The Money Personality
By Jon Murray
Copyright 1997 :
Jon Murray, Information Services, 114 Duke Street, Edinburgh, EH6 8HR
All buyers of this guide may reproduce it for resale.
Any changes in the manuscript must be authorised by the original author :
J. Murray.
The Money Personality
Contents Page
Introduction 4
Section One : Have You Ever Really Tried? 5
Section Two : What Makes A Money Personality? 7
Section Three : What About Me? 14
Conclusion 18
Introduction
Why is it that a certain people always seem to have plenty of money? OK, so some are
born into a wealthy family, some are lucky enough to win the pools or a big lottery prize,
but there are others who simply have the 'knack' - and no matter what situation they are
born into and grow up in, they always seem to attract money!
What is this enviable ability, what makes these people, who seem to have been born
with what we will call 'The Money Personality', so different from the majority of us?
After extensive studies of people who have become self-made men and women, despite
their many differences, there seem to be some definite personality traits and behaviour
patterns which they all have in common. The main characteristic is that these people all
have levels of desire and determination which your average person simply doesn't show.
The desire and determination in people who have mastered success may not be
immediately obvious, but this is only because they employ these attributes with such
natural flair that they often don't even appear to be trying very hard. The main reason
being, that when you master the skills of the money personality they become like second
nature.
Now, most people, when forced into a desperate situation will show a strength of
character that they, and others who know them, did not know they possessed. The kind
of strength of character which could, if it was channelled into wealth creating endeavours
could hardly fail to produce riches. However, in the general day to day running of their
lives they show no particular skill at acquiring wealth and all it's trappings.
Those who do have the ability to amass substantial incomes for themselves come from
such a variety of backgrounds and have such variations in education and academic ability
that it is immediately obvious their education or backgrounds cannot be a constant or
necessary deciding factor in their abilities to achieve success.
It would seem that, in the majority of cases, the habits formed in early life lead to the
eventual success or failure of the individual in later life. The person who, as a child,
would never say no to a challenge, never give up at the first sign of failure, like so many
of us do, is the person who is much more likely to develop into someone who has a
'money personality'.
Some of the richest and most powerful men in history have come from the poorest and
most disadvantaged backgrounds. Henry Ford springs to mind, he came from a poor,
working class background, had little schooling and certainly couldn't be said to have had
any great amount of luck in the early days. However, he went on to build the world's first
major motor corporation and, in his day, was among the richest men in America.
Section One : Have You Ever Really Tried?
Although it is obviously the case that those who seem to have been born with the right
kind of thinking and attitude have a distinct advantage, is it really possible for the rest of
us to learn how to develop these attributes?
There seems to be a general consensus of opinion that people with a sharp intellect and a
good education are at a definite advantage. This, however, does not explain why, when
you look at those who have created their own fortunes from humble beginnings, there
appears to be as many who have no particular intellectual or academic advantage as
there are those who do.
Even those who, later in life, turn out to be extremely intelligent have often been poor
achievers during their school years. Albert Einstein, for example, was renowned for
being rather an under-achiever at school! Yet we all know, that when he became
involved in activities which really stimulated him, he turned out to have one of the
greatest minds ever known.
Likewise, those who have gone through the earlier years of their lives with scant
achievements, have often suddenly blossomed into super-achievers. These are the ones
who have discovered what their luckier counterparts seem to have been born with. The
fact that, with the right attitude and the strength of belief and determination, virtually
anything is possible.
This is all very well, and probably most readers will be familiar with the concept that faith
can move mountains and that if you 'try, try and try again' you will eventually succeed.
Yes, but this brings us to the main reason most people fail to realise anything like their full
potential. The fact is, quite simply, that most of us are much more comfortable with
failure than we are with success.
You may think that the idea of being more comfortable with failure than success is
absurd. Well, it does seem absurd, and most people will deny that they have a greater
propensity for under-achievement than for excellence in achievement. However, if
people really were not so afraid of success, do you think that we would be surrounded
by so many failures, or, at least so many people who are using such a tiny part of their
potential?
