In the financial world, we love to use the word “wealth” and we like to think about “getting rich”. Of course, the word “poor” has many political connotations and is as powerful as the word “wealth”. Our question to you is this: In your mind, is the power associated with these words really different? Or is the outcome that you want different?

As far back as primary school, we learned that opposites attract. Remember when the teacher gave us magnets and we could not put two negative sides together and the magnets automatically went positive to negative poles? Later we learned how electricity worked and that negative charges were pulled to positive charges.

So, in which direction are you aiming your financial plans?

Are you so frustrated about not being rich that in fact you feel poor? And if you think that you are poor and not doing well, is that then what manifests in your life?

How does this apply regarding money? If you believe that money is scarce, you either don’t have much, or what you have is never enough. In other words, what you believe is what you get.

So the goal is not so much about how to get rich, but how not to be poor. And poverty can signify your health, your state of mind, your relationships and more.

You could be struggling to define your dreams or your life path, and these can lead to feeling frustrated. So ask yourself this question posed by life coach Merilee Dannemann – “How much money is enough to support me in living the life I’d like to live and feeling the way I’d like to feel about myself?”

The question is not at all about money in isolation, but about your goals, desires and dreams. If you don’t have enough money to fulfil your goals, desires and dreams, something is preventing you from having it.

So the bottom line is all about what you believe about yourself and the goals you set.

Now an excellent financial coach or a licensed financial planner can assist you in finding out what is stopping you from being poor.

With the right support, you might find yourself listening with new interest to people you didn’t notice before, and being attracted to groups or activities aligned with your goals. At the same time, you might be less attracted to activities that take you off course or cause you to procrastinate. All of these changes would move you toward achieving your goal.

Beyond finding the one-on-one support of a financial advisor, you have to choose your friends and partners wisely. It is important to know if a person aspires to be rich, comfortable or to simply survive.

Friends who merely want to survive will not understand why you want more out of life, and may unconsciously pull you down.

So how do you find people who are looking for more out of life?

The Rich Dad Poor Dad book has a simple answer: “It’s what you know that determines who you know. If you want to change who you know, simply change what you know.”

So the most important investment you can make is in your financial education and financial experience. Invest in that first, and the people you spend time with will change.

Dennise Williams, MBA (Banking & Finance) is a journalist, TV producer, and financial coach. You can see more of her work at www.youtube.com/financiallyfocused.