Today we are going to look at the strange-but-true story of why so many of us are left reeling by this recession, and why financial freedom seems like a far away dream for so many. To do this, let’s take a look at our education system and how it works:
Scenario #1
You decide you want to be a lawyer. To do so, you choose from a wide variety of excellent universities, and then invest many years and a LOT of money studying the ins and outs of law. The courses are extremely thorough, and they prepare you well for almost any potential scenario you may deal with as a lawyer. You learn about the history of law and study legal precedents in an array of circumstances.
You put in countless hours of effort, and are tested and re-tested as to your proficiency and knowledge before you are released into the ‘real’ world to practice your craft. You may also pursue ongoing education in your field as the years pass, to ensure your knowledge is always current and effective.
Of course, you expect that the financial compensation for being a reputable, quality lawyer will be well worth the initial investment of time and money you’ve made.
Scenario #2
You decide you want to be wealthy. The magical words ‘financial freedom’ call to you like sirens to a sailor, but you secretly wonder if the promise is just as false.
As a child, you were never taught anything about how money works, and all of the things you know about money confuse or intimidate you. Your knowledge comes from a scattering of resources: banking commercials, advice from well-meaning parents or teachers (usually well-meaning but often not so wise), and other random sources. You find the whole subject overwhelming and full of words you don’t understand. You either let someone else handle all your money issues, or you don’t trust anyoneenough to let them help you – after all, the financial world is full of scammers just out to take yours!
Just when you begin to think you may be able to make financial headway, you discover you carry around a web of limiting and conflicting beliefs about money. At every turn, you run into mental blocks in your attempt to gain financial ground: you have no skill with money, or you don’t make enough, or you think wealth is just ‘not in your cards.’
Does this second scenario sound overly negative, or sadly true?
The answer is both: this is fairly accurate for millions of people. It is precisely why there are so many scam artists and commission-based salespeople who care only about the money they can transfer from our accounts to theirs: most of us are ignorant about how money works, and easily fall prey to claims of insider money ‘secrets’ and exclusive ‘high return’ offers.
The truth of how the world of wealth really works is just the opposite: if you were an insider, you’d know it.You’d already be dealing with people you trust, and you would be able to knowledgeably assess the investment opportunities presented to you. You would have wise advisors and mentors who have your best interests at heart, and you would be growing your wealth with confidence.
Why is this happening?
Why is there such a lack of general financial education? The sad fact is that there are few to no schools or courses on how to achieve financial independence, or how to approach our finances with an eye for opportunity and the knowledge to discern the good from the bad.
The business and finance courses taught in post-secondary schools – and who wants to wait that long to learn how to thrive? – teach traditional banking and finance knowledge, and while they are a good start, any graduate can tell you that ‘real world’ experience is what counts. Even so, many millions of bank and financial corporation employees go through life without ever learning the ropes enough to become wealthy, or even financially independent.
As any regular reader will know, I believe we have done ourselves, and our children, a great disservice in not making financial education a part of our school curriculum. What is the point of learning about things which don’t apply at all to ‘real’ life, and not learning how to handle money, which is a key component of thriving in our society?
Is there a way to REALLY learn what it takes to become wealthy?
Trial and error may work, but as often as not, our human lifespans are too short to make this a wise path.
Learning from someone who’s ‘been there, done that’ seems like a great idea, but you may not know anyone wealthy, or perhaps you do but your conditioning has you resenting them so much that you can’t see your way to learning from them.
So what’s the answer? The first step is to let go of the past. Whatever may have happened and whatever your current financial situation, there are wealthy people in this world who have overcome similar obstacles. Any belief you hold that is keeping you stuck is not helping you. You CAN change your financial life for the better, no matter what has happened and how you’ve been feeling. There are many, many people who have done it, and who can help you along the way. The resources on this website and my others alone offer a wealth of knowledge, and none are scams – all are valuable. Here are some suggestions:
Follow Your Path Article: Wealth: Make it Your Friend
Women & Money Article: Financial Crisis: Tools & Resources
IncreasingVelocity.com Finance Section: A Wealth of Resources
The Wealth & Abundance Section of Live-With-Power.com, as Well as the Money and Finance Section
The ‘What’s Your Financial IQ’ Section of Breathing Prosperity
The above recommendations are just a few of the resources I’ve created to help you, and from there you will find many more, created by others (all assessed and recommended). It is my deepest hope that you will benefit from my passion for spreading financial empowerment, and that you will write me some day and tell me how much these resources have changed your life!
Empowering beliefs, combined with financial education, is an immensely powerful combination which will help propel you to new heights of financial awareness and abundance. It’s never too late, and what you do FROM NOW ON is the only thing that matters!
