Article Surfing Archive

As you might recall, these articles began with the premise that paycheck-to-paycheck employees generally do not earn enough money to live the lives they desire while working and to retire to the lives they desire as well. Unfortunately, most employees don't experience the lives they desire before nor during retirement because not earning enough money is really at the heart of not fully engaging in saving for retirement. The second premise is that employees are conditioned very early in life to be "employee-minded" and to look to the paternalistic Corporate and Public Sector companies and agencies to provide jobs for them. Only a very few escape this conditioning and move themselves to financial independence.

Premise number three is that over a person's life, the conditioning (the consistent thoughts, images, and habits) he or she receives constructs that person's Self-Image or Map of Reality. Nearly all people unknowingly allow the Self-Image to take control of the routine affairs in their daily lives, including what thoughts, images, and habits are called upon, so much so that their lives are on "automatic pilot" most of the time. The Self-Image becomes so dominant that it will only allow in a new thought, image, or habit with which it has a very strong affinity. At some point a shift must take place in the Self-Image to increase your opportunity to earn more money.

Premise number four is that even if a person becomes dissatisfied enough with her or his financial situation to attempt making a change, there is about a 95% chance that she or he will "try" to improve only for a short time. Without knowledge of how the mind works and without awareness of the presence of the Self-Image, she or he will soon find herself/himself "defeated' at every attempt to improve financially and will gradually return to her or his old "normal" life.

The fifth premise is that the use of affirmations is one of the most powerful ways to influence and change the Self-Image and condition the mind to attract more money into one's life. The Self-Image will not give up its seat of power easily, however, and will release tail-enders to counter each of the well-intended affirmations. A person will need tools to succeed. There are many tools available other than those I shared in the article entitled Saving for Retirement - Tools You Can Use. Most personal development authors, gurus, and life coaches offer tools including hypnosis, meditation, seminars, and retreats to name a few. Without tools to work with, bringing about a shift in the Self-Image is like climbing Mt. Everest; possible but not likely to happen.

The sixth premise is that the majority of paycheck-to-paycheck employees will have to live on retirement income that is significantly lower than their pre-retirement income.

Even though you earlier made a "do not want" list that you flushed out of your life (symbolically) and constructed a "do want" list which has become the things and conditions you now concentrate your focus on more, I want to introduce one more list. This list comes from a powerfully influential book called The Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker. Mr. Eker basically divides the people of world into two groups, rich and poor. You might also remember my reference to Robert Kiyosaki's rich dad defining the difference between rich and poor people by saying that their thinking is not only different but "opposite". The following is a partial list of the ways Mr. Eker contrasted the thinking and actions between rich people and poor people.

"Rich people believe 'I create my life.' Poor people believe 'Life happens to me.'"

"Rich people play the money game to win. Poor people play the money game to not lose."

"Rich people are committed to being rich. Poor people wish they could be rich."

"Rich people think big. Poor people think small."

"Rich people focus on opportunities. Poor people focus on obstacles."

"Rich people admire other rich and successful people. Poor people resent rich and successful people."

"Rich people associate with positive, successful people. Poor people associate with negative or unsuccessful people."

"Rich people are willing to promote themselves and their value. Poor people think negatively about selling and promotion."

"Rich people always focus on the opportunities in their problems. Poor people always focus on their problems."

"Rich people choose to get paid based on results. Poor people choose to get paid based on time."

"Rich people focus on their net worth. Poor people focus on their working income."

This is not the entire list, but I think you get the point. As you can see, the "poor people" statements are diametrically opposite the "rich people" statements. Here's a quick test for you. Read the statements again and imagine for a moment that all of the statements about rich people apply to you. Observe whether you feel any negative emotions, no matter how small, related to any of the statements. If you do, make a note to yourself that you had a negative reaction to whichever statement that applies.

Remember, you do not have to live on less in retirement. No matter where you are right now financially, you can build and enjoy a Million Dollar lifestyle retirement.