Book notes: You are a Bad Ass at Making Money, by
Jen Sincero

Whatever may be said in praise of poverty, the fact remains that it is not possible to live a really complete or successful life unless one is rich.

One of the biggest obstacles to making lots of money is not a lack of good ideas or opportunities or time, or that we’re too slovenly or stupid, it’s that we refuse to give ourselves permission to become rich.

Everybody arrives on this planet with unique desires, gifts, and talents, and as you journey through life, your job is to discover what yours are, to nurture them and to bloom into the most authentic, gleeful, and badassiest version of yourself.

Able to afford all the things and experiences required to fully experience your most authentic life.

If you are here to become the grandest, most generous version of yourself, which you are, and if that costs money, which it does, it is your duty, as a hallowed child of Mother Nature, to get rich.

Humans are curious by nature, our desire to keep evolving physically, mentally, and spiritually is part of who we are, which is why settling, staying stuck in a rut, treading the lukewarm water of mediocrity (or worse) is so excruciating.

Take a deep breath, trust your desires, and embrace the fact that your quest for riches is a quest to become more of who you truly are.

your gifts, talents, and desires were given to you because you are meant to thrive and share your youness with the world as only you can.

Our “realities” are make-believe—whatever we make ourselves believe, we experience.

The walls of your comfort zone are lovingly decorated with your lifelong collection of favorite excuses.

The invisible world creates the visible world.

everything you can think of already exists in the Universe, otherwise you wouldn’t be able to think it.

If you have a desire to make fifty thousand dollars, that money, and the way for you to make it, already exists. Otherwise you wouldn’t be able to think it up in the first place because the thought of the money, and the money itself, are the same stuff.

you fixate your thoughts with unwavering determination on owning your own two-hundred-acre chicken farm and a Cadillac, that chicken farm and sweet ride are your truth.

We all have the ability, through our thoughts, to harness the power of the Universe.

your job is to consciously get your frequency in alignment with the money you desire to manifest and open yourself up to receiving it. This means getting clear on the value of the product or service you’re offering, being excited and grateful instead of weird and apologetic about receiving money for it, and having total faith that this money is on its way to you instead of worrying about the possibility of its not showing up.
always comes to you through other people, but it comes from Universal Intelligence, as do all things.

You’ve decided to sell your unopened Obi-Wan Kenobi figurine to raise the money, and you’ve got someone seriously interested in buying it. Raise your frequency to match the frequency of the four thousand dollars coming toward you instead of focusing on the particular person you hope to get it from.

Same goes for making money—you do the energetic work, get your thoughts, actions, and words in line with what you desire to create, and surrender the rest of the details up to the Universe.

Money is a renewable resource. It comes and goes, it ebbs and flows, it’s meant to move.

Hurl yourself into the fire. Run face-first toward your biggest fear. Take big, audacious action in the direction of your dreams and do not let the fact that you’re wetting your pants stop you.

Figure out something you can do right now that will take you a giant step closer to your goal of getting rich. Make sure it’s something scary, something that you’d really rather not do because it’s super uncomfy, something that makes you feel like you might puke, e.g., renting the massive space for your new handbag company, flying across the country and figuring out how to get yourself in front of the guy who’s hiring for that engineering job that you’re perfect for, cold-calling ten prospective clients, hiring a new full-time employee, etc. Notice any limiting subconscious beliefs that may get scared out of hiding as a result.

Here are some phrases to watch for with others and yourself: I want (= I lack) I wish (but I’m not in control = disempowering) I need (cuz I ain’t got = lack) I can’t (obv) I’m trying (but I’m not committed) I hope (might happen/might not = lacks faith) I should (but maybe I won’t and maybe I don’t wanna) I don’t know (spoken as truth, slams door shut on finding out) Here are some excellent replacements: I have I create I’m grateful for I enjoy I can I choose

One of my favorite sayings is: “A wise man once said nothing.”

One of the best ways to blast past the noise in our brains and discover what’s going on underneath is through meditation. Sitting in purposeful silence. Even if it’s just for five minutes a day, if you do it every damn day it will make such a difference you won’t believe you didn’t sit down and shut up sooner.

You have to want your dreams more than you want your drama.

When you get a hit on what’s holding you back and realize what you need to do to move forward, act immediately.Orange highlight

If you hesitate when you get a knowing hint, you give those familiar, limiting beliefs the time and space to take over again.

Listen to your intuition during meditation, visualization, or just running around being you, and the moment you get a brilliant idea that would move you in the direction of your financial dreams, jump on it. Go for it like you’ve never gone for it before. Leap like the largest leaping leaper ever. Notice any crappy thoughts that come up while you’re in midair, and rewrite them, but do not stop your forward motion in order to do so. The successful completion of this one exercise could land you in full-on badassery. Just sayin’.

