Success is first about the mind. 2 decades of walking this success journey has proven that. In my years of coaching and speaking, the #1 obstacle to success is the lies we have believed. Most people have accepted bits of information, cliches and half-truths that keep getting in the way of their financial success. These lies live rent-free in their heads. They wear them to work, school, hospital, gym, worship centres and to bed.
Thanks to these lies, people take self-sabotaging steps that keep them bound in the mud pit of poverty and lack. The first step to getting out of poverty is to identify these limiting beliefs, uninstall them and adopt empowering beliefs. But this is not as easy as it sounds. At least for those starting, the hardest part is even knowing they have limiting beliefs. This is why, in this article, I will share 5 lies that have kept you poor.
1. I still have time
No, you don’t. Depending on where you are right now, there is more you can be doing with your life and time. Let’s be honest, the average human being lives to be 75. Sometimes 80.
You will spend one-third of that time sleeping. You will spend another one-third doing stuff like eating, looking for your keys, listening to music, travelling, stuck in traffic and scrolling through social media.
Now, you only have one-third of those 75 years to do something meaningful with your life. And if you factor in the days you spend lying sick, that time is further slashed. When you put this in perspective, the truth spills out. You. Don’t. Have. Time.
2. I don’t have time
Wait, what? “Is this some wordplay?” you ask.
No, it’s not. As much as this point looks different from the first, we all tell ourselves this lie all the time too. How many times have you heard people say, “if I had more time, I will read more books.” “If I had more time, I would…” Maybe you have said it before.
If you’re honest with yourself, you will admit having sufficient time to do what you NEED to be doing. You’re simply poor at prioritising and allocating time to the most rewarding activities.
It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you cut back just 1 hour from your daily social media time. The average person spends 3 hours on social media every day. That’s 21 hours a week, 84 hours in a month and 1,008 (42 days) in a year. Now, these are conservative figures. We all know some people burn twice that time on mindless social media activities.
So, think of what 3 hours of focused work will do to your life and dream? Stop being busy. Be productive.
3. I’m too old…I’m too young
Isn’t it amazing that the first 3 points in this article are related to time? Well, that’s because time is life. If you can control your time, you will be a master in life.
Let’s visit both sides of the pendulum. “I’m too old for this” simply means “I have resigned my fate to live the rest of my days as a spectator.”
Truth is, there are things you can no longer do as you age. But age offers you other opportunities as well. Sure, you cannot compete on strength but you can thrive on wisdom. There are things you have learn that the younger generation isn’t privy to. Leverage that knowledge.
On the flip side, “I am too young” simply means “I am postponing responsibility for my choices. Therefore, I will spend my most productive years playing video game and poker until I feel ready.”
This too is a big deception. The thing about deception is, you don’t know you are being deceived; either by someone else or worse, yourself.
Your teens, 20s and 30s are the periods to explore life, fail, learn and explore again. At this phase, your mistakes have lesser consequence than they would when you’re 60. Don’t let anyone tell you that you are too young or old. Better still, don’t be the one to tell yourself that.
4. I don’t have a choice
This statement reeks of discouragement. It means you have resigned yourself to fate. And you are willing to accept whatever life throws at you.
The saddest part is, this statement insults the very core of your humanity. As a human being, you ALWAYS have the power of choice. While we can’t always choose what happens to us, we can still choose how we react to it.
Never let anyone talk you into this lie. No matter where you are, you have a choice. Not exercising your power of choice is equally a choice. You can rise from lack to riches, sickness to health, fear to faith and the list goes on.
5. Wealth and Riches is only for a select few
If you said this in the 14th century, then you’re probably right. But today? This maxim holds no water. The ubiquity of the internet alone has levelled the playing field for everyone. You are reading this article on a device more sophisticate than the rocket that flew Neil Armstrong to the moon in 1969.
Your mobile phone, if used correctly, can change your financial status forever. You can create digital products and send them off into the market to make money for you. You can monetise your knowledge and mint money out of thin air. Nothing is stopping you from starting. All you need is right in your hands. But you must figure out what to do with it.
That said, I leave you with the words of Plato; “The worst of all deception is self-deception.” Which of these 5 lies have you been telling yourself? Let me know in the comments.
