I asked  someone what his biggest challenge is right now?  What keeps him awake at night?  His answer:  Money.

In the current economic times, I think many people would say that money is the thing they struggle with most.   One could assume that this fear is only present in those who have very low bank account balances, but the truth is I know some very wealthy  people who wake up each morning and wonder if this is the day their money will be taken away from them.  At the same time, I know people who have very little money;  who never worry about it.   

This tells me that whether or not we worry about money has very little to do with how much money is in our bank account.  It has everything to do with how we think about money.   Basically, the biggest fear about money is not being able to get more money when the money we have runs out. 

Consider these two situations:

You run out of milk at home.  What do you do?  Like most people, you would simply go to the store and get more milk.  If the first store is out of milk, you would go to another store.  You would keep going from store to store until you found a gallon of milk. 

Now, let’s say your spouse wants to have the kitchen remodeled.  You check your bank balance and come up with excuses for why its just not possible right now; not enough money in the bank, etc…  You may even get annoyed that the subject was  brought up.  You might silently chastise yourself for not having a higher paying  job, etc…  

In the first scenario, you realize that milk is simply something you need once in awhile.  You go and get it whenever you need it.  In the second example, you are thinking of money as something that is difficult to obtain.   If you thought about money the same way you think about milk or bread or any other commodity, you would not worry about money because you would know you could go out and get more money whenever you wanted it. 

Another difference in the two examples is that we buy milk with money and we “buy” money with service.  Assuming this is true, if we find a way to be of service to others, we will find our way to financial security. 

Let’s look at ways you could be of service to others.  In your current work,  how do you serve people?  What are the benefits you provide to them?  If you are not currently employed, what are the ways that you have served others in the past or plan to serve them in the future?  Be specific and describe how you help others.  Don’t say I am an auto mechanic and I fix cars.  Instead say:  I help people travel to the places they want to go such as work, home, school, shopping, etc…  by keeping their vehicles in top notch condition.   You could even go on to explain exactly how you keep their cars in good repair.

Who else could you help?   You might say:  I have customers who have coworkers or who have neighbors that could use my services.  I could offer a discount to  current customers when they refer a new customer to me.   I could offer maintenance contracts to local companies that have delivery vans.    I could offer workshops to teach people what to look for when buying a used car or offer classes on how to do minor auto repairs.  

By asking ourselves these questions and taking action on them, we put ourselves in the position of creating our own financial security.   When we use our creativity to come up with ways we can make  another person’s life more relaxing, healthier, simpler, etc… by providing a service to them, we are creating opportunities for wealth.   The source of your income is your abilities and your inspired thoughts.  It is not dependent on someone else giving you an opportunity.

One of the  biggest obstacles to overcoming  fear about money and becoming financially secure is the thought that you need money and money is scarce.   When we allow thoughts like “I need money” to play over and over again in our mind, it affects our entire nervous system.   We get a tight feeling in our chest or a knot in our stomach.  Our shoulders and neck tense up causing tension headaches.   When we are experiencing the stress of worry, how likely do you think it is that we will be creative or effective in presenting our service or product to others?    If however, we think of money as something that is readily available, our bodies relax, our minds relax and creativity flows.   

The fact is no amount of worrying or eating junk food or spending sleepless nights will bring you more money.   It is also true that no one can guarantee that having a relaxed outlook toward money or caring for your mind and body with healthy food and activities will bring you more money.    Ho do you prefer to live your life?  Stressed or relaxed?   Consider this, it has been scientifically proven that living your life in a state of frustration and panic wreaks havoc on your physical, mental and spiritual self.  Being realistically optimistic, can actually improve your health, bring you mental peace and strengthen your spirit.    The choice is yours.