Doubts, fears, and other people’s rules are no match for a heart on a mission.

if you’re going to make the kind of money you’ve never made before, you’re going to have to do a whole lotta stuff you ain’t never done before, which will scare and challenge (and excite) the crap out of you.

When we push against who we naturally are, we feel stress, things don’t progress easily, we beat ourselves up for getting crappy results, everything is an effort.

So often we discredit the things that come naturally because we’ve bought into the idea that success needs to be difficult, or that if something comes easily to us, it must come easily to everyone, and therefore isn’t worth pursuing in any serious sort of way.

By having the audacity to follow his heart instead of his fears, he was able to quit his hateful job and now spends his valuable time on Earth getting paid to be the life of the party.

Your heart is the most powerful muscle in your body. Do what it says.

don’t be a cheapskate when it comes to taking inventory of what lights up your heart. Act as if you live in an abundant Universe (which you do) and have the ability to create whatever financial reality you desire (which you can), and that by doing this you’ll be sharing the most magnificent version of yourself with the world (which you will).

IMPORTANT NOTE IF YOU’RE IN THE “I DON’T KNOW” CAMP: If you’re like, I have no freaking idea what my heart desires or what I want to do with my life other than I don’t want to buy my groceries at the dollar store anymore, here are some things you can do right now: Take action on what you do know. If there are bits and pieces that you are sure of, that feel totally right, focus on those instead of waiting until you’ve got the entire picture figured out. For example, if you know that you want the freedom of working for yourself, you love drawing, you’re happiest when you’re around animals, you want to help people, start with these pieces and act on them. You could volunteer at the local animal shelter and see who you meet and where that leads. Or start a business making drawings of people’s pets. Or assist someone who helps people overcome trauma by working with horses. Once you start taking action you’ll be able to discover more things you like, more things you don’t like, and a clearer picture of what you desire to do will begin to form.

We all have the choice to think what we want to think,

If it’s on your mind it will soon be in your lap.

Part of working with Universal Intelligence is doing everything you know how to do but staying open to ideas and opportunities that “come out of nowhere.”

Worrying is praying for stuff you don’t want.

It’s impossible to focus on one thing and see another.

When you focus on your past, you are blind to your present.

Our emotions are the motivating kicks in the rear that alert our bodies that it’s time to take action and make a thought a physical reality. Just like the table lamp takes electricity and transforms it into light, our bodies take thoughts and turn them into results. In order for this to happen, in both cases, a switch needs to be flicked. Emotions are the switch.

Riches come to those who believe anything is possible even when all signs point to No Way in Hell.

money is all around me, I’ma find me some and make this happen.

What you can and can’t afford is all in your mind.

Take responsibility for the fact that you created everything in your life via your thoughts, beliefs, focus, actions, and energy, and that you have the power to shift your mindset, raise your frequency, and create new things that will serve you better. Get out of victim mode and into badass mode and be diligent about your mindset.

When you make the no-nonsense decision to get rich, you may not see any solutions or opportunities to make this new kind of money no matter how hard you look. This is because you’re so busy focusing on what you think the How should look like that you can’t see the new, unrecognizable How that the Universe is excitedly wagging in your face.

Faith helps you shape shift. In order to become the new, richer you, you must relinquish your attachment to your present/old identity:

With the really big stuff, very often you’re required to get to the point where your faith is the only thing you’ve got left, because you’ve gone so far out to the edge that anything familiar or safe or rational isn’t even a blip in your rearview mirror anymore. It’s like flying or surfing or tripping: You have to focus on your faith and surrender to the cosmic rock tumbler because your only other option is to freak out and crash.

have you decided to live?

if you have decided lite instead of decided for reals, the second the going gets tough you’ll be pulling out your favorite excuses, scripting convincing soliloquies on why quitting makes excellent sense, and weighing your options

If you’ve made a backup plan, you haven’t made a decision.

The Latin roots of the word “decide” literally mean “to cut off,” meaning all other options fall away and you are committed to the decision alone.

If you ripped this page out of this book and did just this one thing—decided with 100 percent commitment that you will get rich and stick to your resolve to do so until you’re rollin’ in it—you would be victorious.

firm decision sets everything in motion—your mindset and your actions—and also alerts Universal Intelligence that this is how it’s going to be, and it starts moving everything you need in your direction.

I want to point out here that when I say that the Universe starts moving everything you need in your direction, this goes for ideas as well as opportunities, people, and things.

When you make a decision and alert Universal Intelligence to bring it on, you have to pay close attention to any thoughts and big new ideas that come into your head.

One good idea that comes in out of nowhere can change your entire life, but it ain’t gonna do nothing if you don’t act on it, and your subconscious is so ninja it can stop you without you even realizing what’s happening.

