Victim Clue #3: Complaining

Complaining is the absolute worst possible thing you could do for your health or your wealth. The worst! Why

I’m a big believer in the universal law that states, “What you focus on expands.” When you are complaining, what are you focusing on, what’s right with your life or what’s wrong with it? You are obviously focusing on what’s wrong with it, and since what you focus on expands, you’ll keep getting more of what’s wrong.

Many teachers in the personal development field talk about the Law of Attraction. It states that “like attracts like,” meaning that when you are complaining, you are actually attracting “crap” into your life.

Victim Clue #2: Justifying

If victims aren’t blaming, you’ll often find them justifying or rationalizing their situation by saying something like “Money’s not really important.” Let me ask you this question: If you said that your husband or your wife, or your boyfriend or your girlfriend, or your partner or your friend, weren’t all that important, would any of them be around for long? I don’t think so, and neither would money!

At my live seminars, some participants always come up to me and say, “You know, Harv, money’s not really that important.” I look them directly in the eyes and say, “You’re

broke! Right?” They usually look down at their feet and meekly reply with something like “Well, right now I’m having a few financial challenges, but . . .” I interrupt, “No, it’s not just right now, it’s always; you’ve always been broke or close to it, yes or yes?” At this point they usually nod their head in agreement and woefully return to their seats, ready to listen and learn, as they finally realize what a disastrous effect this

one belief has had on their lives. Of course they’re broke. Would you have a motorcycle if it wasn’t important to you? Of course not. Would you have a pet parrot if it wasn’t important to you? Of course not. In the same way, if you don’t think money is important, you simply won’t have any.

You can actually dazzle your friends with this insight. Imagine you’re in a conversation with a friend who tells you,“Money’s not important.” Put your hand on your forehead and look up as though you are getting a message from the heavens, then exclaim, “You’re broke!” To which your shocked friend will undoubtedly respond, “How did you know?” Then you stretch out your palm and you reply

“What else do you want to know? That’ll be fifty bucks, please!” Let me put it bluntly: anyone who says money isn’t important

doesn’t have any! Rich people understand the importance of money and the place it has in our society. On the other hand, poor people validate their financial ineptitude by using irrelevant comparisons. They’ll argue, “Well, money isn’t as important as love.” Now, is that comparison dumb or what? What’s more important, your arm or your leg? Maybe they’re both important.

Listen up, my friends: Money is extremely important in the areas in which it works, and extremely unimportant in the areas in which it doesn’t. And although love may make the world go round, it sure doesn’t pay for the building of any hospitals, churches, or homes. It also doesn’t feed anybody.

Victim Clue #1: Blame

When it comes to why they’re not rich, most victims are professionals at the “blame game.” The object of this game is to see how many people and circumstances you can point the finger at without ever looking at yourself. It’s fun for victims at least. Unfortunately it’s not such a blast for anyone else who is unlucky enough to be around them. That’s because those in close proximity to victims become easy targets.

Victims blame the economy, they blame the government, they blame the stock market, they blame their broker, they blame their type of business, they blame their employer, they blame their employees, they blame their manager, they blame the head office, they blame their up-line or their down-line, they blame customer service, they blame the shipping department, they blame their partner, they blame their spouse, they blame God, and of course they always blame their parents. It’s always someone else or something else that is to blame. The problem is anything or anyone but them.

Rich people believe “I create my life.” Poor people believe “Life happens to me.”

If you want to create wealth, it is imperative that you believe that you are at the steering wheel of your life, especially your financial life. If you don’t believe this, then you must inherently believe that you have little or no control over your life, and therefore you have little or no control over your financial success. That is not a rich attitude. Did you ever notice that it’s usually poor people who spend a fortune playing the lottery? They actually believe their wealth is going to come from someone picking their name out of a hat. They spend Saturday night glued to the TV, excitedly watching the draw, to see if wealth is going to “land” on them

this week.

