I couldn’t be more excited that you are holding the key to unlocking your potential and to leaving your gift to the world, whether it be small or a global game changer. Since we as women are increasing our role in creating a global sustainable future for all, this is a perfect time for you to be holding this book in your hands. This book will increase your self-confidence, your contribution, and your impact as you grow to leave your mark on the world.
I wish you joy as you read this book and watch money, manifestation, and miracles start to appear in your life.
— INGRID VANDERVELDT, Founder and CEO, EBW2020
I BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE NO COINCIDENCES and that everything unfolds at the exact right time. It is no coincidence that I felt inspired to write this book to help women embrace money, wealth, and abundance as a powerful tool to recognize their greatness, lead a life of significance, and make a positive social impact on the world.
It is also no coincidence that this book has come into your life at this time. You are likely ready to align your talents and passion with your purpose and the meaningful contribution you want to make. You are also likely ready to take action to achieve financial prosperity and success while fulfilling your social promise in the world.
Social promise is your soul’s desire to give back by doing good while doing well in life. It includes a dual goal of combining wealth and profits with a mission to better society. Fulfilling your social promise can be expressed in many ways, such as supporting worthy local or global causes and the issues you most care about.
Your social promise provides a strong motivation for aligning your purpose and passion with service and contribution. Your contributions to others, as a result of your professional endeavors, will allow you not only to change lives but to deeply enrich your own life — as well as your bottom line — beyond your wildest dreams.
Let me ask you this:
What if you truly believed in your own magnificence and ability to step into your greatness and realize your highest potential?
What if you had the courage to extend your limits and create the life of your dreams, one that is rich and fulfilling in every way — financially, spiritually, and emotionally?
What if you had the tools to create a thriving six- or seven-figure income that would allow you to realize financial freedom, have an incredible lifestyle, and make a meaningful difference?
What if I told you that this and more is possible to achieve once you gain a deeper understanding of — and take action on — transforming your relationship with money?
You may be thinking, “How can I have a relationship with money when money is an inanimate object?” Like it or not, you are in a relationship with anything that preoccupies your time, thoughts, and actions — including money. In fact, the longest relationships that you will have are, first, your relationship with yourself and, second, your relationship with money.
The reality is that we all need money to survive, thrive, and have a quality life. Money impacts every area of your daily existence and affects the decisions you make in all areas, particularly in your business or career. If you are a business owner or are self-employed, money and profits are crucial because without them, you cease to exist as a viable enterprise. You miss the opportunity to share your talents, reach and help many people, and create a positive ripple effect.
As such, taking action to transform your relationship with money is critical. It is the first step in achieving wealth and prosperity as well as in tapping into your innermost dreams and desires.
While the focus of this book is on women, I believe that men can also find value in reading it. I wrote this book primarily with women in mind for two key reasons. The first is that as a society we have a tremendous opportunity to benefit from advancing the full participation of women. In fact, women’s economic empowerment is vital to achieving a global sustainable future. According to a 2015 McKinsey report, advancing women’s equality by narrowing the gender gap in the world of work can add $12 trillion to global economic growth by 2025. In the United States, this figure could add up to $4.3 trillion in growth if women were to attain full gender equality. This also translates into an extra £150 billion for the United Kingdom. For Canada, a PwC Women in Work 2016 Index report indicates that closing the wage gap and engaging more women in the workforce could lead to $92 billion in GDP.
A by-product of advancing women’s global economic empowerment is the generation of greater peace and harmony in the world and of greater healing for our planet. At the Vancouver Peace Summit in 2009, while surrounded by a panel of Nobel Peace Prize laureates, spiritual leaders, world leaders, and dignitaries, His Holiness the Dalai Lama (a Nobel laureate himself) delivered an affecting statement noting, “Some people may call me a feminist. . . .But we need more effort to promote basic human values — human compassion, human affection. And in that respect, females have more sensitivity for others’ pain and suffering.” Yet women cannot realize these vast opportunities without the support, cooperation, and collaboration of men, who can play an important role as allies and champions.
The second reason I wrote this book with women in mind is that in order for women to truly seize this tremendous opportunity to stand in their power and own their worth, they must first develop a harmonious relationship with money. Only then can they more effectively benefit from financial literacy — developing the knowledge, skills, and ability to make sound financial decisions to achieve financial well-being. This includes possessing the understanding and skills to manage, save, spend, and donate money as a productive resource.
This book does not focus on the mechanics of financial management, budgeting, saving, and investing. Many great resources for women, related to personal financial planning, management, and investing, are available. Rather, the focus of this book is on helping you understand your beliefs and attitudes about money, achieve a harmonious relationship with money, and develop a deep sense of abundance, thereby creating enduring wealth from within.
You may have been drawn to this book because you want to create more wealth. You may want to become financially independent and have more freedom. Perhaps you want to discover the principles of manifesting wealth and abundance in all areas of your life. You may want to resolve conflicting beliefs and emotions about money so you can create positive beliefs and feel more empowered about money. Or you may want to increase your corporate income. Perhaps you are in transition from the corporate world to the entrepreneurial world and want to more confidently charge what you are worth. As an entrepreneur, you may want more sales, more clients, or a higher income. You may also want to realize your financial dreams and leverage your business and wealth to achieve a much bigger vision and mission in order to make a difference.
Whatever the reasons, you have invited this book into your life because you are on an accelerated path to personal and spiritual growth. This path will enable you to make a positive contribution to the world and to uplift humanity through your life’s work.
There has never been a better time for women to take control of our financial independence. In fact, a powerful global shift is taking place in support of women’s empowerment. Now is the best time to serve the world in a bigger way by stepping into your role as the CEO and leader of your life and business, with no apologies.
The following statistics, collected at the time of this writing, provide a brief snapshot of women’s growing economic power:
• Women control $39.6 trillion, approximately 30 percent, of the world’s wealth. By 2020 it is estimated that women will control $72.1 trillion of global wealth due to inheritances, settlements, and entrepreneurship.
• There are 190 female billionaires worldwide.
• Women control more than 60 percent of all personal wealth in the United States.
• In higher education, 57 percent of women in the United States hold bachelor’s degrees,