Abundance is a product of your thoughts. You don’t have to be rich to feel abundant. By meeting your deeper spiritual needs and developing an abundance mindset you can feel abundant no matter how much money you have. (Estimated reading time: 3-4 minutes)
“Abundance is about being rich, with or without money.”
— Suze Orman
Unless you’re a trust fund baby or you married into millions, keeping an eye on your bank balance is something you’ll have to do for most of your life. Money often causes uneasiness and stress for many.
Besides the actual amount in your bank account, your expectations has a significant impact on how satisfied you feel.
The wider the gap between your current lifestyle and your expectations, the more lack and deprivation you will experience. In other words, feeling “wealthy” is relative to your standards and isn’t solely determined by the actual amount in your bank account.
Our society is fixated on the idea that prosperity is a result of the accumulation of material wealth. The images of the rich and famous that inundate the media, tempts us to chase a sparkling mirage of the “good life”. By comparing ourselves to these individuals, we can become frustrated about missing out on the better things in life.
While financial freedom can make your life a lot easier, and offers more options and flexibility – it does not guarantee a sense of lasting fulfillment and joy.
Once you’re beyond the point of having all your basic needs met, your life satisfaction is going to depend on your mindset.
I have met several wealthy people who always felt “poor” in spirit. The shiniest toys or the most luxurious vacations would only temporarily stir passion within them. For whatever reason, there was a void within them that money simply could not fill.
On the other hand, I have met some average Joe’s who felt incredibly abundant and alive. I remember being a lucky passenger of a cab driver in New York who was one of the chirpiest and bubbliest people I have ever met. He was a passionate Italian-American who had the most profound philosophies on life, which he shared with me during the long drive.
After many years of trying to figure out the secret to the cab driver’s sunny disposition, I finally had a breakthrough. I realized that the key to his abundant mindset was that he prioritized the needs of spirit more than the needs of his ego.
The needs of the spirit are of the non-material realm- love, joy, contribution, etc. It is by meeting these needs that you will reach a state of wholeness and abundance. This is a spiritual truth that has been passed on by the greatest sages and spiritual teachers from the past.
Ego-based desires can never be satisfied. Nothing you ever do or acquire will be good enough for because its needs are rooted in fear and a sense of lack.
You’ll always find yourself trying to “keep up with the Joneses” and hurting yourself in the process.
Here are some ways that you can build an abundant mindset, no matter how much money is in your bank account:
1. Get real and organized about your financial position: Acknowledge and accept where you are when it comes to your finances. Create a budget to get a realistic view on your money situation. Awareness is the first step.
2. Set goals and an action plan to improve your financial portfolio: Think about what you want next in your financial future. Do you want to eliminate credit card debt? Do you want to begin earning more? Unless you take action, nothing is going to change.
3. Treat yourself: It’s important to not slip into a deprivation mentality by rewarding yourself with affordable treats once in a while, such as a nice massage or meal.
4. Find happiness in the simple things: Engage in activities that don’t cost a lot of money, such as a walk on the beach or in the park, playing with your kids or creative art. Focus on finding inexpensive ways to generate positive emotions.
5. Focus on giving: Volunteering or helping other people out will only bring you good Karma but also brings a deep sense of fulfillment. Without a doubt, one of the best ways to feel good about yourself is by helping others and kindness.
6. Be grateful: Be grateful for what you already have. Too often we take life for granted and don’t appreciate the small things.
Look around you and appreciate your natural surroundings: the lush trees, to the wide open sky and the water that fills our oceans. Our planet has always offered this natural abundance that give us the gift of life. Take it all in and realize that you are always connected to this overflowing bounty.
All my best on your journey,
Seline
Question for you: What does real abundance look and feel like to you? What are some of the things that you do or can do to create a more abundant mindset?
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