6 Elements of Stressful Living
and how to Live and Work Stress Free:
Day 5: Povertizing
This is a series of six articles. Get Day 1: Pushing here. Get Day 2: Rushing here. Get Day 3: Dutifying here. Get Day 4: Judgment here.
Povertization is the act of creating the conditions by which a sector of a population –let’s say women– are and stay poor.
Povertizing yourself as I use it in this series has to do with learned limiting beliefs that come out of your own early –or cultural– experience with money and that keep you from achieving financial freedom. It is one of the most powerful and pervasive forms of stress in one’s life and work.
Povertizing is the secret denial of money, wealth and financial freedom that we embed in our priorities, choices, interpretations and practices.
Povertizing may take the form of splitting what you love to do from how you earn your money, so that you have to work more to get money.
It may take the form of not maximizing the income you can get from what you do.
It may also be seen in not asking for the money your work is worth. This can take the form of not asking for the fee you need to charge in order to be able to break even and then having to overwork.
It can also take the form of not negotiating for entry salary or not asking for a timely raise.
Povertizing may also take the form of not believing that you can earn good money from your gifts and talents, so that you do a stressful, meaningless job to pay the bills and then do what you love on the side, adding stress and more work.
Povertizing has two sources, one internal and one external.
- Internal Source: Limiting negative beliefs about money or believe that what we love to do cannot make money or that we do not deserve or cannot make money, and
- External Sources: Ignorance about how money is made and grows as well as social prejudices and inequality that make it hard for a person to increase their financial bracket.
Stop Povertizing!
Detach from Victimhood
I see it over and over: the artist who complains that she cannot live from her art, but then attacks those artists who are doing it as sale-outs, thus justifying her povertization.
If you get attached to the role of Victim, you cannot escape.
Poverty is not a crime or anything to be ashamed of. It is simply a circumstance. And a circumstance does not define your worth. It is also not your destiny.
But in order to change a circumstance, you need to detach your identity from it.
Release the Old Negative Beliefs about Money
The second thing you need to do is to dive into the learned beliefs that sustain your povertization and release them. Have no mercy. They are the Inner Enemies of your Success. Away with them!
Some of the most common beliefs that are programming you for povertization are:
- Money is bad.
- Money is the source of all evil. It corrupts people.
- Art (or whatever your gift is) does not make money.
- To make money I have to sell my soul.
- If I make money, I will lose my friends.
- If I make money, I will be in danger from all sorts of hustlers and extortion
- Rich people are selfish and arrogant
- To make money I have to exploit others
- I can’t make money.
- I don’t deserve money.
- I’m condemned to poverty because I was born poor.
Release your Toxic Emotions related to Money
There are also strong emotions attached to our early connection to money. If we grew up poor, then we may be:
- Angry at money for not being there for us
- Resistant to money as to an enemy. I see people who say that they want money violently repelling it!
- Feel that money is oppressive. After all, it was the boss —who oppressed us— who had the money, so money is the weapon that the enemy uses to oppress us.
- Hunger for money, which is just as bad, because coming from lack creates more lack.
Once the Internal Sources of our povertization are addressed we are now emotionally free to do the third thing we must do:
Learn how to Make and Grow Money
Learn the game of monetizing our gifts, talents, purpose, message, skills and expertise.
We need to learn how money is made in our field, how to gather our gifts, passions and experience into a money-making service, project, practice or business and then how to grow the money we make.
If we know how to make money at any time, we are financially free. End of that type of stress!
This is a series of 6 articles.
Next Tuesday: Day 6: Deadlines
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How do you povertize your life? Any ideas on how to stop povertizing that have worked for you? Feel free to share on the comments below!
Send to KindleAbout Maria Mar
Maria Mar is a Sacred Storyteller and shaman who champions you to change your old limiting story to create the new story of your brilliance illuminating the world. She helps you awaken your magic, express your creative genius, embody your purpose and live your potential now.