Money.
Just the mention of the word #MONEY stirs up so many emotions for everyone.
For some, it feeds them and gives them the feeling of power. For others it conjures up a severe case of agita. (DEF: a feeling of agitation or anxiety)
The minute I bring up the word #money to actors, it’s a deal breaker! You panic, your palms start to sweat and suddenly a perfectly wonderful conversation turns into a game of “lemme-bury-by-head-in-the-sand.”
What is it about money that is so terrifying to actors?
Or I guess a better question is,
“How much longer are you willing to let your fears about money control your life?”
There I said it.
That might sound like a rather confronting question, but let’s address it head on. Take a moment to answer these two questions (fill in the blanks):
Money is____________________
Money gives me_____________________
When you read your answers, do you actually believe them? Just how deep do those thoughts about money go?
Because here’s the thing. If YOU believe they are real, then they are. But just because they are real for YOU, doesn’t mean they are actually true. #truthbomb
Wait. What? Have I absolutely confused you? Good, then I’m on the right track.
I’d like you to simply CONSIDER that any belief you have around money is just a conversation you’ve been speaking over and over and over, in such a way that you have convinced your brain that IT IS THE TRUTH, even if it’s not.
In fact the only thing that is completely and unarguably TRUE about money is that it is “that sorta greenish paper with pictures of some presidents on it.” #boom
No, I’m serious. That’s the only actual truth you can say about money. ANYTHING ELSE IS SOMETHING YOU MADE UP!
Conquering your relationship to money is so uniquely tied to your career as an actor and an artist that up to this point in your career, it may be the very thing holding you back from everything. I find that sometimes actors not only DON’T want to talk about money, but you like to pretend that “money isn’t important.” So let me be clear…
MONEY IS IMPORTANT.
MONEY IS NECESSARY.
MONEY IS GOOD.
But, also….
MONEY CANNOT BUY YOU HAPPINESS.
MONEY CANNOT BUY YOU LOVE.
MONEY CANNOT BUY YOU TALENT.
What you say about money directly affects your relationship to it.
Here are six ways to start tackling the conversation of money in your life.
1. STOP TALKING ABOUT YOUR LACK OF MONEY. The more you speak of your “scarcity” the more you will continue manifesting it. The “starving artist syndrome” is totally bogus! Artists deserve to get paid for their art. Period. #nostarvingartists
2. CREATE AN EMPOWERING MONEY STATEMENT. This way, anytime you feel like you want to complain about money, instead speak your empowering belief about it. You can use mine if you’d like, or create your own. Here’s mine: “Money flows freely to me and I always have more than enough for everything I need and desire.”
3. STOP BUYING YOUR DAILY COFFEE, OR JUICE OR FRO-YO. There’s no other “little money killer” than those items that seem so tiny at the time. She’s on every corner and she doesn’t seem like much till you add it up at the end of the year. #nostarbucks
Let’s see $4 (and that’s on the low side) x 7 days a week = $28
x 4 weeks per month = $112
x 12 months in the year = $1344
And oh, look at that! You could have paid for new headshots and a class with that!
4. PAY YOURSELF FIRST. It doesn’t matter what financial book you read, paying yourself at least 10%-15% of everything you make and putting that away for your retirement is the baseline task. A task that can turn into BIG money at the other end of your life. But don’t take my word for it. Pick up any financial book and learn about the power of compound interest. Here are some I recommend Dave Ramsey, Suze Orman, David Bach and more.
5. GET OUT OF DEBT. Whether you have student loan debt, credit card debt, or just poor money planning, tackle it NOW! Make consistent payments and freeze those credit cards if you have to. Simply stop buying things you don’t really need or that you can’t afford. #debtfree
6. MAKE A BUDGET. I know making an actual budget might sound so constricting. But the truth is, it can actually free you up. It makes decision-making easier when you know you only have a budget of $175 a month for groceries because those little impulse items will stay out of your cart. Create that budget and STICK TO IT! #budget
Get control of the money part of your life ASAP. Tackling the conversations you have about money in your own mind FIRST will give you the space for a life of financial trust. Comment below.
Leslie Becker is an award-winning Broadway actress, writer, and creator of The Organized Actor® and is passionate about inspiring, entertaining and educating others. Sign up below for more tips for workin’ your acting career and your life. www.OrganizedActor.com.