If you were to question any average person, anyone who has obviously not made the
most of their lives, which is most of us, and ask them what they have really tried to do to
make the kind of money they would like, you will find that most have actually tried very
little. In a belief that real success and wealth is something that belongs to other people
you will find that the majority simply have dreams and ideas which never come to any
kind of fruition.
Even of those who will protest that they have tried a great many things, but have simply
failed to get the results they want, if you ask them why they failed, they will almost
invariably blame their failures on 'circumstances', or on other people letting them down.
Of course it's easier to blame outside forces for our failures than to face up to the
responsibility of accepting that, when we fail, it is almost entirely our own faults.
Surely this can't be the case, I hear you say. Why should this be? The main reason, I
have concluded, is that most people simply give up when things start to prove more
difficult than they thought they might be. They simply won't believe that by perseverance
they can succeed, so they give up before they have really, properly tried. We should
perhaps all be more like the man who, when asked if he could play the piano, replied "I
don't know" - "What do you mean you don't know?" - "I have never tried".
The common belief is that people often don't achieve the success they dream about
because they are afraid of failure, so they simply don't give life the effort they should. So,
in effect they simply remain the failures that they will often claim they are actually afraid
of becoming!
It is my opinion that, after reading extensively about successful people, they are the ones
who are not afraid to go for what it is they want. They have truly believed that they
deserve a better life and have taken the necessary steps to achieve it. Most of us simply
don't think that we deserve any better than that which we get. So those who truly believe
they deserve better are the ones who almost invariably get the better things out of life.
I don't mean to suggest that most of us don't actually want a better, more wealthy life.
We all want to improve. The difference between those who actually achieve these
improvements are the ones who truly believe - the majority simply wish they had more
wealth and happiness. Now here is the significant difference: The difference between
wishing for something and actually believing it is not only possible, but essential that you
shall have it is a very significant difference indeed.
Section Two : What Makes A Money Personality?
So what are these personality traits and behaviour patterns which lead to the kind of
success that those with a "money personality" seem to achieve so easily.
The main areas where money personalities seem to excel are many and varied - but, by
leaving out those which cannot be realistically said to be common to almost all very
successful people I have been left with the following :
They are listed here by number, but not necessarily in any particular order of importance.
Now, all these are qualities which we can all recognise. However, how many of us
actually really possess and employ them in our own lives?
1. Self-confidence.
It is incredible just how lacking in self-confidence the majority of people are. Even those
who don't seem to be too shy socially and can talk eloquently at parties and other social
functions will often go to pieces when they are asked to stand up on a stage and address
a large hall full of people. Now why is this? Why should most people be terrified of a
large audience? I can think of no other reason than that they are actually afraid of what
people think of them. Now there's the rub! The person with the money personality
doesn't try to deliberately upset or harm people, but at the same time, almost without
exception, they really don't concern themselves too much with what other people think.
The root of self-confidence is believing in yourself, and in order to do this you must rid
yourself of crippling over-concern for the approval of others. When you do this you will
be amazed at how liberating it is. I appreciate that it is not such a simple task, especially
if you are a shy person. However, if you really repeat to yourself that you know there is
nothing about you of which you should be ashamed, then, over a period of time, you will
gain the self-confidence which is one of the essential ingredients for success.
Whilst still having reasonable and proper consideration for other people, stop being
concerned about what they think and think for yourself. Have the self-confidence to truly
be yourself.
2. Belief In Your Abilities.
When a child is constantly told that they are not particularly bright, or not particularly
good at anything, they will come to believe it. They will believe it with such conviction
that they will appear to be not very clever and rather poor at the tasks they have been
told they cannot efficiently perform.
There are a great many people who have been so discouraged from success from such
an early age that they will inevitably end up failing. That is until they realise that they are
simply believing the negative things which they have always been expected to believe
about themselves. Once you realise that you don't know whether you can do something
until you properly try, and stop convincing yourself that you cannot do it simply as a
matter of principal, then you are in with a chance!