Next! Then back to complaining, spinning out, wondering why oh why can’t I get out of my suckhole? The Universe must have been like, I just gave you exactly what you asked for! Are you freaking kidding me?

Is this something I want to be, do, or have? Is this leading me in the direction of my goal? Is it going to screw anybody over if I do this? If you get satisfactory answers to those questions, go for it.

Meanwhile, there is almost always a solution right in front of our faces that we’re ignoring because we’ve decided it’s out of the question.

money doesn’t make you happy, money gives you options.

keep in mind that no matter whatcha got goin’, you have to expand your mindset beyond where you’re at if you really want to knock it out of the park.

Most people stay in financial struggle

because they don’t stretch their minds.

Focus on one thing. Do not try to start two projects at once or fragment your focus or time in any way.

Entrepreneurs are usually really creative people, which is awesome when you have to write an entire album or thirty-five marketing e-mails, but can be a menace when you’re starting a business. I guarantee you, the moment you get a great idea for a business and start working on it, you’ll get awesome ideas for several others. If you split your attention and try to pursue more than one at once, you’re screwed.

what you’re seeking is also seeking you.

Urgency is the opposite of hurrying. Hurrying comes from lack

Yes, Prince was one of the most talented musical badasses to ever parade around the Earth. And guess what? You have gifts and talents just as unique and important inside of you. And you’re meant to respect, nurture, and strut your youness as unapologetically as Prince strutted his.

the less crap you will give about what any nonfans of yours think, the easier it will be to strut your strut, find your joy, and get it on with the green goodness of money.

We live in an energetic Universe; what you put out comes right back to you.

the only person being punished by your resentment is you.

Everyone’s an asshole and everyone is awesome, we’re all all of it.

Here are some key mindset pieces she had in place that helped her take the leap and stay the course as she trudged through the Valley of Darkness that first year:

She held tight to her Why. She wanted the money and success for the freedom it gave her, to take care of her family, to prove to herself that she could do it.

Also, she wasn’t terribly psyched about the prospect of losing her entire life savings if the business tanked. She went to the spiritual gym. She constantly read books by other entrepreneurs, she had pictures taped to her walls of women who’d done stuff like run successful restaurants in war zones, she memorized poems, meditated, and constantly reminded herself that uncertainty is part of the process. Everyone has to fling themselves into the unknown to get to the next level—she wasn’t a drama queen about it. She did her homework. She studied her industry, the people she’d love to work with, and learned creative ways to sell by finding common ground between herself and prospects that were “out of her league.” Once she landed her second big investor using her new badass sales skills, her business started flying. She got a mentor. It was 2008, all these other much bigger firms were crashing down around her, and she was brought to the point where she didn’t think she could take it anymore, so she sought out a mentor who gave her great advice: He told her to go surfing. To take it day by day, that nobody wins if you quit—it will feel good in the moment but then it’s over. If your investors are going to fire you, let them fire you, don’t fire yourself.

Never give up.

The number one thing wealthy people attribute their success to is tenacity.

If you’ve made the decision to make the kind of money you’ve never made before, blasting through this terror threshold is critical. So keep an eye out for the rallying cry to retreat, understand that you have arrived at the magical door to the other side, focus on this truth instead of the desire to get into bed and read magazines, and break on through to the other side.

Let’s say you’ve decided you’re going to get into the habit of making five sales calls before lunch every day. Right before you’re about to dial the phone, the idea pops into your head to check Facebook one more time to see if anyone commented on the picture you posted of your grandmother in a wet suit. The moment that thought comes into your head, you recognize it as what it is: a negotiation away from your goal.

It’s these tiny moments, these split-second decisions, upon which your financial success rides.

Keeping that desire alive and more real than all the “signs” that it’s time to throw in the towel eventually leads to success.

Remember, it’s not your job to know How, that’s up to Universal Intelligence. Surrender is such a vital part of being tenacious—tenacity is not about pushing so hard you push away the very thing you’re trying to achieve, it’s about determined action paired with availability for the new, previously untaken paths that lead you where you desire to go.

This is how it is when you grow in the mindset department as well—so many things that once loomed large loom large no more.

As you evolve, it’s helpful to keep in mind that all the seemingly insurmountable roadblocks and fears you’re facing right now on your path to riches will be insignificant crumbs falling through the cracks of your memory someday too: your fear that focusing on making money will be a fun-free slog, your doubt that you could honestly ever get rich anyway, your worries about what others might think, your terror of taking the risks you need to take, your general feelings of overwhelm and self-suckery.

Of course, there are usually tenacious, terrifying, and radical leaps into the unknown involved in getting rich, but the big transformation truly does happen between your ears.