If you're so smart, why ain't you rich?

Becoming a millionaire is not just a matter of book smarts. There is a psychology of wealth.

We've all heard the stories of the person who dropped out of high school and went on to become a millionaire after they invented some product or offered a new service, living happily ever after.

And we've heard about the person with a college education and above-average I.Q. who winds up in a succession of minimum wage jobs and never achieves the financial success that seemed almost inevitable when they were in school.

What happened?

According to T. Harv Eker, best-selling author and creator of the Millionaire Mind Intensive Seminar, what happened was a major difference in the 'money blueprint' of these two individuals.

The subconscious beliefs we have about money, wealth and success determine the kind of results we get in our life. The so-called 'money blueprint' has a great deal more to do with where we wind up financially than what we are traditionally taught in school.

If you could get into the head of a millionaire and learn their secrets of the millionaire mind, you would see that they consistently think differently about money and success than people of lesser means.

Harv Eker says it this way; 'Your inner world determines your outer world'. It works in a logical sequence of steps. Your thoughts determine how you feel, your feelings determine your actions and your actions lead to your results.

The insidious thing about these thoughts and beliefs is that they are in our subconscious mind, and are often the opposite of our conscious thoughts. But the subconscious thought will eventually win out over the conscious one because it keeps 'working' just under the surface to keep us in a certain 'comfort zone'. The effect is to undermine and sabotage our efforts toward success.

For example, if you think (subconsciously) that money is bad or is the root of all evil you will have negative feelings about money and wealth. You will not take the actions necessary to accumulate any degree of wealth and without action you will definitely not achieve wealth and financial freedom.

If, on the other hand, you think (subconsciously) that money is a good thing, positive thoughts will lead to good feelings about wealth accumulation and you will find yourself taking the appropriate action. Your results will be wealth and financial freedom.

The subconscious thought will ALWAYS win out in the long run.

Where did these beliefs come from?

These thoughts, beliefs and ideas became ingrained and embedded in our subconscious minds by well-meaning authority figures like parents and teachers, and by our own experiences. This happened when we were children and had little ability to discern opinion from fact.

Where we are now financially, and how we think today, are the sum total of all those inputs. The computer industry has a crude phrase for this, 'Garbage in, garbage out'. And likewise, 'Quality in, quality out.'

But once you're aware of the connection between beliefs, actions, and results, you can make any needed correction in your life.

First you need to take an inventory of your subconscious and conscious beliefs about money and wealth. And then with the right tools and exercises you can examine the actual 'truth' of those beliefs and begin to change the beliefs and related behaviors that keep you from reaching your potential.

This process of self-discovery takes some effort but it is one of the most rewarding things you will ever do. I encourage you to do so. Then you will understand the secrets of the millionaire mind and both you and your family will enjoy the benefits.