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** FINANCIAL SELF-ESTEEM – Article from Money Magazine **
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The secrets of achieving your money dreams (even on a modest income). This article focuses on the strategies of people who have created a net worth of one million dollars or more. The common denominator in each success story is the commitment to pay careful attention to how they spent and invested their money. As a result, every person had acquired a high level of financial self-esteem -- the key to creating and sustaining wealth.

High financial self-esteem is the result of handling your money with wisdom and maturity. When you develop good money habits, use these skills to care for the wealth you already have, and maintain the discipline to live within your means, you increase your level of financial self-respect and confidence. This opens the door to more . . .

You'll know that your financial self-esteem needs a boost by the number of times you answer "true" to the statements below. The higher the number, the greater the need for new behaviors that will make you feel better about yourself and money.

• I charge less for my services than I know I deserve. 
• I haven't asked for a raise in over a year. 
• I feel guilty about how I spend my money. 
• My checkbook is never balanced properly. 
• I buy gifts for others even though I can't afford them. 
• I have a tendency to pay my bills late. 
• I'm too embarrassed to let anyone see my financial situation. 
• I rarely contribute money to charitable organizations. 
• I continue to add to my debt without knowing how I'll pay it back. 
• I have trouble asking for money owed to me. 
• I blame others for my financial troubles (parents, banks, credit card companies, etc.).

If you scored high, please don't beat yourself up. Most people struggle with money. As a matter of fact, our online survey showed that "financial pressure" is an obstacle for many community members. This means that there's a whole lot of people reading this newsletter who feel badly about how they handle their money. Unfortunately, chronic shame or guilt about finances only creates a state of "poor" thinking. And, this type of thinking is like a magnet for more financial trouble. Instead, you'll need to focus your energy and attention on the new behaviors that will set you free to embrace the abundance you rightfully deserve.

In order to improve your financial health you'll need to slowly and systematically develop the good habits of fiscal discipline. Start by answering the following question:

"What's the one thing you know you need to do to improve your financial health?"

Notice the first answer that comes to mind (it's usually the action we most want to avoid *and* the one that most needs our attention :). If your answer is "I don't know," then find a professional who can assess your overall financial situation and make suggestions about where to begin. Since most of us never received basic training about money, there's a good chance that not knowing where to begin may be stopping you from moving forward. Contact your accountant for guidance and direction.

Maybe you do know what needs to change. If so, taking action is your key to raising your financial self-esteem. For example, you might need to increase your fees, contact creditors about a debt repayment plan, hire a bookkeeper to get your accounts balanced, or find a smart financial planner who can help you create an investment plan that's right for you.

Although you might be tempted to put your head in the sand, hoping that your financial troubles will go away, don't do it. Get on track by taking the action that will raise your financial self-esteem today!

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