True Confessions - My Brain and Money
As I learn more about my brain, I become keenly aware that I have more power than I thought. When I changed careers midlife I expected there would be a turn in my financial status. Little did I expect or prepare for was a nose-dive. I was working hard but not getting anywhere. So I kept learning and learning about anything I thought would advance my career and ambitions. As good as my ideas were – or I believed them to be – I could not move forward. I was stuck. By that time, I was questioning everything about myself and my ability to be successful again.
Through the power of the internet I discovered many different classes on abundance, affirmation, positive thinking, visualization, or any other topic similar in nature. I probably bought them all. Financial Success in 7 Weeks or Ten Days to Financial Success were a couple of very popular webinar programs. And truthfully, I understood the premise of these classes and I practiced what I learned. But lo-and-behold I didn’t attract large sums of money or lucrative opportunities and my frustration and fear levels continued to grow.
Then at the end of 2015 I did some research on the power of the subconscious mind. I must have been on everyone’s mailing list by this point because I did attract another round of webinars and seminars all based on the subconscious mind. I will usually listen to the free webinar if it was of interest to me – knowing there would be a sales pitch at the end. But I had learned to be more selective in what I purchased. After gaining some knowledge of the subconscious mind, I noticed that I was getting emails for courses that actually talked the language of the brain. Earlier courses covered much of the material but I didn’t connect the dots about the process. Now I understood how the law of attraction, abundance could actually be attained by retraining my brain. Aha! – I got it! I talk about changing your thoughts and change your life frequently. I didn’t put my brain knowledge and apply it to actually being able to retrain your brain to be wealthy.
I knew that these particular classes ultimately involved the sale of a product. And I knew that if there was no legitimate research to support retraining my brain to get wealthy – I was setting myself up as a patsy. It’s the wild, wild west in the world of online marketing and everyone is looking to get rich quick. So I looked for some supporting information and I found it. There was no class or product involved – just valid information. I found an article in Psychology Today by Susan Reynolds: ‘Can You Prime Your Brain to Get Rich’. Hear are the steps you need to know that support retraining your brain for wealth:
You Have a Primitive Brain When It Comes to Money
This speaks to the fact that the evolution of our brain over other primates has been a slow process. It was only 11,000 years ago that the first financial markets sprung up in Mesopotamia – around 2500 B.C. From trading food and silver to trading on the stock market, our brains have made a giant leap in evolution in a relatively short period of time.
You Are in the Driver’s Seat
Our brains are exemplary at certain things like recognizing simple patterns and generating emotional responses quickly – but still has difficulties recognizing or assessing long-term financial or business trends, recognizing random patterns, or the ability to focus on many things at one time. More importantly, our brain automatically responds to fear and make faulty decisions about what situations are dangerous and what aren’t. Making financial decisions challenges these instincts. If you understand how the brain works you can maximize your capabilities and tamp down behaviors, attitude, or fears that stymy your momentum.
Money Doesn’t Motivate Your Brain
This one is BIG. Money doesn’t satisfy your basic need for survival. Money is paper – but the value lies in what it represents to us. Your brain can get overwhelmed at all of the information coming in and will revert to emotional responses rather than logical thinking needed to make financial decisions.
This is a practical solution for financial success: set concrete goals with manageable steps and your brain will focus on what you need to do to reach those financial goals.
Your Brain Needs a Personalized Definition of Wealth
You need to define exactly what wealth looks like to you along with the value you place on it. Your brain will give precedence to whatever you repeatedly focus on or ask it to do. Define what wealth means to you, plan how to achieve your goals and your brain will focus on what needs to be done and help you establish and adhere to priorities.
Your Brain Needs the Docks Cleared
This was a big take-away for me.
We all reach adulthood carrying personal money scripts – which may be conscious or unconscious. These are your ideas about money, how to make money, how to manage money, how someone with a lot of money behaves, or how much is enough money.
These scenarios come from our past experience with money in our families and communities. These messages are embedded in our subconscious and can help us attain wealth or work against us in our attempts to be wealthy.
Your brain will make assumptions based on past experience – it believes whatever you tell it to believe. By recognizing beliefs, you can educate your brain to make different decisions about wealth. Review your script and modify it to fit your current thinking. This clarity will help your brain pay attention to and reinforce what you believe.
You Have a Highly Adaptable Brain
So to answer the title question – Yes, you can train your brain to succeed, to accomplish your dreams, to become the best you, to make prudent financial decisions. This whole process takes time, effort, and attention. You need to challenge your brain with your new thinking. Focus, intention, dedication, accountability, action and persistence are all needed to change your brain to experience and create wealth.
Footnote: My granddaughter asked me if I made any New Year resolutions and then answered her own question “You are going to be Rich!”. Brain training has started. The odds on winning this wealth are a lot greater than the Powerball!
Reynolds,S. (January 23,2012). Can you prime your brain to get rich? Retrieved December 16, 2015 from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/prime-your-gray-cells/201201/can-uou-prime-your-brain-get-rich