Money personality people have a real sense of their abilities and believe that they are
capable of much more than the average person. And I don't mean capable of performing
incredible feats of intellectual prowess or superhuman daring. Simply that they know
they can succeed. They know that they deserve better in life. They know that they
deserve to make and have more money. They are also aware that, although they have to
go for it, they don't need any really special or amazing abilities - just that they are
equipped with the right kind of belief in themselves and the abilities they do have.
3. Belief That You Deserve More.
"It's a funny thing about life: if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often
get it". These words of wisdom were said by W. Somerset Maugham, and are, without
doubt absolutely true. The reason most of us don't usually get the best is that we are too
ready to accept less. We all want the best, but rarely ever actually insist on it!
Money personalities are the kind of personalities that know they deserve more and
simply refuse to accept any different. The rest of us simply put up with what we have
become accustomed to, and go on dreaming that some day things will improve. Well,
things won't improve, that is, unless we do something about it.
Before anyone will ever be inclined to do anything to improve their situation and make
themselves a lot more money they are going to have to be equipped with the belief that
they deserve it. Anyone who doesn't have this belief will simply not have the necessary
motivation. No motivation : no action : no result!
4. Definite Goals.
As I fondly remember from an old Laurel and Hardy movie that I watched about 30
years ago, when Ollie said to Stan : "If you don't know where you're going, you'll
probably end up someplace else!". Although this was a simple line from a quaint old
comedy film, it is something I have always remembered, and often thought about when
I've not kept my sights firmly set on my own goals.
Successful people know what they want and are determined that they shall have it.
Unsuccessful people only wish they could do better. The difference is immense.
Without a definite plan, a definite direction in which to continually progress, you are
doomed to travel round in circles. Usually ever decreasing circles. Money personalities
know what they want - and they set about deciding exactly how they will get it. They
decide on a definite course of action and stick to it, making adjustments, but never giving
up, as they go for it.
5. Visualisation.
To continually dream first of one great lifestyle, with the yacht, the big house, the grand
car, and then the next day to dream of something similar, is no way to solidify your
dreams into certain reality. The dream of the money personality is a clear vision of what
they want. They then use this to construct a positive mental image of the world in which
they actually, clearly see themselves.
Creative visualisation has long been recognised by many to be a powerful weapon in the
armoury of the successful person. Your subconscious mind responds to positive mental
images. This stimulates your imagination to produce positive, useful ideas which begin to
flow with a force which you never dreamed possible before. You suddenly find that your
mind is coming up with thoughts and plans which are worthy of the best entrepreneur.
The subconscious mind is an incredibly powerful too. Yet it is not given to making any
kind of judgements or having opinions - these are entirely in the realm of the conscious
mind. Your subconscious simply responds to positive thoughts with powerful solutions.
Likewise, when it is fed negative thinking, it produces no solutions of value at all.
Often when you can't think of a solution to a problem, or simply can't make up your
mind, you may decide to sleep on it. In the morning the answer or the decision seems
immediately clear. This is simply the power of the subconscious mind working away
whilst you sleep. Money personalities tend to be much more in touch with, and gain
more benefit from, the power of their subconscious minds.
6. Self-discipline.
Those who have a money personality are almost invariably well-disciplined individuals.
They get on with their lives in an orderly fashion, not wasting time daydreaming about
where they would like to be - they are too busy actually 'doing the business' to be
bothered with the procrastination in which most of us so mindlessly indulge ourselves.
So many people have great plans and such potential ambitions which are never realised
for want of being able to discipline themselves. They go round in circles fruitlessly
planning and scheming and never get to the point of action. Planning is essential. Indeed
it is mentioned as the 12th attribute, in this list, of the money personality. However,
planning without action is futile. And taking action in an organised and fruitful fashion can
only be achieved through self-discipline.
It is essential, if you are to develop a money personality for yourself, that you introduce
self-discipline into your life. You must organise yourself into a routine. You set your
goals and you stick to the plan of execution you have devised in order to achieve them.
Without a disciplined approach you are almost certainly doomed to failure.
7. Decisiveness.
An ability to make rational, well informed decisions is vital. If you take too long to make
up your mind in the first place, and keep changing it afterwards, you are severely
hampered in your efforts to generate any kind of wealth.