Sure, everyone wants to win the lottery, and even rich people play for fun once in a while. But first, they don’t spend half their paycheck on tickets, and second, winning the lotto is not their primary “strategy” for creating wealth. You have to believe that you are the one who creates your success, that you are the one who creates your mediocrity, and that you are the one creating your struggle around money and success. Consciously or unconsciously, it’s still you. Instead of taking responsibility for what’s going on in their lives, poor people choose to play the role of the victim. A victim’s predominant thought is often “poor me.” So presto, by virtue of the law of intention, that’s literally what victims get: they get to be “poor.”

Notice that I said they play the role of victim. I didn’t say they are victims. I don’t believe anyone is a victim. I believe

people play the victim because they think it gets them something. We’ll discuss this in more detail shortly. That said, how can you tell when people are playing the victim? They leave three obvious clues.

Now, before we talk about these clues, I want you to realize that I fully understand that none of these ways of being has anything to do with anyone reading this book. But maybe, just maybe, you might know someone who can relate. And maybe, just maybe, you might know that person intimately! Either way, I suggest you pay close attention to this section

So What Is Your Money Blueprint Set For?

Now, it’s time to answer the “million dollar” question. What is your current money and success blueprint, and what results is it subconsciously moving you toward? Are you set for success, mediocrity, or financial failure? Are you programmed for

struggle or for ease around money? Are you set for working hard for your money or working in balance? Are you conditioned for having a consistent income or an inconsistent income? You know the scoop: “First you have it, then you don’t, then you have it, then you don’t.” It always appears as though the reasons for these drastic fluctuations come from the outside world. For instance: “I got a greatpaying job but then the company folded. Then I started my

own business and things were booming, but the market dried up. My next business was doing super, but then my partner left, et cetera.” Don’t be fooled, this is your blueprint at work. Are you set for having a high income, a moderate income, or a low income? Did you know there are actual dollar amounts for which many of us are programmed? Are you set for earning $20,000 to $30,000 a year? $40,000 to $60,000? $75,000 to $100,000? $150,000 to $200,000? $250,000 a year or more? A few years ago, I had an unusually well-dressed gentleman

in the audience during one of my two-hour evening

seminars. When the seminar was complete, he came over and asked if I thought the three-day Millionaire Mind course could do anything for him, considering he was already earning $500,000 a year. I asked him how long he’d earned that kind of money. He responded, “Consistently, for about seven years now.”

That was all I needed to hear. I asked him why he wasn’t earning $2 million a year. I told him that the program was for people who want to reach their full financial potential and asked him to consider why he was “stuck” at half a million. He decided to come to the program. I got an e-mail from him a year later that said, “The program was incredible but I made a mistake. I only reset my money blueprint to earn the $2 million a year as we discussed. I’m already there, so I’m attending the course again to reset it for earning $10 million a year.”

The point I want to make is that the actual amounts don’t matter. What matters is whether you are reaching your full financial potential. I know many of you might be asking, why on earth would anyone need that kind of money? First, that very question is not overly supportive to your wealth and is a sure sign you’ll want to revise your money blueprint. Second, the main reason this gentleman wanted to earn massive amounts of money was to support his work as a huge donor to a charity that assists AIDS victims in Africa. So much for the belief that rich people are “greedy”! Let’s go on. Are you programmed for saving money or for spending money? Are you programmed for managing your money well or mismanaging it? Are you set for picking winning investments or picking losers? You might wonder, “How could whether or not I make money in the stock market or in real estate be part of 

my blueprint?” Simple. Who picks the stock or the property? You do. Who picks when you buy it? You do. Who picks when you sell it? You do. I guess you’ve got something to do

with the equation. I have an acquaintance in San Diego named Larry. Larry is a magnet when it comes to making money: he definitely has a high income blueprint. But he has the kiss of death when it comes to investing his money. Whatever he buys drops like a rock. (Would you believe his dad had the exact same problem?

