How does it feel when a successful woman looks you in the eye and tells you that she believes you are worth more? Magical!

Sitting in the coffee shop, sipping my non-fat latte, I was sharing my business ups and downs with two other women. Wonderful, powerful women who were, in fact, more successful than me.

When I moaned over my financial frustrations, one of them locked eyes with me and said slowly and clearly, “Mikelann, you are worth a lot of money.” Then she told me just how much she thought I was worth.

I felt my eyes widening. I knew better than to say, “Yeah, but—” so I just squirmed in the chair while letting her words sink in.

The encounter taught me a powerful lesson. We need to purposely spend time with people who are more successful than we are. We need to be inspired!

Do you spend most of your time with people who make about the same amount of money as you do?

If you go to a dinner party with people who make a lot more money than you, it can feel strange. If everyone at the party makes a lot less than you, it also feels strange!

We instinctively seek our “financial comfort zone.” But the dilemma is this: if everyone in your life is doing exactly what you are doing, it is very difficult to change, and making more money often requires changes.

Do you draw toward you people who inspire you? Do you deliberately seek out their company?

I had become friends with the women who sat with me at the coffee shop. They were ordinary women who dealt with everyday challenges. We all tried hard to make time for our families as well as for ourselves, struggling to find that elusive work/life balance. They were good women who wanted good things for their loved ones, for themselves, for the world, and for me.

As women, we crave relationship, and this brings up two important points for you to think about:

• One: we need relationships to be truly happy. If you believe that being wealthy will mean being alone, you will not seek wealth. So what do you believe?

• Second: women can be deeply affected by what people say to them. We take in feedback more profoundly than men do. Imagine the impact of surrounding yourself with positive, abundant women who believe in you! The effect is amazing and life-changing!

So who do you surround yourself with?

Ready to earn more and step into greater freedom? Click here to be notified of the next time Mikelann offers her 8 week Unlock Your Earning Power course.

Want some joyful inspiration for your money life? Here is an amazing 40 minute podcast on:

• How to live your financial life in alignment with your core values- so you can spend on what truly gives you JOY, while also protecting your future.
• How to unhook your self-worth from your net worth.
• What the role of the Law of Attraction is, in creating financial abundance.

The lovely woman who interviewed me was Seline Shenoy — a blogger, podcast host and journalist on topics related to psychology & personal growth, wellness, social & global issues. She is the founder of The Dream Catcher – a blog and podcast community that connects and encourages people to live their dream life and make a difference in the world.

Listen here

I love this book: It’s Not Your Money- how to live fully from Divine Abundance, by Tosha Silver

Occasionally a money book comes along that I adore so much, I not only read it twice, but must share it with my readers. Tosha Silver’s latest is one such book. What makes it sweeter is that I consider Tosha Silver one of my spiritual teachers. Five years ago, my friend Kathy handed me her first book, “Outrageous Openness” and I have been hooked ever since. 

Tosha is not a money guru. And she herself definitely never saw a money book in her future. She is an American spiritual teacher. Tosha Silver graduated from Yale with a degree in English Literature but along the way fell madly in love with the deep path of Raja Yoga and the spiritual philosophies of East India. For the past 30 years she has taught people around the world ways to align with Inner Love.

One of her core teachings is about “offering”. When we offer our lives– our thoughts, decisions, and actions– over to the Divine Source, everything flows easier. This could be about romance, careers, what car to buy, or… money.  

Tosha’s deep personal spiritual practice is married with her irreverent sense of humor and a boatload of wonderful stories. She writes about her own relationship with the Divine and money, and how the Divine can be everyone’s intimate life companion as they navigate financial waters with greater ease. 

While not against the “law of attraction”, she has noticed over the years that we often pervert this law into forcing it to deliver what we want, as if the universe were a cosmic Amazon wish fulfillment service. Then we think we did something wrong when the Amazon truck does not disgorge our fulfilled wishes. If one aligns oneself with flow and knows that it is not really your money to begin with, but the Divines, everything becomes easier. 