The more you develop your money personality the more you will find yourself having to
make important decisions. Decisions which will affect your eventual success, or
otherwise, will need to be made with a frequency that ordinary, non-money personalities
need to make much less often.
If you waver, and cannot make up your mind, you lose valuable time. If you continually
change your mind, and consequently your course of action, you will find your goals being
pushed further into the future - and the future is a place which, as we all know, doesn't
really exist, except in our imaginations.
You must learn to acquire the necessary information to allow you to make an effective
decision, weigh it up carefully, but without wasting any time, and stick to your decision
once it has been made. Naturally fine tuning and minor adjustments can be made when
new information becomes available as the consequences of your move take effect.
However, apart from this 'fine tuning' you will need to learn to stick with your decisions,
at least until they prove beyond any doubt whatsoever, that they need to be amended.
8. Energy And Enthusiasm.
It is a well known fact that some people are naturally more energetic than others. If you
happen to be someone who has a naturally low energy level, then to suddenly become a
'high-energy' person is unrealistic. However, with enthusiasm for new and effective
wealth creating endeavours, even the most lethargic amongst us can find energy they
never before new they could possess.
When you really, and I mean really, make up your mind to become a person with a
money personality, you will find yourself becoming naturally more enthusiastic about life,
and as a direct result of this, becoming naturally more energetic. Your new found
enthusiasm will simply generate the physical energy you need to perform the extra tasks
which are required of you if you are to generate anything more than just a modicum of
wealth.
9. Relaxation.
Just as you will need energy you will also need to relax and rest properly. Successful
individuals know that relaxation, as well as proper sleep, is a key element in balancing
effort with maximising results. As in sleep, being properly relaxed can give you a channel
of communication with your subconscious mind which will produce astounding results.
When we are overstimulated for too long without a break we become stressed. Stress,
in small doses and for short periods of time, can be useful in helping us meet a deadline
or accomplish a difficult task. When we stay in a stressed state for too long though we
become fatigued and inefficient. It is before we allow ourselves to become fatigued that
we must take time to relax, and to relax properly. By relaxing properly I mean allowing
ourselves to enjoy deep relaxation, not just superficial 'coffee break' relaxation.
It is a good idea, and the practise of many successful and busy executives and
entrepreneurs to take an allotted time of the day of 20-30 minutes to relax deeply. Doing
this on a daily basis will renew your energy and revitalise your mind, enabling you to be
much more productive overall.
Many years ago, after years of overworking and failing to take time to relax, I had a
complete nervous breakdown. This took me months to recover from. When I eventually
fully recovered and was able to get back to my business activities full-time, I made a
pledge to myself that I would take time out to relax every day. The benefits of this
regular regime of daily relaxation have not only made me more productive, I have also
noticed a very marked improvement in my ability to enjoy my leisure time.
10. Perseverance.
The lack of ability to stick with a project until it has reached a satisfactory conclusion is
the fault of many. So many budding entrepreneurs that I have known of have started out
with great ideas and plans for a better future. They have started off with great enthusiasm
only to be discouraged by the first setbacks. Setbacks in any money making endeavour
are inevitable. What should never be inevitable, and indeed should never be indulged in,
is giving up.
Money personalities do not give up. When things don't go according to plan, the plan is
revised and unstinting effort is applied to achieve the goals that have been set.
In the immortal words of Samuel Johnson : "Few things are impossible to diligence and
skill. Great works are performed not by strength, but by perseverance.
11. Burning Ambition.
As already discussed, money personalities, as apart from average achievers, know the
things that they want and have real determination to get them. Winners in the game of
life, especially when it comes to financial success, are motivated by a burning desire to
succeed. This level of desire, combined with unstinting effort and a refusal to fail, is one
of the real hallmarks of our money personality.
To have a definite goal and be well organised is not enough. Enthusiasm is essential, as
already mentioned, but in order to sustain this enthusiasm there must be real ambition.
You must have, or at least develop, a permanent appetite for success.
