5 Negative Emotions Holding You Back From Financial Prosperity

In this excerpt from his new book Happy Money, the Japanese Art of Making Peace With Your Money, Ken Honda describes why you might be your own worst enemy when it comes to getting more money in the bank.

How do we move past our limiting behaviors and beliefs around money? Is there a way to overcome our current status?

Usually the most readily understood negative emotion is described as anxiety. Anxiety is the discomfort and uneasiness experienced when taking or planning to take an action. There are two important things at work when it comes to anxiety. The first is a sense of discomfort when standing at the precipice of starting something new. Even though the feeling manifests as a negative emotion, it is also an indication that change is near. 

So many of us fear change. We fear losing friendships and love, and we fear loss itself. For this reason we put considerable effort into managing our risk of loss.

When we set out to do something new, an accompanying feeling that we might not be able to handle what is to come is not uncommon. This is doubt. The voice of doubt can also come to us from others. A friend or family member might imply a comparison with ourselves and someone else, causing us to feel uncertain about who we are. With a little extra introspection, we can see that regardless of what seems to be the cause of doubt, it comes from within ourselves.

The last emotion on the spectrum of negative feelings is lack of self-worth or self-esteem. Without self-esteem, a happy and wealthy life is not possible. Even if happiness and wealth were to fall in one's lap, a lack of self-worth would prevent one from ever truly receiving or experiencing it.

Resolving our negative feelings about ourselves—and money—is the key to opening ourselves to all sorts of possibilities. When we operate in a state of anxiety, fear, doubt, guilt, or self-neglect, we are literally blocking the flow of energy and good fortune in our lives. If our eyes are focused on all that can go wrong, we can't possibly see the opportunities waiting for us. When we succumb to self-doubt and are down on ourselves, it's impossible to put ourselves out there and achieve great heights.

The sooner you realize that the only thing limiting you is, well, you, the more quickly you can move into a place where you can increase your overall sense of peace, prosperity, and abundance.