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In spite of our parents best intentions we all tend to get a lot of garbage put in our brains while growing up.  Some of it comes from them, some from our teachers and some from the media.  If you haven't taken the time to clean the garbage out of your head, chances are your results in life aren't at the level that they could be.

You probably picked up some of the financial parents you parents had.  This could be a good thing or bad thing.  If they had excellent money management skills, chances are you have them as well.  If they struggled with their finances, it might not be that surprising if you struggle with your finances as well.

However, beyond the financial behaviors we pick up from our parents, the attitudes that we have about money itself can be quite sinister.

To find out about your relationship with money, use the following as a guideline:

• How do you feel about money?
• What does money mean to you?
• What does lack of money mean to you?
• What does having more than enough money mean to you?
• Finish this sentence: Money is . . .

As you go through this list, think of any other attitudes about money that may be limiting you.  Specifically, look at the ideas that have an emotional charge behind them.  They are the ones that are likely the most limiting for you.

Here's a list of common limiting attitudes about money:

1. I don't deserve financial abundance - This a common idea held by a lot of people not only in relation to money but also in relation to all of their desires such as health, a happy relationship etc. Ultimately, this is just a story. It is neither true nor false. You are no more deserving and no less deserving than anyone else out there. "Oh no, but you don't know the terrible things I've done, blah blah blah." You can try to justify your undeservingness in any way you like but, in the end, it only serves to limit you. You simply will not allow yourself to achieve something you don't think you deserve. Decide to be deserving simply for the reason that it's a useful belief to have.
2. Money is the root of all evil - Money is a resource. It is currency. It is neither good nor bad. You can get money through negative means such as stealing or ripping people off. You can also get money through positive means by providing genuine value to others and receiving payment in return. Again, the belief that money is evil will prevent you from getting it. You want to be a good person and since you believe money is evil, your unconscious mind will not permit you to get it. Instead, replace it with the belief that money is a useful resource.
3. I'm not X enough - I'm not good enough, I'm not smart enough, I'm not resourceful enough, I'm not (insert excuse here). All of these attitudes are just stories that limit you. They are all either 1) A bunch of bull that you tell yourself or 2) Qualities that can be improved. If you think you are not smart enough either you are lying to yourself or you simply need to acquire some knowledge. Any internal or external resource you think you are lacking can be developed.
4. You can`t be rich and spiritual - If spirituality is important to you and you believe this, you simply won`t permit yourself to become financially abundant. The problem with this is you are stuck in either/or thinking which is a cognitive distortion. This type of thinking does nothing but limit you. It isn`t objectively true - it`s not a fact of the world like gravity. It simply is obsolete programming that you have put in your mind that does not serve you. Drop this idea.
5. To become rich, I`ll have to take advantage of people - The way wealthy people are often portrayed in the media leads to the stigmatism that they are greedy and willing to take advantage of others. Most people, in my experience, accept this attitude without questioning it. In my experience, however, the wealthy people I have met have been very kind and generous. While it is true that some people acquire wealth through the exploitation of others, the vast majority of fortunes are created by providing genuine value to others in exchange for money. Indeed, it is very possible to become wealthy and maintain your integrity. In fact, I would just that you adopt the belief that your integrity empowers your ability to create wealth.
6. Other people will be jealous if I am financially abundant - Firstly, there is likely a bit of projection going on with this belief. Chances are, if you think others will be jealous of your wealth, you currently have some jealousy about the wealth of others. If you want to develop wealth, I suggest you drop any jealousy you have about the wealth of others. At the same time, it's important to be realistic about the likelihood of other people being jealous of your wealth. Some people will be jealous. So what? It is their issue, not yours. Simply allow others to have whatever reaction they are going to have while allowing yourself to create the life your desire for yourself.
7. I shouldn`t have more money than I need - This is rooted in scarcity thinking. It comes from the belief that financial abundance is a zero sum game: that in order for me to have more than I need, someone else has to have less than they need. Once again, most of this is just conditioning based on the past that no longer serves. With the awareness of this limiting belief, you can choose to let it go.
8. Becoming rich will take too much hard work - Becoming financially well off does require a significant amount of work. Anyone who tells you otherwise either knows something that everyone else doesn`t or is lying. However, the fact of the matter is if you already working 40 hours a week, you are working hard as it is. So the difference in income doesn`t really come down to working that much harder but to providing more value to others. Do you think someone who is earning $500,000 a year is actually working 10 times harder than someone who is earning $50,000 a year? Last time I checked, there's less than 400 hours in a week so that clearly isn't possibly. The difference in income is not in how hard you work, it's in how much value you provide to others.

This list is by no means an exhaustive list of limiting beliefs about money.  Take any of these that apply to you as well as any other limiting beliefs you have found out about yourself and choose, right now, that these beliefs don't serve you and decide to let them go.  From time to time in the future, these thoughts will likely come back up again and each time they do, just simply remind yourself that these attitudes don't serve you and just let them go.

This post is part of a series on mastering money & wealth:

1. Intro
2. Raising Your Financial Awareness
3. Commitment and Focus
4. Wealth Mindsets
5. Clean Up Your Limiting Beliefs About Money
6. Generate a Higher Income By Creating More Value
7. 25 Ways to Create More Value
8. Create Multiple Streams of Income
9. The Key to Financial Freedom
10. Money Management