“So much is a man worth as he esteems himself.” Francois Rabelais, Gargantua and Pantagruel
Do you deserve to be wealthy?
I used to think that only the rich could afford to indulge in exceptional self-care on a regular basis, and that the rest of us would just have to be content with an occasional splurge. Then I discovered that it works in reverse: you can attract the wealth and opportunities you desire simply by taking exceptionally good care of yourself.
When you take better care of yourself, you start believing that you are worth more. You are sending out the message to the universe that you deserve more and, no surprise, you begin to attract more. You only have what you think you deserve to have.
Napoleon Hill had this figured out years ago in his classic book, Think and Grow Rich when he said, “No one is ready for a thing until he believes he can acquire it. The state of mind must be belief, not mere hope or wish.” Hill’s point is that you must know with certainty that you can have it. If you are hoping and wishing, then the message you are sending into the world is one of lack.
The most effective way I’ve seen to increase your own readiness and willingness to have what you want is to start perfecting the present and doing the things you don’t think you deserve. It is like building a muscle by working out with weights. You have to stretch and expand your willingness to have by doing things that you don’t think you deserve to do.
My first breakthrough in self-care was to get my front tooth fixed (a petty annoyance). I figured this was a highly irresponsible thing to do given my credit card debts at the time. Shortly thereafter I got a raise that more than covered this extra expense—no money problems so far, in fact more money. Then I hired a personal trainer and a few months later got a bonus at work.
Do I detect a pattern emerging?
I treated myself to a weekend at a day spa in town. Then a fellow I was dating took me to vacation in Mexico for a whole week. As I started to take better care of myself, so did the people around me. While I was regularly saving 10 percent of my earnings, paying off my debts, and doing things to perfect the present, more money started coming in from unexpected places. Out of the blue, my bank offered all the employees stock options. My sales team exceeded goal and we all got bonuses. My accountant did my taxes and found I was due a refund. I received another nice bonus, so I could start my business without money worries. A colleague let me use his retreat house for two months at absolutely no cost.
I was surprised myself at all the abundance that was coming into my life. In three years I went from being in debt to having over a year’s living expenses in savings. And I didn’t suffer in the process. I’d never imagined that I’d have a housekeeper, a personal trainer, a weekly massage, regular manicures and pedicures, an apartment in New York decorated by an interior designer, and access to a beach house.
I realize that this may sound magical to you, but once again, it is all about energy.
As Donald J. Walters explains in Money Magnetism:
Whenever we will something to happen, or to be drawn to us, a ray of energy goes out, projected by the power of our thought, or will. The energy, in its turn, generates a magnetic force field. It is this magnetic force that attracts to us the object of our expectations.
In other words, when you take better care of yourself, you start believing that you are worth more. You are sending out the message to the universe that you deserve more. Thus it isn’t surprising that you attract more. You only have what you think you deserve to have.
Don’t wait until you win the lottery to start taking extremely good care of yourself.
Be responsible about it (don’t go into debt). Make sure you aren’t wasting your money on things you don’t really enjoy and value. Begin by focusing on what you want, not the money it would take to buy it. What is the one thing you can afford to do right now that seems like an incredible luxury? Do that one thing. No matter how little or how much money you have, there is something you can do to spoil yourself this week. No excuses. I am booking a hot stone massage for starters. What are you doing?
Enjoy!
Talane
Excerpted from the international bestseller, Coach Yourself to Success: 101 Tips to Accomplish Your Personal and Professional Goals, by Talane Miedaner (McGraw-Hill, 2014)
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