In this article series, I share excerpts and stories from my book, Divine Secrets of Affluent Women: The Guide To Owning Your Wealth. I hope you enjoy this post — if you like to connect, you can reach me via email or connect with me on social: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook. Also, you can also find my book on Amazon — click here to purchase Kindle version.
Do you ever wonder why affluent women are financially savvy living a balanced lifestyle while others struggle at managing money?
According to a study published by the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education[1], your attitudes about money and debt are formed during your adolescence. We have a collection of thoughts and beliefs about money that shape our thoughts and habits. In fact, we can predict your financial experiences based on your parents’ habits and attitudes toward money [from being financially responsible to wasteful spending].
How you think about money will greatly influence your financial situation. That’s why it’s vital to first explore what your own beliefs and opinions about money are.
Is money hard to come by?
What is money’s place in your life?
If you grow up thinking that being rich is somehow wrong, you are only equipped to handle small amounts of money because your core belief is against being rich; you will spend money as quickly as you earn it.
What makes these financially savvy women different is not a “natural ability” that they were born with. They really have no clear advantage over anyone else at birth. The difference is that they’ve made a CHOICE to be financially savvy. They have decided to live their life the way they want and have created consistent routines that make them the way that they are.
You can learn from the behavior and strategies of wealthy women and change your relationship with money.
What is holding you back from being wealthy?
Is it because you’re not good with money?
Or is it because you don’t have a college degree?
Lack of education or credentials should not hold you back. Financial success is possible in any field and any business. Yet our minds have been conditioned to respond negatively to cues concerning wealth-building opportunities. We struggle with our own power to make money.
Becoming wealthy is a mind game. Our state of mind and attitude determines our level of financial success. We can transform our beliefs and assumptions about what is possible no matter how difficult our circumstances or how discouraged we feel. We can acquire a wealthy mindset and learn to think like an affluent woman.
What does it take to be an affluent woman?
I had the privilege and honor to get to know some of them. Collectively, I found common traits and attributes they all have. Some of them were born with the will to persevere and the ability to overcome being raised by abusive and/or neglectful parents. They had the mindset to succeed despite their upbringing. They often overcame challenges that would destroy spirit, pride, and ambition in most people.
There is no good reason for you to think that you cannot be an affluent woman.
What we really want to do is what we are really meant to do. When we do what we are meant to do, money comes to us, doors open for us, we feel useful, and the work we do feels like play to us. — Julia Cameron
Here’s a portrait of the affluent women:
We focus on financial independence. We trust our own intuition and our inner diva to persevere. Some of us are well-educated but not necessarily intellectually gifted. Some of us do not have a degree. We are content because we have fulfilled our need to be self-reliant and became self-made affluent. Satisfaction comes from our families, from exceeding our goals, from helping noble causes, from work that has provided a clear path to financial independence. We have the freedom to allocate both time and money.
Integrity
Affluent women are honest with everyone. We look at things from our point of view and the point of view of others. We became rich without compromising integrity.
Independence of thought
We think outside the box and do not follow the crowd. We are disciplined enough to search for great economic opportunities.
Work Ethnic
We work harder than most people. The harder we work, the luckier we become.
Discipline and Self-control
We prepare and plan to succeed. We are well-organized. To become wealthy, we are disciplined in thought and deed. We discipline ourselves to look forward to the future, even though most of us have overcome adversity and reversals in life.
Vocation
We see our vocation as a calling in life and not as a job.
Empathy
We get along with people and understand the backgrounds of each person. In fact, we tend to focus on the needs and interests of others, because we can’t get to the next level without their help and cooperation. Once we understand the feelings of others, we are selected to lead.
Leadership Skills
We have the ability to persuade and sell our vision, our ideas, our game plan, our dreams, our product, and our services. Yet as leaders, we see beyond ourselves and perceive the true capacities and capabilities of team members. We create an environment that encourages team members to take on primary responsibility to find answers to the challenges they face. We help them see what’s possible. Once they see our vision, team members take ownership of their work.
Courage to Take Financial Risks
We dare to take economic opportunities that others ignored. We are disciplined to search for great economic opportunities.
Supportive Spouse or None at All
We tend to marry someone who is positive, supportive, and brings out the best in us. As we travel along the road of life, we need someone who tends to be self-disciplined, frugal, even-tempered, secure, and accepting. Our spouse becomes an informal confidant who provides psychological support.
Frugality
We accumulate wealth by living below our means. We avoid debt at all costs. We don’t want to be a burden to others.
Team of Advisors
We hire a team of trusted advisors and experts, such as CPA, attorney, financial planner, and investment advisors to guide us. The money we spend on valuable advice is worth its weight in gold.
Wealthy and Generous
We distribute a portion of our wealth to those in need. We have a very strong sense of community. We see the need to help others through acts of kindness. We support the noble causes — understaffed, underfunded, underappreciated, and the non-elitist. Empathy for others influences how we distribute our wealth in ways that give us great satisfaction.
We are doers who do not waste time or emotional energy complaining. We direct our energy in ways that enhance our productivity and improve our quality of life. We keep our crown hidden because we don’t want to brag about our financial success. We thrive to live a balanced life by making trade-offs. We choose to be mothers, wives, and dutiful daughters who enjoy spending quality time with our families.
Truth be told… you do not need all these attributes to become affluent, but you do need to save money and live below your means. Regardless of where you are in your financial life, the good news is you can join this exclusive club of affluent women by following the tools and strategies discussed in the book.
For more information, you can find my book on Amazon — here is the link to purchase the Kindle version.