone! But they openly complain of not having plenty of money and the good things of life. They want the good life, but not the hard work that goes with it. This avoidance-approach conflict situation is a symptom of poverty consciousness.

4. Fear of failure. Many are risk-averse, and therefore see most opportunities as risks, and shield themselves or even run away from them! While the rich see the beautiful rose flowers among the thorns; the poor see the dangerous rose thorns among the flowers. Fear of failure is a symptom of poverty consciousness.

5. Waiting for the right time. Many remain poor because they forever wait for that perfect time to start, that never comes! And while they wait, their dreams end up with them in their graves. What a pity! NOW is the right time! Procrastination is a symptom of poverty consciousness.

6. Lack of Ideas. Even though the mantra is "If I had money!", the fact remains that many are poor because they cannot conceive solid money-making ideas that can translate into products or services that many people want and are willing to pay for. You are truly poor only when you lack ideas! Mental laziness is a symptom of poverty consciousness.

7. Inability to Persist. Many remain poor because they lack the will power and discipline to pursue to a logical completion, any venture they start. They start one venture with great enthusiasm but easily give in to obstacles or setbacks; only to start yet another venture and repeat the process. Lack of fighting spirit is a symptom of poverty consciousness.

Get the bigger picture! Begin your journey to Wealth$Wisdom and the Powers that flow from it, right here: http://www.before40.com/get-rich-secrets/. Article by Jay Onwukwe, author of the best-selling knowledge book "The WEALTH SECRETS You Must Know Before40" available at Amazon. Stay Smart, Wealthy and Wise!