Tame Your Money Fears: How to Transform Fear into Your Ally For Growth

Every new adventure or growth opportunity sparks fear. If you travel to a new country and don't speak the language you may experience fear for your safety. If you are writing a book for the first time, you may fear what others may think of you.

When it comes to making a major career transition such as leaving the comfort of a steady paycheck for up's and down's of running your own business, the question is not IF you will deal with money fears but rather WHEN you will and more importantly HOW you handle it.

Money fears are those nagging voices in your head that say things like:

• "I know you want to start your own business, but who are you kidding? The kids are in college, you don't have enough money in the bank. It's best to wait..."
• "Sure the life of an entrepreneur sounds exciting and boy wouldn't we love the flexible lifestyle. But seriously, we got bills. How in the world will this business EVER earn as much as what you are making now?"
• "Make money doing what you love? Really? Let's live in the real world, okay?"

What makes money fears so powerful is because they are sneaky. They sound reasonable but if unchallenged, they will sabotage (NOT enable) greater success. Money fears are what makes people give up on their dreams and say no to opportunities.

Taking on Money Fears

So let me share with you a few strategies on how to can acknowledge and befriend your money fears and turn them into an ally to you achieving your highest potential (vs. making you play small):

1. Recognize when you are experiencing money fears. If you feel tempted to accept a job that pays less than you are worth or do something that you know that you hate for the sake of money, your money fears are present. When you feel that "fight or flight" panic, your money fears are activated.
2. Get curious about your money fears. Don't avoid them or repress them. Find out what myths they are spawning that could inhibit your success.
3. Actively replace your money myths with truth. Challenge your belief systems around money and consider alternative points of view.
4. Give your money fears a well-deserved and clear plan for how your survival needs can and will be met.
5. Move your money fears from its shadow into the light. Your money fears at their best represent the side of you that lives in integrity. When engage your money fears productively and get to the other side you stand in place of knowing your worth... without compromise. It's the journey from the shadow of being keenly aware of the price of everything to becoming keenly aware of what is priceless.

Which Road Will You Take?

Elizabeth Gilbert in her book Big Magic suggests that "Ideas are driven by a single impulse: to be made manifest. And the only way an idea can be made manifest in our world is through collaboration with a human partner." And if we say no to an idea they move on to someone else.

This is what will happen to your business idea or career aspiration if you let money fears get in your way. The vision will simply move on to someone else who will make it a reality. And the world will lose out on your unique spin to the idea AND more importantly you will lose out on the opportunity to participate in making your dream come true.