The economic downturn has affected many of us in strange ways. For me, the shrinking stock and real estate portfolios highlighted the risks of a purely asset-based strategy, and it became clear that in addition to an investment strategy, I also needed to significantly increase my income in order to meet my long term objectives. Sounds simple, right?
It wasn’t. The question of how to become successful is not quite as straightforward as it might sound at first. It’s not just a matter of finding better investments, or a marginally better job that pays a bit more (which is not a high-percentage option under current economic conditions, by the way). I realized rapidly that I needed to take myself into a completely different category of earners. I didn’t need to increase my income by 5 or 10%, but by 50% to 100%.
In order to reach that goal, it became clear that I needed to become someone worthy of that level of income. The universe operates on a precise accounting principle, and in order to extract that kind of financial value from life, I first needed to offer value on a commensurate scale. The skills, mindsets, attitudes, and practices that had gotten me to this point would not be sufficient to get me to the next level. To reach my goals, I first had to overcome self esteem symptoms.
To improve my life to that degree, I knew that I had to change my attitudes and outlook. I began by learning meditation techniques for beginners using guided imagery audio. The guided imagery helped me to incorporate a relaxed, confident approach to life issues, and to tackle the new set of skills I would have to learn to propel my financial portfolio toward my goals. Guided imagery works by first relaxing listeners, then by going through a series of positive imagery exercises that help to replace our negative inner monologue with affirming, positive messages. The difference has been remarkable.