I mentioned about 2 weeks ago that I went to the Learning Annex Wealth Expo in SF with Matt, my parents, and my BFF. We saw Suze Orman, Tony Robbins, and Rich Dad/Poor Dad author Robert Kioyaski with his wife Kim who also spoke about her new book Rich Woman. As a sweet surprise, Mattie bought me the Rich Woman book. I've been reading it, and so far it's been very educational. I'm learning that I like many women don't really take the reigns when it comes to our financial Independence and education. In the past, I've learned a painful lesson that when you do not drive your financial life, it will drive you, and more times into the ground.
I've had a taste of real big money, and then lost it all basically because of my ignorance and fear around "big" money. I learned through that experience that I had a slew of "poor" thoughts and beliefs around money which I needed to change in order to be rich again. And when I say rich, I mean financially rich and spiritually/emotionally rich at the same time. Tony Robbins also refers to this as feeling achievement and fulfillment at the same time. As an example, you can be loaded with cash but feel emotionally/spiritually poor. From what I have seen in the rich people around me, those who attach LESS of their happiness and self esteem to the amount of money in their bank account seem to make even more money. They have balanced lives and are solid in who they are. Because they are only doing things they love, and only hanging around people they care about, they emanate more passion and vibrance. This of course is a natural success magnet. You attract what you put out.
I found that when you are in the space of being financially rich yet in poverty spiritually/emotionally, more money can actually make you feel worse and more broke. An example is Christina Onassis, she was the richest woman in the world when she was alive yet died at 37 of pulmonary edema related to drug abuse and constant weight fluctuations. This woman gave getting back into skinny jeans a whole different spin. She was married and divorced 4 times, and her last husband who she had a daughter with cheated on her. She had more money than the GNP of most countries, and yet she was never happy or spiritually rich. Don't get me wrong, it's much nicer to be sad and depressed when you're loaded because at least you can still live a fabulous lifestyle. I'm just saying that it can become a deeper empty feeling, and more depressing because you're expectation is that you should feel wonderful all the time when you have lots of money. This is the exact same thing when it comes to achieving the dream of being back in skinny jeans. Just because you can dust the cobwebs off those skinny jeans of yours in the closet, and get back in them (and breathe), does not mean that your life will be as fabulous as you imagined it. It could even be worse.
My point in all of this is that outer success no matter if it's money, thinness, fame or success can never make up for the poverty we feel inside. To achieve real happiness, you need to work on the inside as much as the outside. For me, I've spent the last four years really focused on making my internal garden, so to speak, a lush and comfy place to hang out. As soon as I get my financial running shoes back in the race, I know that it will be a much more joyful experience than before.