A word on language, which she herself addresses in the opening: you can use God or whatever word suits you. Some will prefer “Universal Source”, or Shakti, Lord, Love, Flow, Lakshmi (Indian Goddess of abundance), Divine Intelligence, or whatever works for you. 

At the center of her work is the idea that we are here to serve the Divine and have the Divine flow through us, not the other way around–where the divine is at our beck and call.  Tosha’s work is dedicated to the idea of “offering”. This is a beautiful concept. We can offer up our burdens and let go of being the “doer”. The divine will show the way. And with practice, offering gets easier.

She interweaves the idea of “Prarabdha Karma”– “the idea that in each lifetime, a soul is born for a distinct curriculum. Every desire might not be meant to occur, no matter how many vision boards you make.” (The emphasis is Tosha’s.)  The truth is that everyone may have a different set of abundance lessons they are learning in any given lifetime.  But you can learn how to invite and embody the universal Source, and as you open to it, abundance flows in all sorts of wonderful ways.  

Her book is about how to become a conduit for Divine Flow. She teaches us how to become open to how God wants to “deliver”, often in ways we never imagined. 

In short, when we align with the Divine Source, true abundance can flow through us unimpeded.  Chasing abundance does not work. “Being” abundance, and letting it flow through us, does.

With all this in mind, Tosha guides the reader through five steps that will align you with greater abundance. This allows prosperity, in all its many forms, to flow easier into your life. You are lifted from financial worries and come to a place of knowing that you are always taken care of and there is always enough money.

As one of her chapters opens, it says, “You can’t water the roses if you are standing on the garden hose.” Yes! She teaches the reader how to shift from demanding and chasing to offering and opening. In this way, abundance begins to truly flow through you.  Trust replaces fear. 

One of her steps will be familiar to readers: clearing out clutter. When people release clutter, they create room for something new to come into their life. I have seen this again and again with clients. As they clean out a purse or an old file cabinet, money comes in unexpected ways.  (I wrote a post inspired by Marie Kondo’s book, called “The life changing magic of tidying up your finances” and how it relates to prosperity.

Opening up to receiving is also key. When we say, “I am open to receiving” we allow the flow to come. So many people, women more than men, tend to give too much and not allow their “receiving” value to function two-way. Sometimes we feel guilty about receiving. But to become truly abundant, we need to allow the flow to come to us in sometimes unexpected ways. You can not pray for greater abundance, and then dictate to the Divine how the flow arrives. (You can certainly state your preference, however.)

Through story after story, Tosha shares how offering and clearing, praying, and releasing, bring us abundance in the way that is perfect for us. Along the way she helps us cleanse old childhood wounds that keep us stuck. So many of us have wounds that say we do not deserve abundance, and this staunches the divine flow. 

One core of her book is her abundance prayer. She asks readers to say it daily. It is beautiful and powerful. I will only quote the beginning of it here, as it is truly Tosha’s. But I urge you to get the book just for it, and even better, buy a copy of the abundance prayer. Frame it and say it daily. I bought two copies- one I framed for me and one I gave to my love to keep by his bed as he transitions to his next career calling. He loves it too.

“Divine Beloved, allow me to give with complete ease and abundance,

Know that You are the unlimited Source of all.

Let me be an easy, open conduit for Your prosperity.

Let me trust that all my own needs are always met in amazing ways

And that it’s safe to give freely as my heart guides….

(The entire prayer is here on Tosha’s site in her store. https://toshasilver.com/)

I’ll end this review by quoting what is on the back of the dustcover to Tosha’s book. Writes Tosha, “Very often people find my work because chasing and grasping has crashed and burned like a meteor. But that painful destruction is a moment of tremendous grace as well. Because when the ego finally sees the utter madness of trying to lead, you come to a sacred crossroads in your own evolution… You’re finally ready to let something greater than the ego take over your finances, and everything else. True intimacy with the Divine can begin. This is the road to abundance and freedom.”

