Ok, another question: why do you want to be wealthy? Take a few moments and write down what you will do with your wealth – done it?

Look at the list – how much of it focuses on your wants? Perhaps a car(s), big house(s), new clothes, holiday etc. Understand this; there is nothing wrong with wanting to spend some of your wealth on yourself, your family and friends; and there’s nothing wrong with investing part of it either.

Now look at how much of it have you identified as spending on good causes? If you have kept it all to yourself, then that may well be being greedy! One of the weird things about money is that when you give, you get more back in return. Think of it this way: a closed fist lets nothing out, but can’t receive anything, either.

Why do you want to be wealthy? Do you believe that if you have all of the possessions you desire, you’ll be happy? If you do, why? Nobody believes that the designers and engineers that created those things you so desperately want built a ‘happiness component’ into their creations!

True happiness comes from within; if you think money is the solution to your problems, you’re in for an unpleasant surprise; money is nothing more than an effect, a consequence of your actions. Another way of looking at it is that money is just a way of keeping score.

Question time again: how can you use some of your money to make a difference in the world? What causes could you contribute to? Which inspirational people could you support? It is a great feeling to give, no matter how small an amount; I do believe that it makes sense to sort out your immediate debts first. I’ve never got my brain around the philosophy that you should give even when the bailiffs are threatening to turn up; maybe that’s my lack of spiritual development but I do think that the Universe wants us to use our common sense.

However, looking back, I can point to when I made a step forward in my thinking; by and large, I used to spend what I earned. I had a house with a mortgage, nice car etc. but then getting divorced pretty much wiped me out financially.

I went through a period after the divorce where if I earned it, I spent it; I guess it was probably comfort spending, though I’d never been really big on saving. I can pinpoint when that attitude changed, when I got serious about my financial management and about giving. And with the change in attitude came support from the Universe. – my best 3 month period  of earnings ever! I went from surviving only because my wife had savings to that best 3 month period and I’m certain it’s because my attitude to money changed! And not just a great financial period – ideas and opportunities for making more money and new contacts all emerged too.

If we want to attract wealth, we need to sort out our attitude to money; so what’s your attitude to money? Why do you want to be wealthy? What do you want to do with the money when you earn it?

Keeping all of your wealth for yourself is greedy; what is great though is to earn money and then give some of it to worthwhile causes. Ask yourself, which causes would you like to support? It doesn’t have to be a conventional charity – who have you found to be inspirational? The weird thing is, as we give, we get more back.