I was recently asked by Saurabh, one of my awesome readers, to write a post on how to raise your vibration around money. Realizing that this was a subject that pretty much applies to everyone, I immediately told him that I’d turn that sucker into a blog post. The only problem is that the issue of money is a huge, vast abyss. It’s kind of like writing a post on weight loss – no two people are fat for the exact same reason. And no two people are poor (or not as rich as they’d like to be) for the exact same reason. Even if we stick to the most commonly held limiting beliefs out there, we’re still talking about more than can possibly be packed into one little blog post (yes, even one of mine…). So, I’ve decided to explore individual beliefs in separate, future posts, and focus on some actions you can take right now that will help you to generally lift your money vibration. So, while today’s post won’t help you to release that deep seated belief that’s been in your family for generations, it will help you to make some changes that will allow you to draw more money to you. In other words, I’m going to help you to begin the process of making money your bitch. You know, generally.

How do you feel about money? No, really?

Even though your individual, specific beliefs about money may differ greatly, all financial issues can basically be boiled down to one thing: how you feel about money. This doesn’t just mean how you feel when you look at a dollar bill, but how you feel about anything that represents money to you.

How do you feel when…

• you look at or think of rich people?
• you see something you want but can’t afford right now?
• you look at your current possessions (like your house, your car, etc.)?
• you look at or think about your paycheck and/or ability to make money in the future?
• you pay the bills?
• you visit someone who has a higher standard of living than you do?
• your friend or family member blows a wad of cash on something you think is “frivolous”?
• you see some rapper whose only talent seems to be cursing at the po-po, driving a gold Mercedes?

If your answer to any of the questions above was anything less than “Great! I love money! Money loves me! I want everyone to have money!”, or at least something along those lines, you’ve got your first clue as to what may be lurking in the dark shadows of your money vibration. Your goal should be to answer all of those questions (honestly, you can’t fake this stuff) the way you would if you were rich. Basically, you want to get to the point where you feel the way you would if you were rich, even though you’re not rich.

So, without further ado, here are some exercises that will help you get into that mindset:

The fake account balance

Print out your bank statement, put a “1” in front of the balance and post it somewhere where you’ll see it every day.

Why? The mere act of looking at that number is not going to do Jack Squat for you. But if you can allow yourself to believe, to pretend, even for just a few minutes a day, that this “new” balance is actually real (and looking at it on your bank statement will help you to do that), the better you’ll begin to feel about your account balance in general. And when you begin to feel better about the balance, you’ll have raised your vibration on that point. The better feeling is your proof that your vibration is higher.

Pay your bills with a smile. Clenching teeth not allowed

When you pay your bills every month, take a moment to appreciate what you’re paying for. For example, if you’re paying your mortgage bill, spend a moment to appreciate the house you live in. Or if you’re paying the electricity, be thankful that the lights are on.

Why? For most people, paying the bills is a horrible experience. They hate it. It triggers all kinds of fears. They’ve worked pretty hard at identifying every possible negative thought around the activity. When they pay their mortgage, they send hateful thoughts to the greedy, greedy bastards at the bank. The electric bill? Forget about it. They should be ashamed of themselves for charging so much. Guess what that kind of thinking gets you? More experiences that feel exactly like that. So, change the way you feel when you’re paying those bills. Put a smiley face on the check. Make up and sing the “Thank God I Own A House Song” (because having a mortgage means you own a house). Take it from someone who lives in a country where the electricity is by no means guaranteed (ever spend a whole evening sitting alone in a dark apartment, because the power went out? Again? I frequently sing the “Thank God My Wine Bottle Opener Isn’t Electric” song…) – paying that bill may suck, but not having any electricity sucks more. If you cannot find a way to feel good about this activity, you can also set up automatic payment on your bills so that you no longer have to write those checks.

Credit does not equal “free money”

Live below your means. Raise your standard of living to match your income, not your income to keep up with your standard of living. Stop freaking buying things on credit (why do you need a big screen TV NOW? Why can’t it wait until you don’t have to put it on credit? Who exactly are you trying to impress?)

Why? When you’re constantly just a breath away from possible bankruptcy, it’s going to be very difficult for you to feel financially free. Stop acting like you poop gold, so you can start feeling that way. Um, figuratively speaking, of course.

