 We've been taught a lot of things about money, and a lot of those things aren't true. Today, we smash those money myths once and for all. You've probably heard this one before, right? Tell me, where did you first hear this idea? Parents, church leaders, friends, maybe family members? It's an idea that's been passed down for generations. And today, we find it deeply ingrained in our belief systems about the world. But allow me a moment to let you in on a secret. Are you ready? The first time that this quote made it big was actually in the Bible from Timothy 1. Now, what's interesting about the Book of Timothy is that for so long, these writings were attributed to Saint Paul. However, it is now recognized by most scholars that Timothy, along with nearly half of the other writings attributed to Saint Paul, were inauthentic writings that simply signed his name on them. The reason why this is so significant is that when you get into the original writings of Saint Paul, you find him using all kinds of language that would indicate he was actually a Gnostic mystic, practicing an early Christian version of the mystery schools. In fact, there are books written about this subject alone. At the top of the list, I recommend The Gnostic Paul by Elaine Pagels, The Jesus Mysteries by Timothy Freik and Peter Gandy, and The Book of Spirit by your very own Patchman. We're going to do a whole series about this in the future once the Sumerian epic is done, but for now, let's stay on the subject of money. The reason I'm sharing this with you is because many of Saint Paul's original writings were very pro-mystic teachings, but later on the Roman Empire adopted Nicene Christianity and forged some letters from Paul, including the Book of Timothy, where they say that money is the root of all evil, along with certain phrases like, but I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. Jeez, Timothy, you hate money? Women? What's next? Same-sex relationships? Huh. Indeed. Sorry, hold on, I'm sorry, I need a sec. Seeing things like this makes my stuffing come out. Okay. As you might be aware of, the Holy Roman Empire passionately and violently insisted that everyone followed their specific version of Christianity, leading to a very depressed society and culture that was both patriarchal and impoverished for at least a thousand years, and these belief systems are still lingering about here and there in our consciousness today. I posed this very question on a poll on Instagram and Facebook a while back. I asked, the root of all evil is either money or ignorance. The response was actually pretty divided, but half of the audience saying that money was the root of all evil. But here's the thing, that myth It's a trap! It's an idea that keeps poor people poor just by believing it. Think about it, if you're poor and you believe money is the root of all evil, you're going to consciously or subconsciously avoid having it at all costs. And so what's the moral of the story here? I think Ayn Rand said it best with her legendary quote, Money is only a tool. It will take you wherever you wish, but it will not replace you as the driver. Money myth too. All rich people are... I'm not saying that. Money myth too. All rich people suck. Let's look at another money myth. Specifically, the way that wealthy people are commonly viewed in society. There's an ingrained mentality that rich people are all greedy jerks, right? Generally, most people with tons of money are wrapped into the elite ruling class of the world. In fact, the more money you have, the more likely you will be associated with the Illuminati by conspiracy theorists. Now, you've probably heard this one. Filthy stinking rich, right? This common mentality sets a standard for yourself that you could never have lots of money because anyone with money is filthy and stinky too. It's so funny. I mean, think about it. If all rich people are greedy jerks, I mean, you don't want to be a jerk, right? So it's probably best that you're not rich. Now, let's be clear. Certainly, there are rich jerks in the world, but there are also poor jerks. And considering that there are significantly more poor people than wealthy people in the world, we could probably make a good argument that there are more poor jerks than rich ones. Either way, here's the key. Money is neutral, and it will basically amplify what's already there. If you're benevolent, money can help you be more benevolent. If you're a greedy jerk, yeah, money can make you more of that too. Now, let's be clear that a lot of money has been made extorting others in the world. And that's not a paradigm that I support. And I get that this is where a lot of our collective negative associations towards money comes from, but we have to temper that attitude by observing others who have done brilliant things with their wealth. If we adopt the idea that all rich people are greedy jerks, then our minds automatically try to find ways to throw shade at good-hearted people. And even if you genuinely don't like them for whatever reason, we have to take into consideration that they are people too, and they're doing their best with the position that they're in to make a positive change in the world. If we are willing to look at money differently, as something that we can use benevolently for the benefit of mankind, then we open up the potentials of us actually creating it, and we step into a new way of life for ourselves and those around us. Money Myth 3, it's all about the deals. Speaking of our collective relationship with money, let me show you something both funny and very interesting. To begin though, I'd like to introduce you to my friend Ariel. She's one of my new artist friends who is helping to create the new Spirit Science episodes. And when I spoke to her about this script, she sent me this picture with a lull attached. It's a meme that seems to accurately describe our collective relationship with money and our perspective of value. Healthy groceries for $100. No, that's too expensive. But a dinner date for $100. Well, you know, that's reasonable. A therapist for $130. That's absurd. But a trip to Target for $130. Well, they've got great deals. Now an average college class might cost $1,000. That's way too expensive. But an iPhone, that's $1,000. No, no, no, that is a necessity. To me, this meme accurately describes a mindset of lack. We've been conditioned to think in deals instead of what's truly valuable. The result of this is that it becomes easy to miss out on potential opportunities to invest in ourselves and our personal growth. That's also the other side of money. Not just making it, but spending it. Which is so valuable for us to learn and integrate into our lives. Every time you spend money, you are investing your own personal energy into what you believe is valuable. So the question then becomes, what do you value most in life? Yes, you could spend $1,000 on video games. Or you could spend that same $1,000 on a backpacking trip around some foreign land or maybe taking a specialized course to help you get better at doing something that you love. I think James Frick said it best when he said, don't show me where your priorities are. Show me where you spend your money. And I'll tell you what they are. Money myth four. You have to be a cheapskate. There's a common mentality about living on a budget and if you live on the cheap you'll save money and one day you'll have a big pile of dollars. However, you create your own reality and if you're focused on this cheap mentality then that's what you'll continue to create. On the other hand, if you change your mentality, your focus to generating wealth rather than pinching pennies, imagine how your reality could be different. Money myth five. Financial freedom. Most people believe financial freedom means having enough money so that you don't have to work. But this myth is broken because having financial freedom today doesn't mean you'll have it tomorrow. Instead, try the term financial confidence. This means knowing that you have the skills and ability to make money no matter what happens. It means you never feel like you have to be at the mercy of external forces when it comes to your financial life. This is what it means to truly be open to allowing that cosmic energetic stability to permeate your life as we discussed before. Now, this brings us to the end of our money myths, but in closing, I'd like to share something special with you. Many of these money myths came from a brilliant book that I discovered recently, a book that catapulted me on a journey of transforming my own relationship with money. The book is called F.U. Money by a man named Dan Locke. He explains that your F.U. Money simply means that it's your enough is enough number. When you have enough resources that you don't have to take crap from anyone anymore, like rude bosses or mean managers, and so on. Everyone's F.U. Money number is different, and so it's the number that you personally need to live that life that you really want to. Throughout the book, he not only breaks down the money myths, but he also provides some very special instructions for moving towards a life of freedom and financial confidence right now. The best part is this book is free. So if you're someone who's ready to really transform your financial life and live a life of wealth and prosperity, my highest recommendation is to start where I did and go download F.U. Money and give it a read. Be warned, this book is intense, but it hits where it counts. And for those who are ready, it could just be the catalyst for a big change in your life. Click the link in the description to download it today. Thank you so much for watching, and I'll see you again next week for even more spiritual money.