Have you ever questioned your Money Mindset?

Since young I watched my aunty worked as a banker getting a decent and stable salary, plus travelling oversea once every few years. I also watched my dad worked as a printing machine operator struggled going through month-end to feed 7 mouths with his sole salary, and we didn’t have a chance to travel.

I am truly grateful of my dad completed mission impossible supporting his children through tertiary education, with the help of PTPTN from Malaysia government (I’m grateful too and I had paid off all my student loan). He has never left me hungry even for once.

At the same time, I also admired a job in bank, it’s a golden rice bowl during that time because of its stability and excellent benefits package. So I enrolled my bachelor degree in banking and finance thinking I would have a bright future.

It was only until I saw my aunty went home every night at 11 pm, eating the dinner that my grandma kept for her, then she would go to bed at 12 am and start her next day at 5 am, I realized this is not the lifestyle that I wanted.

Both of them worked 40+ years with their employers (the same one) since day 1 they began working. How do these two of my loved ones shape my money mindset and beliefs?

From my dad: I am never ambitious of becoming rich (or I dare not to dream rich), convince myself it’s ok to be just ordinary, I don’t want to be materialistic, I hate branded stuff, money is hard-earned, I just spend what I earn, I will not start my own family without financial stability.

From my aunty: I need to sacrifice my personal life and social life for a decent income, I need to clear the piles and piles of documents before going home, I need to take dinner at late night and repeat the routine on next day early morning.

As a young girl back then, I may not clear with what I wanted in life, but I was sure of what I didn’t want. After graduation, I have never applied for a job vacancy in bank. And yet I still carry the money mindset to progress in my life.

Challenges that I had: I dared not to ask for a promotion though I thought I much deserved it. I hypnotized myself to be more hardworking so my boss would recognize my value one day. I paid money to learn investing and side gigs but couldn’t see much returns. I was always having more ideas than actions.

I didn’t notice of my money mindset until the subconscious reprogramming course, that I realized my denial of money is due to the mindset and belief that I had: money is evil; money breaks relationship; I crave for a comfortable lifestyle but I don’t want to make the hard work or shoulder a bigger responsibility; I am just ordinary, there are always someone better than me so who am I to stand out.

With the help of mentors and trainers from different expertise, this is how I view money today. First, money is a tool to achieve/ serve/ sustain my dream, the figures are not my final goals. My final goals are to be able to live the lifestyle I want and to experience new things.

Second, always see things’ values beyond its monetary term. Giving out money is a way of exchanging energy to receive greater things. How much am I willing to give out to receive an equivalent value or more of another thing? When an opportunity arise, should I see what would I gain first before asking what would I pay? Would I consider ‘investing’ my resources to exchange for the value that I want or move me closer to my goals?

It’s not easy to break a mindset that lasted for few decades, the new mindset/ beliefs/ perspective shift needs to be fostered with repetitive consistent actions and newly formed habits. I continue to work with my mentors who would cheer me up and also hold me accountable of my actions. I took their advice, ask for feedback and adjust my actions along the way.

Up to here, this is my learning about money and it’s also my declaration: Money is good, money serves me a greater purpose and value. I am capable of and deserve to earn good money, make good use of it to sustain my desired lifestyle and to serve good intention for people surrounding me.

What money mindset do you have? Does it serve you the purpose you intended?