Can you really think yourself into prosperity? You can if you focus your thoughts on promoting and preserving wealth rather than on buying better things, writes S. Ross Ingram in her book, Wealth Mentality: Program Yourself to Get and Keep the Wealth You Want (Jourdan & Brown Publishing, Inc.). "Once you program yourself with a wealth mentality, your thoughts and behavior work to build and maintain wealth automatically, without conscious thought," she explains.

Ingram suggests these eight steps to attract financial blessings:

make wealth a goal

Becoming wealthy, for many people, is a wish or a fantasy they use to entertain themselves, Ingram says, The difference between a goal and a wish: "A goal is something you want enough that you're motivated to work relentlessly toward getting it," she points out. With goals, your thought is: I'm going to make this happen.

rid yourself of fear

Fear paralyzes you and keeps you from doing the things you want and need to do. "Fear is the silent killer of potential--particularly fear of failure," she says. "It causes procrastination, which causes inaction, which prevents accomplishment. Lack of accomplishment stops you from getting rewards, which means no wealth."

expel limiting beliefs and values

Examine your beliefs about acquiring wealth, she advises. Do you believe that people who achieve wealth must have gotten it immorally or illegally? Do you feel that perhaps you are not worthy of wealth? Do you believe that becoming wealthy is just too difficult? "Limiting beliefs and values turn you into your own worst enemy," she stresses. "They work like fear to keep you from doing the things you need and have to do to achieve your goals, and also cause you to sabotage any efforts you do make."

pursue information

Make reading a habit. Hundreds of books are written each year on financial topics, and there's a wealth of information on the Internet and in seminars. "Even if you have a planner, a broker and/or an analyst keeping track of your financial positions, remember that they are only part of your team; you must still do your part," she says. "It's to your benefit to stay on top of financial trends and situations that can affect your future."

change your lifestyle

"Unless you already have a lifestyle that's leading you to wealth, seeking to acquire wealth and not changing your lifestyle are two conditions that cannot coexist," Ingrain points out. For instance, assess your financial situation, then develop a game plan to address poor spending habits and bad debt. "Your lifestyle is the reason you're in the financial shape you are in. And until you do things differently, you'll never get different results," she says.

stay wealth-focused

When it comes to pursuing wealth, most people focus on not being poor--on simply being able to pay their bills and perhaps put a little away for a rainy day--rather than on achieving wealth, Ingrain says. By focusing on not being poor, your motivation diminishes once you are no longer poor. Start thinking about acquiring income-producing assets--from real estate to pork-belly futures--instead of just getting more earned income, she advises: "If you focus on being wealthy, then your motivation to achieve your goals increases as you begin to build wealth."

Make wealth A choice

Being wealthy is a choice, and your choices are limitless, insists Ingram. With technology leveling the business playing field, bringing global opportunities within your reach, no one is destined to live a life without wealth, she maintains. Those living without it do so because they have not directed their mind and behavior toward acting in harmony with the laws of wealth development, she adds: "Your choices brought you to where you are today, and your choices can take you where you want to go in the future."

Plan for success

Goals indicate whether you're on track in fulfilling your purpose and attaining your dreams, while planning gives structure and direction to goals, Ingram notes. You can jump-start the planning process by reading a financial periodical a day or a book a month. "By starting now," she says, "you make a strike against procrastination and a great step toward achieving your wealth goals."

Debt is the longest-lasting economic curse and the least recognized form of modern slavery afflicting Americans, cautions Lynnette Khalfani, author of Zero

Debt: The Ultimate Guide to Financial Freedom (Advantage World Press). Her book shows you how to rid yourself of debt worries and get on the road to financial freedom.

What's your financial IQ?

How smart are you when it comes to managing your money? Answering yes or no to the following questions will help you assess your financial-intelligence quotient:

1 Do you know how to calculate your net worth? Y/N

2 Do you know your credit (FICO) score? Y/N

3 Are you paying the lowest available interest rate on your credit card(s)? Y/N