12. Planning.
An essential element of any successful enterprise is that it be planned. When you know
what it is you want you set your goals. In order to accomplish these goals you must plan
ahead. You must anticipate the outcome of your every move and update your plan as
necessary. Without a plan, your blueprint for success, you waste valuable time in trying
different methods in a sporadic fashion.
Having a plan sets you on course for attaining the goals you have set for yourself. Money
personalities are usually careful planners. When they want to fulfil an ambition they are
generally not inclined to simply dive in and try to achieve their aim with no definite
strategy. They look at where they are now, look at where it is they want to be and map
out a route between the two. Planning is to an entrepreneur what a map is to an
orienteer.
13. An Ability To Delegate.
This is an attribute of the money personality which is often lacking in others. So many,
even fairly successful, individuals simply refuse to delegate their workload. Now, if you
are starting out in business, working from home for example, you are not going to go out
and hire the services of an expensive personal assistant until you have already become
successful.
However, there are many areas of potential delegation which are overlooked by people
who work for themselves. For example, when I first started in mail order publishing, as
now, I used direct mail. Initially I would spend hours every week stuffing circulars into
envelopes, sticking on address labels and licking and sticking stamps. This was really
tedious work which, in the early days, it was essential for me to do myself. These days
though, I simply deliver 1,000 to 5,000 leaflets, envelopes, labels and stamps to
outworkers, who perform the task for me in exchange for a wage. I also employ a typist
to type names and addresses into my computer database.
All this may seem rather pointless to mention, but I know of people who are making a
very good living running the same sort of business I do, and they continually hamper their
efforts of making much more money by spending far too much of their time performing
menial tasks, such as filling envelopes.
The money personality knows when it is time to pass on the more repetitive tasks to
others in order to release themselves to perform more important duties.
14. Sure Knowledge That You Never Get Anything For Nothing.
'There ain't no such thing as a free lunch'. Something of a truism in this life, I find.
Without exception I have found that, unless it is a straightforward win in a competition,
anything which is offered for 'free' always has strings attached.
The money personality realises that in order to reap benefits you must put in effort. You
can't expect that life will reward you with money or any other gifts unless you are
prepared to give something in exchange. By saying this I don't mean you have to work
like a dog and reap only scant rewards for your efforts. But you do have to appreciate
that there is a balance to be achieved. You must realise that, in order to reap a harvest,
first you must sow.
Section Three : What About Me?
So, we have looked at fourteen characteristics which go towards making up the money
personality. There are others, but after serious consideration I have decided that the
foregoing fourteen are the most important.
This is all very well. However, if you do not already possess these characteristics, how
do you go about acquiring them?
Well, as with all things, the application of effort is necessary. You must set yourself a
daily routine where you will take time, once in the morning when you arise, and once last
thing at night before you retire, to train yourself to develop these fourteen attributes until
they become like second nature. Where they become part of you.
Taking each attribute in turn, you should write yourself a declaration for each. These
declarations should be read aloud, even memorised and repeated to yourself quietly, in
your mind, whenever you have a little free time during the day.
After a short while you will find that your confidence increases and your imagination
begins to throw up ideas about what you will do to attract more money and success into
your life.
The following declarations are simply suggestions, and should be amended and edited,
where required, to suit your own personality. If you feel the declarations are suitable to
you as they are written, then simply use them without amendment.
1. Self-Confidence :
Every day I am becoming more and more confident in myself and my abilities. I make
my own decisions and have no difficulty in doing what is best for me and those I care
for. I have no reason to fear what anyone else thinks of me and, although I always do my
best to get along with others, ultimately I am my own person.
2. Belief In Your Abilities.
I am fully capable of successfully completing any task I set for myself. I can achieve so
much more now than I used to, because I have finally taken charge of my life and
demand the best for myself and my loved ones. I do not fear success and know that
every day I will be richer and more fulfilled.
3. Belief That You Deserve More.
I know that I deserve to have riches, both in terms of money and of happiness. I simply
do not settle for second-best. There is no reason why so many around me should enjoy
wealth whilst I do not.
