Your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions. What are your actions showing you? Do you have positive beliefs, abundance beliefs? Or do you perpetuate negativity? Maybe you aren’t even aware of it.
Here are a few phrases I hear often. What is your impression of these as you read them? What emotions do they evoke from you?
– I don’t like to spend my money on extravagant things.
– I am happy being cheap.
– I am not cheap, I am frugal.
– I am doing better than I deserve to be.
– I don’t have the money for that.
– There never seems to be enough.
– Oh, s/he’s not so bad.
For the longest time, I wouldn’t buy certain name brand products. I felt that they were overpriced. Until friends had the same shirt that I had bought three or more times because the less expensive brand had worn out. And they had ultimately spent less money than I had. So who really saved in the long run?
On the other hand, I won’t buy other name brand products because their high price tag conveys a value that their product does not have.
That’s the key word. Value.
I have learned to value my money and my time and the time it takes to make my money. I do not want to squander it on wasteful things. I have also learned to pay for services I previously would not have paid for if it brings me value or helps me achieve my goals. I am more likely to take myself out to a good dinner (or get takeout) when I have worn myself out and know I won’t cook and will eat junk food instead of a proper meal.
A few years ago, I would not have hired someone to work on my website no matter how much money I was making. Beyond being too cheap to spend the money, it was also a source of pride for me. People told me how easy it is to do it myself. I felt like I should have control over what the presentation of my ideas looks like. Then the website sat. For four years. Sure I added some minor things and made some adjustments. But in the long run, I have no desire to learn how to do the work and don’t care how easy it is. My being cheap has held me back from going where I wanted to go.
I now see hiring others to do work that I will not do as an opportunity to help people. When I hire someone to help me achieve my goals, I am making available time that I can use in creative or revenue generating activities or better yet – for my family. I put funds into the life of someone else that may allow them an opportunity they would not otherwise have. I allow someone else to cultivate their skills while I cultivate mine. I create partnerships and teams, even if only for a short project. I allow others to shine – to operate from their highest self. Hiring them allows me to ‘do me’ better.
Creating confusion.
Another thing I have learned is that using the word cheap confuses the universe. If you are trying to manifest abundance into your life, but are still using words like “cheap,” you are still in a place of lack thinking. Try reframing these statements to value conscious statements. You want value. Value in your products, in your time, in your entertainment. And in your people.
Wait, cheap refers to people, too? Yes.
We collect people because of common interests, common activities, same place/same time. This is human nature. We are hard wired to build tribes. But for some reason, we feel like we need to keep them well past the times when they provide value to our lives or we to theirs. Historically this was important because of safety issues. These days, though, it’s just another way to be in lack. Afraid you will not find new friends. Or maybe you have never even thought about it. I know I had not until a few years ago. People came and went through my life. Sometimes I would struggle to hang on to them. Even if they drained me or made me feel bad. I kept people who were close to me even if they were cheap. Cheap in thought, word, and deed. I certainly do not need martyrs in my life, but I do not need people who do not choose value either. Is this the kind of people I want to have in my “five”? It is not. I want people who know and own their own value, their own truth and who project it back out into the universe.
What about clients?
Clients, too. There is this culture that tells us that we need to cling to clients who continue to buy our products or services. But I do not want cheap clients. I want clients who find value in the work we do together. Who enjoy using the products I sell. Who do not call and complain about every little thing. Who make an effort.
I used to work at a large corporation who had a massive client who the very embodiment of cheap. The client undercut their payments wherever they could. They required a significant amount of specialized work needed only for that client. The company (and others like it that worked with this client) had to hire teams to specialize in supporting this client. In the long run, this client was and continues to be a financial drain. Yet, the top line revenue looks really good on the books. Most of the employees would have fired this client years ago. For good reason.
You can too. Even if you have a small business and that client is your only client. If your clients consistently violate your boundaries or force you to push them beyond where you would like to go, you can dump them. I give you permission.
Creating opportunities
Since I have begun work cultivating abundance mindset, my opportunities have grown exponentially. Each opportunity better than the last. Sometimes it is hard to say no or to quit them when they are no longer serving me or my long game. This too is a form of cheap. Of fear. Of lack thinking. Knowing what your values are, what your mission is, is critical. It provides the foundation for you to build a solid life onto. Abundance mindset starts at the bottom and works all the way up. It is easy to be pulled off course or distracted when you don’t know which direction you are sailing your ship.
Cultivate abundance through awareness.
How do we cultivate abundance mindset? It begins with awareness.
Watch your language for the next few days. How do you speak to yourself? I used to call myself frugal often. In reality, I hadn’t established my thoughts on value.
Be aware of your feelings towards money and material items. How does it feel to buy an item, spend that money, hold that item? I used to have a lot of guilt and dread around spending money. Which I would then soothe through buying a lot of little baubles, ironically.
Take a look in around your home, do you keep items “for a special occasion?” What is the special occasion you are waiting for? Is that item being ruined by sitting and waiting? I used to do this with candles, fancy foods, and bath products. By the time that occasion that was special enough rolled around, the item was old, junky, ratty or spoilt.
Observe yourself in your mindset. Don’t judge yourself, just notice. If you journal, I recommend journaling about your observations, it will help you identify the root of these thoughts and help with the removal of them.
If you have made a conscious effort to define your values, compare you observations to your values. Are they in alignment? If not, make changes.
If you have never defined your values and are interested in guided work on doing this, feel free to drop me a note. I am in the process of building a course to help people get clear and granular on how to define their values. I would be interested in hearing from you.
Are there other actions you can think of that will help you cultivate abundance mindset? Do you have stories of being a reformed “lack thinker?” Or if you just want to dialogue about the topic, feel free to leave a comment.
Until next time …
In Light & Love
Namaste
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