Duh!) I keep in close touch with Larry so I can ask him for investment advice. It is always perfect... perfectly wrong! Whatever Larry suggests, I go the other way. I love Larry! On the other hand, notice how other people seem to have what we termed earlier the Midas touch. Everything they get involved with turns to gold. Both the Midas-touch and the kiss-of-death syndromes are nothing more than the manifestations of money blueprints. Once again, your money blueprint will determine your financial life—and even your personal life. If you are a woman whose money blueprint is set for low, chances are you will attract a man who is also set for low so you can stay in yourfinancial “comfort zone” and validate your blueprint. If you are a man who is set for low, chances are you will attract a woman who is a spender and gets rid of all your money, so you can stay in your financial “comfort zone” and validate your blueprint. Most people believe the success of their business is primarily dependent on their business skills and knowledge or at least their timing of the marketplace. I hate to be the one to break it to you, but that’s la-la land, which is another way of saying, not a 

chance

How well your business does is a result of your money blueprint. You will always validate your blueprint. If you have a blueprint that is set for earning $100,000 a year, that’s exactly how well the business will do, enough to earn you about $100,000 a year. If you are a salesperson and your blueprint is set for earning $50,000 a year and somehow you make a huge sale that makes you $90,000 that year, either the sale will cancel or if you do end up with $90,000, get ready for a crummy year to follow to make up for it and bring you back to the level of your financial blueprint. On the other hand, if you’re set for earning $50,000 and you’ve been in a slump for a couple of years, don’t worry, you’ll get it all back. You have to, it’s the subconscious law of the mind and money. Someone in this position would probably walk across the street, get hit by a bus, and end up with exactly $50,000 a year in insurance! It’s simple: one way or another, if you’re set for $50,000 a year, eventually that’s what you’ll get. So again, how can you tell what your money blueprint is set for? One of the most obvious ways is to look at your results. Look at your bank account. Look at your income. Look at your net worth. Look at your success with investments. Look at your business success. Look at whether you’re a spender or a saver. Look at whether you manage money well. Look at how consistent or inconsistent you are. Look at how hard you work for your money. Look at your relationships that involve

money. Is money a struggle or does it come to you easily? Do you own a business or do you have a job? Do you stick with one business or job for a long time or do you jump around a lot? Your blueprint is like a thermostat. If the temperature in the room is seventy-two degrees, chances are good that the thermostat is set for seventy-two degrees. Now here’s where it gets interesting. Is it possible that because the window is open and it is cold outside, the temperature in the room can drop tosixty-five degrees? Of course, but what will eventually happen? The thermostat will kick in and bring the temperature back to seventy-two. Also, is it possible that because the window is open and it’s hot outside, the temperature in the room can go up to seventyseven degrees? Sure it could, but what will eventually happen? The thermostat will kick in and bring the temperature back to seventy-two. The only way to permanently change the temperature in the room is to reset the thermostat. In the same way, the only way to change your level of financial success “permanently” is to reset your financial thermostat, otherwise known as your money blueprint

The Third Influence: Specific Incidents

The third primary way in which we are conditioned is by specific incidents. What did you experience when you were young around money, wealth, and rich people? These experiences are extremely important because they shape the

beliefs—or rather, the illusions—you now live by. Let me give you an example. A woman who was an operating-room nurse attended the Millionaire Mind Intensive Seminar. Josey had an excellent income, but somehow she always spent all of her money. When we dug a little deeper, she revealed that when she was eleven years old, she

remembers being at a Chinese restaurant with her parents and her sister. Her mom and dad were having yet another bitter argument about money. Her dad was standing up, screaming and slamming his fist on the table. She remembers him turning red, then blue, then falling to the floor from a heart attack. She was on the swim team at school and had CPR training, which she administered, but to no avail. Her father died in her arms. And so, from that day forth, Josey’s mind linked money with pain. It’s no wonder then that as an adult, she subconsciously got rid of all of her money in an effort to get rid of