You may think you are earning enough money. But are you thriving? Could things be better?

And is it possible you are underearning?

Here’s a quick quiz to see if you may be underearning- If you:

• Earn at the low end of the scale for your industry (do you know?)…
• Haven’t asked for a raise or raised your fees in more than 2 years…
• Are unsure of exactly how much money you need to earn…
• Are dealing with deprivation— no decent vacations, you are putting off needed work on your house or your self…
• Sometimes feel overworked and underpaid…
• Know in your gut you could make more…

Chances are, yes. And you should—and could—be making more.

The fact is… women undersell themselves all the time.

Countless research points to the same results:

When left to ourselves to determine how much we should be earning, we lowball ourselves again and again. Women expect to make less money almost from the very beginning. In fact, we tend to pay ourselves at least 20 percent less than we would pay other people!

When we think about how much our work is “worth”, we rarely think our work can command as much as is really possible.

Plus, women tend to be perfectionists when it comes to our work. We never feel like we are quite good enough to ask for more money.  And there always seems to be a reason to wait to ask for more.

Listen—men are not waiting!

Men ask for more money, more often, than women do. And it’s not just about the money. Would your work be easier if you had a more flexible schedule, more access to the powers-that-be, more resources to do your job, the list goes on. So the question is this:

Are you good enough right now—just as you are—to have a more advantageous working situation and make more money?

I believe you are.

And the first step towards making it happen is to start repeating to yourself, “I deserve to make better money! I deserve better!”

The second step is to get Mikelann’s 12 audio series Unlock Your Earning Power and start listening today.

Mikelann Valterra’s  Unlock Your Earning Power:
11 steps to conquer underearning and step into the prosperity you truly deserve
(12 40-minute audios and 98 page companion workbook)

Click here to read more about what is covered in the audios etc or order. 

Here is to more abundance!

Want more help transforming your relationship to money? Check out all the eBooks, audios, and more robust products Mikelann has created. Are you ready to break free of the “money fog” and step into earning what you are worth? Are you are ready to get in touch with your emotions so you never feel out of control around money again? Are you ready to love your financial life? Let Mikelann help you get there. Free items are at the top of the page.

Often times, I run across people who say they want to earn more, but then consistently hamstring themselves when it comes to bringing in more money. They are late sending out invoices, they don’t follow up on jobs, or they don’t advocate for themselves financially in the work place.

For some, there is an unconscious belief that money is bad- and people with money are greedy. Sound simple? Perhaps. But it is one of the many beliefs that can fuel underearning. Remember, underearning is when we consistently earn less than our potential. So what about you? In your heart of hearts, do you see money as good or bad?

Too often, we unconsciously equate money as something negative, and we view people who have a “lot” of money in an unfavorable light. I call this viewpoint “noble poverty”. When we operate out of noble poverty, we believe there is somehow virtue in not having money and really good people don’t have a lot of it. This can be typified in the phrase “it’s better to be good and poor then rich and evil.”

The dilemma is that if we believe this, we may not allow ourselves to have money! Why would we allow ourselves to become that which we may (unconsciously) despise? If we see the wealthy as greedy, insensitive or superior, why would we allow ourselves to become those horrible things?

So what about you- do you fall into noble poverty? Ask yourself these questions:

1. Do you see yourself as greedy when you think about wanting more money?
2. How do you really feel about the wealthy?
3. Do you believe there is virtue in not having money?

What do you do to heal this belief?

Here is an exercise:  Begin to notice all the good things that money does in the world, and in particular, all the wonderful things that wealthy people do with their money. Those who fall into noble poverty consistently only notice wealthy people who are not generous, or are not good role models, while ignoring all the amazing philanthropists who fund good projects with their wealth.

