Lewis Howes: The Belief Keeping You Broke Without You Knowing

Awareness as the First Step to Changing Money Relationship00:00

When someone is desperate for money, stressed by it, paralyzed by it, or feeling pressure around it, the first thing to do is create awareness. This means noticing how you feel and think when you receive money, when you pay money, when you look at your bank account, or when you open your purse or wallet. The key is to observe whether you have shallow breathing, feel relaxed, anxious, scarce, or abundant. The goal is to have awareness around how you feel and think about the money you have, the money coming in, and the money going out.

Understanding Your Money Story01:02

After establishing awareness, the next step is understanding your money story. The relationship style people develop around money typically comes from watching their parents unless they heal or have a breakthrough as a teenager. This includes all the conversations parents had around money, whether parents fought about money, were involved in discussions about how expensive things were, or whether money contributed to arguments or divorce.

The question becomes whether your nervous system, body, energy, and thoughts are stressed out around money, and whether you feel scarce or abundant.

Personal Money Story Examples02:30

Lewis Howes grew up feeling a little bit beneath everyone else. While his family had a home and he went to school, other kids had rollerblades while he had sneakers, and others had Nintendo while he read books. This shaped his belief system that he was just a little bit under everyone else, which created insecurity around money. When he received money, he got excited but didn't know what to do with it, feeling afraid, insecure, and unsure.