7 Limiting Money Beliefs Millionaires Don’t Have
“You can only achieve what you allow yourself to achieve.”
— SmartyPurse
Are you tired of feeling like financial freedom is just out of reach? Do you ever wonder why wealth seems to come so easily to some, while you struggle just to stay afloat? The truth is: it’s not about luck, intelligence, or even hard work. It’s about mindset.
So many of us are held back by limiting beliefs about money. These beliefs are invisible chains that keep us stuck, no matter how much we earn or how smart we are. But here’s the good news: you can break free. Millionaires think differently about money, and you can too.
Let’s explore the 7 most common limiting beliefs and how to replace them with the mindset of abundance and possibility.
Limiting Belief 1: Money Is Scarce
Is “I can’t afford it” your default response? Do you fear spending, even when it could help you grow? Is it uncomfortable checking your bank balance? These are signs you’re operating from scarcity.
If you make just one shift after reading this article, let it be this: Start from a place of abundance, not scarcity.
It doesn’t matter how much you currently have. What matters is your mindset.
Millionaire Belief: Money is abundant.
There is so much money in the world. Building millions and billions is within your reach. If I want something, I can find or create the means.
Limiting Belief 2: Money I Make for Me Is Money I Take from Someone Else
It is a common misconception to view wealth as a pie – more for me means less for others. This is the limiting belief I struggled with for a long time. I felt like the only way to make money was to take it from someone else, and I did not want to “harm” anyone or to push, fight, compete for a bigger piece of the pie.
Limiting beliefs do not come from a rational, logical place so I could not fix mine with rational logical arguments. What helped me shift was an emotional truth that aligned with my values:
Millionaire Belief: When I make money, I give to the world around me.
Wealth isn’t taken, it’s created. Think of the entrepreneurs who bring products and services that improve lives. They got rich by giving, not taking.
Limiting Belief 3: Making Money Is Hard
We’ve all heard the stories: rich people working 18-hour days, sacrificing health and relationships. So we compare that with our stable, balanced lives: stable salary, 9-5 working hours, 30 days of holiday, free weekends. And we think, “I’m fine. I like my life. don’t need more.”
But this belief holds you back. It has never been easier in human history to make money.
Millionaire Belief: Making money is easy, fun, and fulfilling.
Be honest: Does your current income reflect the time and energy you give? If not, what could possibly be harder than sacrificing a third of your life for less than you deserve?
Limiting Belief 4: Keeping Money Is Stressful
Do you fear you’ll lose money once you get it? Like those stories of lottery winners who ended up broke? Managing savings, avoiding scams, maintaining profits—it all sounds exhausting.
But here’s the truth: what you worry about applies to people with or without money. Having money gives you the resources to manage it wisely.
Millionaire Belief: Keeping money comes naturally to me.
I enjoy preserving and growing my wealth. It’s a game I’m excellent at. I have access to professionals, tools, and education. I trust myself.
Limiting Belief 5: I Don’t Deserve Money
“Rich people are smarter. They work harder. They deserve it. I don’t. Not yet.”
If this sounds familiar, pause. You were born deserving.
Millionaire Belief: Wealth is my birthright.
Being happy, rich, and free is not a privilege for the few—it is our natural state. We are inherently entitled to prosperity and success. Have you ever seen a small child passionately wanting a good toy? How expensive, rare or special it is doesn’t matter, they truly believe they should have it.
If someone or something on our way broke this internal certainty, and we started doubting our worth and feeling undeserving, we can fix it. It is not designed to be this way, it can be reclaimed.
Limiting Belief 6: People with Money Are Bad
Growing up in post-communist Eastern Europe, it seemed the only rich people were criminals, exploiters, or those willing to cross the line. I didn’t want to be like them. I thought wealth meant dishonesty.
But that was a narrow view. I later met many wealthy, kind, values-driven people.
Millionaire Belief: Being good or bad has nothing to do with money.
If you’re someone with strong values, the world needs you to be rich. Be the positive examples that inspires other like-minded people to join!
Limiting Belief 7: People with Money Are Unhappy
“You can’t have it all.” “Too good is not good.” “Better poor and healthy than rich and sick.”
These sayings may sound harmless, but they have limiting effects on us, they train us to see wealth as a trap rather than a tool. We find ways to convince ourselves why being rich is not what we want. But this is only a coping-mechanism to make ourselves feel better about our poor finances.
Millionaire Belief: I am happy, rich, and free.
We are in an age that values mental health and emotional well-being. There is research, books, resources about it. The quest for answers is ongoing. One thing seems evident, however:
Happiness rises with our wealth
It is not yet certain how strong this relationship is and at what levels. If you want to read more about it, check Harvard Business School Study “The Happiness of Millionaires” https://www.hbs.edu/ris/Publication%20Files/donnelly%20zheng%20haisley%20norton_26bec744-c924-4a28-8439-5a74abe9c8da.pdf
How to Break Free from Limiting Money Beliefs
Step 1: Identify Your Beliefs
Which beliefs in this article resonated with you most? What about money makes you uncomfortable? Reflect on your childhood and key moments in your life.
What if you already had wealth? Imagine a home, a summer house, cars, financial freedom. What about that image feels unsettling? That’s where your limiting beliefs live.
Step 2: Define a Replacing Empowering Belief
Write down your limiting belief. Cross it out. Then, next to it, write your new empowering belief.
Make it personal. Make it emotional. Just make it yours.
Example: Money I Make For Me is Money I Take From Someone Else → When I make money, I give to the world around me
Step 3: Rewire Your Mindset
Erasing a belief is a process, but you can start today:
- Positive affirmations: Say your empowering beliefs out loud before bed and after waking. These are your most influential mental moments.
- Selective input: Read, watch, and listen only to things that reinforce your new beliefs. Block anything that feeds doubt.
- Take action: Start small. Save a little. Sell something. Maybe launch a side hustle. Build momentum with action.
Bonus: Recommended Books for Empowering Money Beliefs:
- You Are a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero
- Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
- The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel
- The Millionaire Fastlane by MJ DeMarco
- Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker
- Happy Money by Ken Honda
Your Rich Mindset
Feeling rich is a state of mind. Every time you make a little extra, celebrate. Be grateful. Be proud.
Because:
- Money is meant for you.
- You are destined to be rich.
- Wealth comes easily to you.
If you liked this article, you might enjoy this one as well:
7 Myths About Personal Finance That Keep You Poor