Many of us come from different walks of life, all with preconceived notions about money. The thing is, little do many of us realize, that a large chunk of these beliefs are TAUGHT to us and therefore ingrained since we were children. Some people grew up believing that money is the root of all evil and therefore their decisions made in life will shape this belief. Others grew up believing that money is simply an indicator of how productive a person has been in society - More productive individuals will be rewarded with more money. Oftentimes, parents are the first people that teach us these beliefs about money, without realizing it. If you grew up in a poor family, chances are, you are often surrounded by people who resent those with wealth, and therefore see money as something only privileged people have, rather than the result of hard work. If you grew up in a rich family, you probably were told that wealth buys freedom and opportunities... that it could be used for good deeds and create jobs. Today's blog post is about your preconditioned beliefs surrounding money. Think about some of the closest friends and family members that you have in your life. What are their pre-existing beliefs surrounding wealth? The reason I bring up this thought is because socialization is a powerful force. Most learned behaviors in life are from observing other people. The best example I can think of is this... why do you think everyone in North Korea worships their Great Leader? Because they grew up having to sing songs about him, having to hang around people who also worship him, and being taught that any other deity is not as great. JUST like the children in North Korea not being able to imagine an alternative to their current lifestyle - Your beliefs about money are CONDITIONED, and it's important to consider that there is a good chance that whether you believe that money is the root of all evil or that money is the key to freedom and doing good deeds.... it is all determined by something that you were taught when you were growing up. These beliefs will shape your behavior in life. People who believe that money is the root of all evil are more likely to have a negative view on life, resent those in power, and accept lower paying jobs in relation to their skill level. People who believe that money is the key to freedom and a measure of one's productivity in society are more likely to be financially educated and be more likely to budget, save, invest, build businesses thus providing jobs for others, negotiate furiously, and aim for higher paying jobs. So consider the following question... what are YOUR pre-conditioned beliefs surrounding money, and how has it influenced your lifestyle so far? What can you CHANGE about your current beliefs in order to live the life you've always wanted to live? Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments below!