her pain. It’s also interesting to note that she became a nurse. Why? Is it possible that she was still trying to save her dad? At the course, we helped Josey identify her old money blueprint and revise it. Today she’s well on her way to becoming financially free. She’s also not a nurse anymore. Not

that she didn’t enjoy her job. It’s just that she was in the nursing profession for the wrong reason. She’s now a financial planner, still helping people, but this time one-on-one, to understand how their past programming runs every aspect of

their financial lives. Let me give you another example of a specific incident, one that’s closer to home. When my wife was eight years old, she would hear the clanging bells of the ice cream truck coming down the street. She would run to her mom and ask for a quarter. Her mom would reply, “Sorry, dear, I don’t have any money. Go ask Dad. Dad’s got all the money.” My wife would then go ask her dad. He’d give her a quarter, she’d go get her ice cream cone, and she was a happy camper. Week after week, the same incident would repeat itself. So what did my wife learn about money

The Second Influence: Modeling

The second way we are conditioned is called modeling. What were your parents or guardians like in the arena of money when you were growing up? Did one or both of them manage their money well or did they mismanage it? Were they spenders or savers? Were they shrewd investors or were they noninvestors? Were they risk takers or conservative

Was money consistently there or was the flow more sporadic Did money come easily in your family, or was it always a struggle? Was money a source of joy in your household or the cause of bitter arguments?
Why is this information important? You’ve probably heard the saying “Monkey see, monkey do.” Well, humans aren’t far behind. As kids, we learn just about everything from modeling. Although most of us would hate to admit it, there’s more than a grain of truth in the old saying “The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree.”
This reminds me of the story about a woman who prepares a ham for dinner by cutting off both ends. Her bewildered husband asks why she cuts off the ends. She replies, “That’s how my mom cooked it.” Well, it just so happened that her mom was coming for dinner that night. So they asked her why she cut off the ends of the ham. Mom replies, “That’s how my mom cooked it.” So they decide to call Grandma on the phone and ask why she cut off the ends of the ham. Her answer? “Because my pan was too small!” The point is that generally speaking, we tend to be identical to one or a combination of our parents in the arena of money. For example, my dad was an entrepreneur. He was in the home-building business. He built anywhere from a dozen to a hundred homes per project. Each project took a huge amount of capital investment. My dad would have to put up everything we had and borrow heavily from the bank until the homes were sold and the cash came through. Consequently, at the beginning of each project, we had no money and were in debt
up to our eyeballs. 
As you can imagine, during this period my dad was not in

the best of moods nor was generosity his strong suit. If I asked him for anything that cost even a penny, his standard reply
after the usual “What am I, made of money?” was “Are you
crazy?” Of course, I wouldn’t get a dime, but what I would get
was that “Don’t even think of asking again” glare. I’m sure you
know the one.
This scenario would last for about a year or two until the homes were finally sold. Then, we’d be rolling in dough. All of a sudden, my dad was a different person. He’d be happy, kind, and extremely generous. He’d come over and ask me if I needed a few bucks. I felt like giving him his glare back, but I wasn’t that stupid so I just said, “Sure, Dad, thanks,” and rolled my eyes. Life was good... until that dreaded day when he’d come home and announce, “I found a good piece of land. We’re going to build again.” I distinctly remember saying, “Great, Dad, good luck,” as my heart sank, knowing the struggle that was about to unfold again. This pattern lasted from the time I could remember, when I was about six, until the age of twenty-one, when I moved out of my parents’ house for good. Then it stopped, or so I thought. At twenty-one years of age, I finished school and became, you guessed it, a builder. I then went on to several other types of project-based businesses. For some strange reason, I’d make a small fortune, but just a short time later, I’d be broke. I’d get into another business and believe I was on top of the
world again, only to hit bottom a year later. This up-and-down pattern went on for nearly ten years before I realized that maybe the problem wasn’t the type of business I was choosing, the partners I was choosing, the
employees I had, the state of the economy, or my decision to