What Hinders Earning Money: Limiting Beliefs

[Anderson]

What rational ideas hinder us from making money? Ideas like needing to be born into wealth to become rich, or the belief that money is dirty or sinful if earned honestly. Some say if you haven't made it by forty, you never will. "I can't afford it" or "it's too expensive" are common refrains. So how do we actually earn money?

Why do some people succeed while others don't? Money operates by its own laws, whether we know them or not. Sometimes these laws work in our favor, sometimes against. Let's discuss. We grew up in a society where for 70 years, everything was about leveling out, delaying life. It was profitable to be unhappy, sick, or conformist. Standing out meant inviting envy and disapproval.

There's a mindset that to be wealthy, you must be born into wealth, that money is inherently tainted, and that honest ways won't earn you money. These beliefs, along with the uncertainty of worthiness, hinder us from achieving our dreams, including financial ones.

Three conditions can fulfill a dream, including financial ones, but only when circumstances align: when we're deserving, prepared, and ready to seize the opportunity. Money often doesn't come when expected; it requires these conditions to manifest.

From a psychological standpoint, one can't dream of money itself—it's a tool. Instead, one can dream of a house by the sea where family and happiness thrive. Motivation comes from these images; the unconscious doesn't calculate in millions or billions—it responds to aspirations.

I recommend you to read the posts about setting up goals:

 

Rational ideas that hinder include believing you can't be as wealthy as others because you love money and count it, or that money comes only from back-breaking labor. Action is essential, but smart action, not just sweat and toil. There's a tale of a Soviet physicist invited to America who fixed a complex device with a single hammer blow. Offered a large sum, he asked for a small fee for knowing where to strike next.

Modern times show wealth can come from expertise and selling professional skills. Many books detail earning fortunes: find a widespread need and satisfy it. "Want a million? Start a business. Want a billion? Found a religion."

Leading brands worth billions are more than products - they're lifestyles, mythologies, almost religions. Wealth doesn't just come from hard work; it comes from creating cultural icons and mythologies.

For wealth gained dishonestly, karma dictates a cost: honesty, health, or happiness. Taking more from the world than given back invites fate's reprisal.

Investing in stocks can reclaim unjust gains and hold dishonest companies accountable. Always know who runs the companies you invest in, their integrity, and who else invests with them.

Belief in deserving wealth and the idea of delaying life for future security come from generations past. Live as if you already have what you desire—karma rewards such confidence.

Financial goals begin with visualizing them. Know where your money will go once earned. Money isn't about the tool; it's about the goal it achieves. Work smartly toward these goals—don't just watch the ball; aim for the goal.

Systematic, disciplined, and informed action reduces risk. Don't gamble everything; diversify and listen more than you speak.

[Olga]

Imagine someone like Sarah, a 38-year-old who’s been working tirelessly in her career for years. She’s always done what she believed was the right thing: work hard, save diligently, and avoid risks. Yet, she finds herself stuck in a rut, wondering why she hasn’t reached the financial stability she dreamed of. She’s haunted by the belief that if she hasn’t made it by now, she never will.

Sarah grew up in a family where money was seen as a scarce resource, something to be hoarded and never flaunted. She heard countless stories about how money was the root of all evil, that it corrupts, and that only those born into wealth could ever truly be rich. These beliefs, deeply ingrained in her, held her back from even daring to think that she could be wealthy. She didn’t realize it, but she was subconsciously sabotaging herself, believing that wealth was reserved for others, not for someone like her.

One day, Sarah attended a workshop on financial literacy. It wasn’t the first time she’d tried to educate herself about money, but something was different this time. The speaker, an entrepreneur who had built a business from scratch, spoke not just about the mechanics of making money but about the psychology of it. He explained that many people, like Sarah, are trapped by irrational beliefs—myths, really—that keep them from even trying to achieve financial success. He said something that struck a chord with her: “You don’t dream of money itself; you dream of what money can bring.”

For Sarah, this was a revelation. She realized that she had been focusing on the wrong thing all along. She had been so fixated on the numbers—how much she had, how much she needed—that she forgot to think about what she actually wanted from life. When she allowed herself to dream, not of money, but of the life she wanted to live—a cozy home by the beach, the freedom to travel, a secure future for her family—she felt a new sense of motivation. These were tangible goals, things that made her heart race with excitement.

But it wasn’t just about dreaming. The speaker emphasized the importance of being prepared and ready when opportunities arise. Sarah thought back to all the times she had been too afraid to take a risk, too unsure of herself to seize an opportunity. She realized that she had been waiting for some magical moment when she would feel "deserving" of success, but that moment never came. The speaker’s words echoed in her mind: "Three things fulfill a dream—when you're deserving, prepared, and ready to seize the opportunity." She knew she had to change her mindset.

I recommend you to read the posts about the role of chance 

 

Sarah began to take small, calculated steps toward her new goals. She started by investing in her own skills, learning about areas she had previously avoided, like entrepreneurship and investing. She understood that smart action—like the story of the Soviet physicist who fixed a complex machine with a single hammer blow—was more valuable than just working harder. It was about knowing where to apply her effort and having the expertise to make it count.

As Sarah learned more, she also began to see the bigger picture. She noticed how successful businesses weren’t just selling products; they were creating lifestyles, even mythologies. Brands like Apple didn’t just sell gadgets - they sold a way of life, a sense of belonging. She started thinking about how she could apply this to her own aspirations. What if she could create something that resonated with people on a deeper level, something that wasn’t just about the money but about adding value to others' lives? This shift in thinking opened up new possibilities for her.

Yet, Sarah remained grounded. The concept of karma resonated with her deeply, reminding her that wealth gained dishonestly comes at a cost. She vowed to build her future with integrity, knowing that true success wouldn’t just be about the numbers in her bank account but about the life she could live with a clear conscience. She started paying more attention to where her money went, not just in terms of expenses but in her investments too. She made sure that the companies she invested in aligned with her values, believing that her money should reflect the kind of world she wanted to support.

Over time, Sarah’s mindset shifted completely. She no longer saw wealth as something distant or unattainable. She realized that financial goals started not with just saving or cutting costs, but with a clear vision of where she wanted to go and what she wanted to achieve. She began to live as if she already had the life she dreamed of, confident that the universe would respond to her belief in herself.

Her journey was far from over, but Sarah now approached each day with a new sense of purpose. She was no longer just watching the ball—she was aiming for the goal. With each step, she moved closer to the life she had once thought was only for others. Now, she knew it was within her reach, because she had learned the most important lesson of all: wealth wasn’t about the money; it was about the life she built with it.