Get a piggy bank

Create a financial cushion, say, enough to survive on for 6 months. Yes, that means, save.

Why? It’s not only makes logical sense, but it will give you a sense of security. It can really help to quell those fears of “What will happen if I lose my job or I get ill?” Those fears will really hold you back. Having a financial buffer will not release those fears, but it will stop triggering them, which is almost the same thing.

I’ll give you a personal example: There was a time in my life when I was heavily in debt. Collection agents calling me and my family kind of debt. I was working for employers that had no problem firing people on the spot at any time, and so I lived in fear of losing my job. I felt trapped. Once I paid off most of my bills (everything but my student loan at the time), I worked on saving all my extra cash. One day, I realized that I had enough money in the bank to pay my bills for the next 6 months. The weight that fell off my shoulders that day was enormous. I was no longer afraid of my boss. I voiced my opinion, joked around more, and just generally allowed myself to have a lot more fun at work. Instead of getting me fired, it actually made me stand out more in a good way. Creating that financial cushion shifted my energy and allowed me to be happier, which made me more successful. I’ve never been without that cushion since.

Go shopping like a rich person. With a top hat and a monocle. Wait…is that the Monopoly guy? Or is that the peanut guy? Which one has the cane? I think they might be the same guy… Has anyone ever seen the Monopoly guy naked?

Get some Monopoly money, enough to represent a full month’s salary, and put it in your wallet. Then, when you go shopping, pretend that this money is real, but that you’re simply just choosing not to spend it right now. So, when you see a nice piece of jewelry, or a gorgeous coat, instead of thinking “Damn it! I can’t afford that!” you’ll say to yourself “I could totally buy that bracelet, I’m just choosing not to use my money this way right now.”

Why? People who have money (and have a healthy relationship with it, not those cheap-ass rich people who clearly can’t sleep at night because they’re afraid of losing it all), never think that they can’t afford something, even when that something costs more than they have. They may think “How will I make the money with which I’ll buy this?”, or they’ll think “I’ll buy this later”, or maybe even “I’ll look for a version of this with a better price to value ratio (because rich people totally talk like that).” But they’ll never lament the fact that they can’t have something they want. They can have it. It’s just not worth it to them to have it right now under the current circumstances. This is a very different mindset.

Appreciate the bling

Actively look for nice things, in any price range, to appreciate. Don’t limit yourself to things you can afford. Do you like Ferraris? Go and ogle one. And if it makes you feel a little uncomfortable, work on visualizing it until you can feel good about it.

Why? When you have negative feelings while looking at expensive things that you actually like, it signifies a limiting belief – one that states, in one way or another, that you can’t have this thing and may never be able to have it. It’s a kind of grief or resentment. If you can change the way you feel about just one really expensive item, you’ll have shifted the vibration of that underlying belief, which will impact your ability to receive all the nice things you want.

Stop hatin’ the rich folks

When you look at or think of rich people, don’t demonize them. Try to see yourself as one of them, but be the person you want to be. You don’t have to be a snob or be false or heartless to be rich. For example, many people who actually want more money, think that rich people are all a bunch of deeply unhappy, elitist bastards. Not so. When I worked as a dealer in Las Vegas, I came across a ton of really, REALLY rich people, and sure, some were assholes of enormous proportions (mega assholes), but quite a few of them were these amazing individuals, who totally enjoyed their money. They had fun, they were generous, they were normal; they appreciated their gourmet dinners and 500 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets. They adored driving their Ferraris. They didn’t take anything for granted. They were rich and cool. You could be, too.

Why? You can’t become something you hate. Stop hating. Some rich people are horrible people. Some poor people are horrible people. Money isn’t an asshole machine, it just amplifies things. So, if you’re an insecure schmuck when you’re poor and you don’t clean that up, money will really allow you to live out that inferiority complex. But if you’re awesome, money will allow you to be freakin’ awesome.

Taking these action steps is less about releasing individual beliefs and more about managing those fears. When you stop triggering those lower frequencies, your vibration can rise and more money can flow to you.

What playful, feeling-like-money’s-your-bitch, action steps can you come up with? Share your ideas (and songs!) in the comments and let’s all join the freakin’ awesome cool rich. Who’s with me?