We lead revolutions. We are outliers, creative thinkers, doers, and trailblazers. We are also the ones living one or two paychecks away from being broke. WTF?

It's frustrating to have a big heart, work hard, and still be in financial survival mode.

I was so disgusted with the situation that I had to find a way to create financial security and confidence and escape the money hamster wheel for good. My only regret is not making the change sooner!

The First Step is to Get Out of Your Own Way

If you've been in financial survival mode, you've likely embraced its identity. In many circles, being broke is a badge of honor. It shows authenticity, creativity, or virtue. This mindset is common in artistic, alternative, and working-class communities. They see establishing wealth as "selling out" and losing your integrity.

But what if that narrative is holding you back from living the life you deserve? What if financial security and pursuing your passions can coexist? It’s time to rethink your relationship with money and embrace the idea that earning more doesn’t diminish your value. It enhances your ability to live in an authentic manner.

Money and Identity: Breaking Free from Limiting Beliefs

If you’ve ever felt like wealth was for “other people,” you’re not alone. Many people believe there is a divide between them and the financially successful. It’s as though money belongs to a separate species. The “grown-ups” with big houses, fancy cars, and a completely different set of rules and values.

This mindset makes money seem scarce. It creates a barrier to financial growth. It locks you into what might be called a “familiarity zone.” This is not to be confused with a comfort zone, which is safe and supportive. The familiarity zone traps you in patterns that reinforce your current, but uncomfortable, reality. The more you buy into this identity, the more ingrained the habits and beliefs become. It makes it a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Shifting Your Identity Around Money

To change your financial reality, you first have to change how you see yourself. This requires a conscious and often uncomfortable identity shift. It’s not just about earning more or spending less; it’s about redefining who you are in relation to money.

Here’s the hard truth: letting go of an old identity can feel like an emotional roller coaster at first. It means confronting deep-seated beliefs and even risking disapproval from friends and family. People who are used to seeing you as “broke but authentic” or “too cool to care about money” may have a hard time accepting your growth. Not because they are bad people. They like you as you are. They are comfortable with their relationship with you and don't want it to change.

Remember, you are redefining yourself as someone who deserves and welcomes financial abundance you can still bring all of your creative and heartfelt values along with you. This is about a plot twist, a new chapter in your life where you get to live authentically, enjoy financial health, and have the resources and freedom to do the most good in the world.

"What if we were taught from a very early age that wealth, progress, and prosperity are what eliminate poverty and human suffering and that making money is not some form of a spiritual defect but the highest form of contribution?"

- John Butcher

The Power of Your Words

One of the easiest and highest-impact ways to shift your mindset is to change the language you use.

Saying "I can't afford it" sets your mind to do without it. It then finds info that justifies not having it.

Instead, say:

• “How can I afford it?”
• “This isn’t in my budget right now, but I’m working towards it.”

Both of these options prime your subconscious to know that affording it is your priority and start filtering in the information that supports having it and looking for solutions. Remember, your subconscious is working 24/7, even when you are not "paying attention."

"Your income can grow only to the extent that you do"  - T. Harv Eker

Language shifts may seem small. But, when used consistently, they link to form dense neural networks, beliefs, and identity. A simple change in words can open the door to possibility rather than shutting it. They remind you that your financial situation isn’t fixed, it’s something you have active control over.

So, let go of the belief that being broke is a badge of honor. It’s not your identity it’s simply a mindset you adopted and can choose to change.

Believe you’re deserving. Because you are.

Share this with someone you love who's ready to get out of financial survival mode.

Until next week,

Kristen