Over the next month, see if you can find as many positive examples of wealth as possible. Look through the news. Create a list on your smart phone of “positive wealth role models” and write down examples you find. Who is doing good things with their money? How do they use it? As you begin to focus on the positive power of wealth, you will feel an internal shift. Give it time. Soon, you will no longer want to count yourself among the “noble poor”.

Here’s to wishing you prosperity and abundance!

Want more help transforming your relationship to money? Check out all the eBooks, audios, and more robust products Mikelann has created. Are you ready to break free of the “money fog” and step into earning what you are worth? Are you are ready to get in touch with your emotions so you never feel out of control around money again? Are you ready to love your financial life? Let Mikelann help you get there. Free items are at the top of the page.

For years I’ve been asked to speak for You Wealth Revolution Network. It’s a metaphysically minded network that looks at how to transform your life spiritually, financially, and health wise. Honestly, it may be too “woo-woo” for some of my readers, and others of you will absolutely love it. I am one of their speakers this year on how to “Overcome Noble Poverty – Four keys to go from underearning to earning the money you deserve.” If you register for their program, you can access my teleclass and a TON of other world class experts- all for FREE! REGISTER HERE. More info is below.

Also- heads up—I put together a HUGE audio program that will go on sale after my teleclass. It is a TWELVE AUDIO program on how to earn the money you truly deserve, and conquer underearning forever. “Unlock Your Earning Power”. It comes with 12 forty-minute audios and a 98 page companion workbook. I am not selling this through my own website (I took my store down), so your only opportunity to buy this program is through You Wealth Revolution Network. It is the result of many years of my work on earning issues and it may very well change your life. I’m extremely proud of it.

Who is on You Wealth Revolution Network? Here are some of my fellow experts and speakers…

Here are some of the folks coming up on You Wealth Revolution Network. Reading these, you can see the spiritual and metaphysical orientation. They’ve asked me to round out their program because they know earning one’s worth is KEY to moving ahead in life. And they know we hold ourselves back for both practical and emotional reasons. The man who started You Wealth Revolution Network is Darius Barazandeh, and he’s gathered world-leading scientists, doctors, teachers, NY Times best-selling authors & Energy Healers to share their secrets with you.

Upcoming Wealth Revolution Network speakers:

• Oprah Guest Rhonda Britten on Fearless Purpose: Finding Your Way to Shine in the World

• Radio host Cari Murphy on her new book Treasures of Heaven: Lessons from the Other Side
• Creator of the Morry Method, Morry Zelcovitch on Quantum Mind Power: Short-Cut Secrets To Instantly Eliminate Self Doubt, Boost Brain Power and Possess The Keys To Personal Wealth!
• NY Times Best-Selling and renowned medium James Van Praagh on Reaching through the Veil: Tapping Into Your Psychic Capacities & Power
• Wellness Leader Dr. Fabrizio Mancini on Quiet Your Mind, Strengthen Your Core, Explode Your Energy Levels, Even Reverse The Signs of Aging In Less Time Than You Can Imagine Possible
• Do as One Founder Rabia Hayek on Master Your Breath, Master Your Life
• Visionary, Entrepreneur and Founder of Nutri-Energetic Systems, Harry Massey on Decoding the Human Body-Field: The New Science of Information as Medicine
• Spiritual Mentor, Teacher and Master Coach Shifra Hendrie on Awakening Divine Power: Embracing Your Authentic Mystical Blueprint

And many many more!

You will have the opportunity to join an “Intention Energy Circle” of like-minded individuals, your life can shift, your dreams can manifest and you can start to awaken to the life you were meant to live.

It starts by simply registering, right now.
==> REGISTER HERE

After you register, you’ll get your “New Life Energy Kit” for free with six unique audios that can profoundly shift your feelings and transform your energy immediately!

Over the past four years, members of their “Intention Energy Circle” have been asked about how the daily gatherings have made an impact in their lives. 94.2% of participants directly reported that their “Lives got better” as a results of being connected to this Intention Energy Circle every day.