4. Definite Goals.
I know what I want (you could write in here some of the things you wish to
achieve/acquire) and I know that I am fully capable of getting it. I know exactly what it is
I wish to achieve and I will follow a definite course of action towards these goals. I will
always make good use of my time and apply every effort to gaining the riches that life is
so happy to afford me.
5. Visualisation.
I have, in my minds eye, an image of the person I am gradually becoming (here you
should create a strong mental image of yourself in your new house, with your new car,
wearing the kind of clothes you feel best in and being with successful people - it is vital
that you create strong mental images of yourself actually enjoying the things you want -
this will allow your subconscious mind the opportunity to believe it must work,
subliminally towards making you achieve your goals).
6. Self-Discipline
I know that without self-discipline I will never achieve my goals. Because of this I will
never shrink from the input that is required to get everything done which I want to do. I
do not martyr myself to any cause, nor do I overwork to try and achieve more than is
realistic. I simply refuse to procrastinate. I live every day to the full, and enjoy all the
benefits that this brings.
7. Decisiveness.
I know what I want and I know that I must make up my mind, unhurriedly, but with a
definite urgency, to take the necessary action to achieve everything I want out of my life.
I will always find the information I need to allow me to make clear and correct decisions
whenever they need to be made. I do not waste my time.
8. Energy And Enthusiasm.
I love my life and feel that I become more and more fulfilled every day. This makes me
have all the energy I need to complete all the tasks I must complete on my road to
success. Because I believe strongly in my ability to succeed, and feel myself improving
every single day, I have unbounded enthusiasm for life and all the riches it has to offer
me.
9. Relaxation.
Although I love to work for what I want in life, I also take time to relax and enjoy my
leisure. I spend at least twenty minutes every day relaxing and meditating. I switch off my
thoughts and allow my mind to completely relax. This revitalises me and gives me much
more energy and vitality than I ever thought I could have.
10. Perseverance.
I do not give up before I have done my absolute best to complete any task I have set
myself. I realise that 'few things are impossible to diligence and skill' and I know that
'great works are performed not by strength, but by perseverance'. I realise that, so often
in the past I failed to gain the success I desire, simply because I was not prepared to
work for it, to persevere. That was the past, I now simply do not give up!
11. Burning Ambition.
I believe so strongly that I deserve more from life and no longer simply wait around for
good luck to award me with the riches I so rightly deserve. I am fully capable of
achieving all that I want by my own efforts and have the drive to succeed. I know
exactly what I want from my life, and I know that I am entirely capable of getting it.
12. Planning.
I realise that in order to succeed it is necessary to have a definite plan for each goal. I am
very organised and keep up-to-date records of exactly how I will go about getting
everything I want. I stay on course and make changes to my plans only when they are
definite improvements. I do not suddenly change direction on a whim.
13. An Ability To Delegate.
I know that I am capable of a great deal. Because I am becoming more and more
organised and more and more successful I can get more done than ever before.
However, I fully respect that I am not superhuman and always use help where I can. As
I become more and more successful I need more and more assistance to get everything
done that the new, successful me requires. To this end I am happy to allow others to
help me, as I offer help to others in the sure knowledge that the more I do for others, the
more they willingly do for me.
14. Sure Knowledge That You Never Get Anything For Nothing.
I know that life does not owe me anything. However, I am also aware that I owe it to
myself to get everything of value out of life that I can. I don't expect anything to simply
fall into my lap, I don't expect riches to be mine without effort. I do expect and demand
that I shall have the best and every day I will find new and better ways to work towards
all the wealth I desire.
Conclusion.
Now, I'm sure there are sceptics among us who simply don't believe that it could all be
that easy. Well, there are many exceedingly successful people in the world today who
will testify that it is! That is not to say that, simply by reading your declarations once in a
while and half-heartedly deciding to do something about improving your position will
bring you sudden immense wealth. No way!
You must read your declarations aloud to yourself every day, and really believe in them
and in yourself.
You must take time to relax and reflect.
You must develop an ability to see yourself with the wealth you truly desire. Only this
way will your subconscious mind begin to offer up the ideas you will need to see that
your desires can indeed become reality.
It is no good simply dreaming and wishing - YOU MUST TRULY BELIEVE!