It is human nature to make excuses to avoid dealing with unpleasant and underlying problems. The truth is that, as long as we buy into those excuses, we will not overcome them. Instead, we will manifest them over and over again. To accelerate your personal growth, in every area of life—because all those areas are connected to your whole being—I suggest you uproot excuse-making and face the real issues behind the excuses. Many times we tempt to hide the symptoms rather than addressing the problems. One of our greatest excuses is money. Although today’s economy has tightened many budgets, so often I hear people use money as a way to avoid confronting their own issues. I work with women to create a positive body image and loving relationships with their bodies. Often wonderful potential clients tell me, “I don’t have the money for your program.”

At the heart of it, however, money does not decide—you do. So it’s really your decision, based in fear, that facing your inner pain is too scary.

The only reason I know this so well is because I used money as an excuse for years to avoid transformation. And while money was often tight, if I really wanted something, I would find a way to get it. I was always conscious of using money as an excuse, yet I could not break myself of the habit. “I can’t afford it” became my mantra. And then one day I said to myself, “Enough is enough Laura. You must start living and stop the insanity of excuses.”

When I look back at those years, I realize that it was not about how little money I had at the time; it was about my level of willingness to do something that felt challenging. It felt safer for me to stay in the pain and use money as an excuse and lie about it. And is lying really staying safe? No. Lying is lying to myself and to others.

So when I hear from potential clients, “I can’t afford you,” despite discounts and payment plan options, I’m pretty sure it’s not really about the money. They are caught in the belief system that I was trapped in too.

My question for all of us is: what is the price you are paying for not taking action toward health and wellness?

How is living at the mercy of your perception of wealth affecting you?

These beliefs that live inside of us are what I am attempting to unglue through my work. I know that ungluing them for myself was the greatest gift I could have given myself.

Life does not work optimally for most of us when we live in “not enough” mode. Not enough time, money, resources, smarts, abilities, connections—all of which lead us to feeling depressed, deflated, and depleted. When we feel like enough, we feel inspired to try something new, do something bold, take a risk that we never dreamed we would do—all the things that build our courage muscle and lead to greater rewards. As long as we think fearful, scarce, “not enough” thoughts, we will keep hitting a wall and wanting to eat over it. If your drug of choice is not food, your frustration about debt or under-earning may lead you to self-abuse in another form.

Believe you have enough money, tell yourself you do, and you’ll find it to be true.

In short, as long as we use money as an excuse to not get to where we want to go, we lose. The best thing is to see all that is possible while we are here on this beautiful planet, and to feel the beauty that is you in your home known as your body.