More and more people report improvements in their lives, experiencing things like:

• Feeling more alive, engaged and connected with life
• Being able to enjoy the present moment, longer
• More clarity, purpose and direction in life
• Larger connection to the universe and earth energy
• Courage to stop living by other people’s rules
• Transformation beyond recognition in record time
• Being equipped to handle 10x more challenges
• A windfall of new profits from new opportunities
• Falling in love with who they are inside

And that’s only scratching the surface!

These are not uncommon reactions from the Intention Energy Circle alone, yet there’s more you’ll get when you register for Season 7 right now – for Free.
==> REGISTER HERE

Want more help transforming your relationship to money? Check out all the eBooks, audios, and more robust products Mikelann has created. Are you ready to break free of the “money fog” and step into earning what you are worth? Are you are ready to get in touch with your emotions so you never feel out of control around money again? Are you ready to love your financial life? Let Mikelann help you get there. Free items are at the top of the page.

Last week I was the guest on the Chat With Women radio show. I think you’ll love the conversation we had about money. Listen to us discuss why people don’t talk about money, why people spend more when they visit a brand new store, how women spend differently than men, and how our money story impacts us. All that in 25 minutes. Here is the radio show link. It’s a 60 minute show. I am the guest for the first half.

Give a listen here:

CHAT WITH WOMEN RADIO INTERVIEW

Want more help transforming your relationship to money? Check out all the eBooks, audios, and more robust products Mikelann has created. Are you ready to break free of the “money fog” and step into earning what you are worth? Are you are ready to get in touch with your emotions so you never feel out of control around money again? Are you ready to love your financial life? Let Mikelann help you get there. Free items are at the top of the page.

What if I told you that 2014 could be the year you put an end to your money worries, take charge of your finances and become 10-times more confident about your financial future?

What if this was the year you created the financial stability and prosperity you’ve always wanted?

Sounds pretty good, right?

Well, I’m going to help you make it happen.

On, Wednesday, January 8, 2014, at 5:00 pm PT/8:00 pm ET, I’m offering a free teleclass, “How to Get a Fresh Start with MoneyMinder in 2014.”  I’ll be hosting this teleclass with Karen McCall, who co-founded MoneyMinder Online with me.

You may already know but in case you don’t… MoneyMinder is a revolutionary, cloud-based money management system that gives you the power to take charge of your money, plan your financial future and transform your relationship with money forever… in less than 5 minutes a day.

Perhaps you’re already using MoneyMinder. Or maybe you got started and then let it slide. Or you may have never even heard of it before!

It doesn’t matter.

Because on this teleclass, you’re going to get the information and inspiration you need to make a fresh start and become financially fit in 2014.

So, register now!

Let this be the year you stop worrying about money and start to feel good about your financial possibilities. Register now for “How to Get a Fresh Start with MoneyMinder in 2014.”

Want more help transforming your relationship to money? Check out all the eBooks, audios, and more robust products Mikelann has created. Are you ready to break free of the “money fog” and step into earning what you are worth? Are you are ready to get in touch with your emotions so you never feel out of control around money again? Are you ready to love your financial life? Let Mikelann help you get there. Free items are at the top of the page.

Many of my clients grapple with the idea of home ownership and how much buying a house will really cost them. I am not a mortgage broker or real estate agent, so when Zillow asked if I would like an article on this exact subject, I happily accepted. Buying my own home after my divorce was one of the biggest things I ever did in the realm of money. And of course my house continues to cost me money in terms of maintenance and my mortgage. But it also gives me great joy, a sense of security and is one important piece of my net worth.

I build my mortgage payment into my monthly spending plan and on-going maintenance and improvements are part of my annual spending plan. (Before I bought my house I had a category called “house down payment” in my spending plan, where I saved money each month in preparation to buy my sweet home.)

4 Major Costs to Evaluate When Considering Homeownership
By Jay Robert

Typically, a home is the most expensive purchase a consumer will make in his or her lifetime. Therefore, the decision-making process should be well researched prior to accepting the financial responsibilities of purchasing and owning a home. Mortgage choices made early on in the buying process affect the total cost of homeownership by thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars throughout the life of the loan, so it’s advantageous to be informed from the start. Here are four major costs home shoppers should evaluate before buying a home.

1. Interest rate and length of loan term

Consumers considering obtaining a mortgage to buy a home should raise their credit scores as high as possible, as credit scores impact the interest rates offered by lenders and ultimately affect the total cost of the loan. Credit scores range from 300 (poor) to 850 (excellent), and lenders generally offer consumers with higher credit scores lower interest rates. Typically borrowers with scores of 740 or higher receive the best interest rates, and even scores of 660 qualify for conventional home loans, though cutoff points vary from lender to lender. Low scores can be improved by paying bills on time, paying down debts and avoiding opening new credit lines before applying for loans.

Next, consumers should begin shopping for reputable lenders who offer low interest rates. While a percentage point difference in interest rates might not seem significant, over the life of the loan it can cost tens of thousands of dollars. For example, consumers who borrow $300,000 over 30 years at 5 percent pay $65,000 more in interest over the life of the loan than someone with a 4 percent interest rate.

Another way to lower the interest rate on a mortgage is to shorten the term of the loan. Borrowers pay more each month, but the shortened length of the loan reduces total interest. A $300,000 loan at 4 percent paid off over 15 years costs the borrower roughly $100,000 in interest, compared with more than $215,000 in interest if that same loan is paid off over 30 years.

2. Down payment and closing costs

Home buyers must be prepared to pay both a down payment and closing costs associated with buying a home. The down payment is typically 10 to 20 percent of the home price; so a $200,000 home might require a $20,000 to $40,000 down payment.

Closing costs are charged to borrowers for credit reports, inspections, appraisal costs, discount points to lower interest rates and attorney and lender fees. In general, closing costs tend to range between 2 percent and 5 percent of the purchase price of the home.

3. Monthly costs

The monthly costs of homeownership exceed the monthly mortgage payment. The cost of homeownership includes the mortgage payments (principal and interest), taxes, condo or homeowners association (HOA) fees and insurance, including homeowners insurance, private mortgage insurance (PMI) and other supplemental policies such as flood insurance. Some experts recommend the total monthly costs not exceed 25 percent of a homeowner’s monthly income. Some lenders advise capping costs at 35 percent. Home buyers should evaluate their level of comfort and financial security before making this decision, because putting down more than 30 percent may lead buyers into debt; after making mortgage payments they may not have enough money left to support their lifestyles.

4. Repairs and maintenance

In addition to mortgage payments, taxes, insurance and condo association fees, homeowners are also responsible for maintenance and repairs on their homes. After placing an offer on a home, the buyers pay for a thorough inspection to determine necessary repairs and then negotiate with the seller to get them fixed before closing. Once purchased, experts suggest budgeting between 1 percent and 2 percent of the purchase price of the home each year to cover home maintenance. For example, a homeowner with a $200,000 home would need to save $2,000 to $3,000 annually for maintenance and repairs.

To minimize the cost of buying a home, buyers should raise their credit scores, look for low interest rates from reputable lenders and compare lenders’ closing costs. Home buyers should establish how much home they can afford while living a comfortable lifestyle before home shopping. Keep in mind closing costs and down payments are only the initial payments, and buyers are still responsible for the monthly costs of mortgage payments, taxes, insurance, fees and standard maintenance of the property. Although owning a home is an enduring American dream, the financial burden can be challenging and isn’t as straight-forward as a monthly mortgage payment.

Want more help transforming your relationship to money? Check out all the eBooks, audios, and more robust products Mikelann has created. Are you ready to break free of the “money fog” and step into earning what you are worth? Are you are ready to get in touch with your emotions so you never feel out of control around money again? Are you ready to love your financial life? Let Mikelann help you get there. Free items are at the top of the page.