It seems everyone I come into contact with is interested in tapping into their potential. The word abundance seems to resonate with nearly everyone I mention it to.
But most of them have a laundry list of reasons why they can’t, haven’t, or won’t achieve success. Some blame it on the past. Others blame it on their situation. Still others focus on something outside of themselves altogether.
There are some things to do, and some things not to do, if you want to pursue abundance. Let’s look at both sides of the coin today.
Adopt the Mindset of Abundance
The very first step toward achieving your dreams is to adopt what I call the Mindset of Abundance. Yes, it starts out that simply.
What is the Mindset of Abundance? Similar to the Law of Attraction, it comes down to truly believing you will achieve what you seek.
But it’s more than just blindly believing. It comes down to lining up everything behind that which you dream of achieving. Actions, decisions, relationships you choose, places you go, how you spend your time, and what you set as goals are all at play.
The Mindset of Abundance is a promise to yourself:
- I believe that abundance is within my own reach
- I know what abundance is and will recognize when it starts gracing me with its presence
- I am willing to believe, pursue, and put my full attention and effort behind it
- Life is what you make it, good or bad, and I control which of those I allow into my sphere of experience
- I promise myself to focus on abundance, and to gear my life in a direction that provides me with everything that makes me happy
- I will put forth good and positive energy, and I believe the collective source of the universe will respond with the same
Six simple statements, but very powerful indeed. How did it feel to read these statements? Did it make you skeptical, or did it bring you hope?
If you felt skeptical or were resisting, that’s okay. You can’t change how you view the world overnight. But what you can do is start trying to believe these mantras. Allow yourself to believe you deserve good things.
Then go out and start acting like they will happen. In every way. At every second. Through all experiences and decisions. And see where that takes you.
Things to Stop Saying (Because They Repel Abundance)
I do understand that this might be quite a leap for some. Let’s start by eliminating negative thoughts and beliefs from your vocabulary.
If you find yourself falling into any of the following negativity traps, catch yourself. It’s a great first step toward building a life that you want, and that brings you the happiness you want and deserve.
If only…
This one seems like nothing bad, but when you really examine it, you can see why it is problematic. “If only…” is filled with regret, and it is disempowering.
If only I had made a different decision.
If only my boss hadn’t given me such an unreasonable deadline.
If only my wife hadn’t ignored me.
If only I had won the lottery.
If only my parents didn’t spank me.
Do you see the pattern? All of these reek of regret, and they all blame your situation today on something that happened in the past.
You don’t live in the past, so why are you dwelling on it? You live in the present. You are heading toward the future. Doesn’t it make more sense to forget about the past and move on? Learn from it, sure, but don’t let the past haunt you. It doesn’t exist any more.
One Day…
Ah, the dreaded “One Day…” I relate to this one personally. You see, for years, I spent my days and nights focusing on how great life would be “one day.”
This is the opposite of “if only.” However, it has a similar effect. You are giving up happiness and abundance today for the hope of achieving it tomorrow.
Why are you waiting? Start working toward your abundance now. If you are doing anything else with your time, you aren’t on a path to get there “one day.”
So set your sights on what you desire, and line up your life to go there. And stop pining for “one day,” because unless you are on the road to that future, it will never come.
I/You should have known…
Here is another fallacy that allows the past to take away your happiness in the present. It reeks of “poor me,” otherwise known as the victim mentality.
You aren’t omniscient. There is no way you could have known what would happen to you before it actually happened. What kind of life is it to go through every day afraid of what might happen?
No, you should not have known. You should have expected better. If you were disappointed, accept it as a life lesson. And start moving forward immediately. It’s the only path to abundance.
How could he/she…
Speaking of victim mentality, it doesn’t help to dwell on the actions of others. Neither is it useful to hold grudges.
Perhaps your spouse cheated on you. Maybe your company laid you off without notice after a decade of loyal service. Or maybe some petty thief swindled you on a street corner.
Some people are good, other people are struggling with their own demons. You can’t expect everyone to be good, and neither can you expect them all to be bad.
Again, learn from the misstep. Find it in your heart to forgive, even if you will never forget. And move past the negativity as soon as you can. Otherwise, it will hold you back like an anchor, and no one wants that problem.
Fuck My Life or FML
Now here is one that always makes me take pause when I see it used. When I witness anyone using this phrase, it tells me that they expect the worst of their own life.
This is the opposite of the Mindset of Abundance. I can’t say how poisonous and damaging this is to your own happiness, and your own success.
Your life is special. You are lucky to be here. Abundance is possible. Just stop saying this. Please.
That always happens to me…
As a softer version of FML, crying because bad things happen to you frequently is also poisoning your own experience. This is something we call labeling yourself. When you label yourself, you are creating a self-fulfilling prophecy.
If you say it is true, your psyche will believe it. And more bad things will come to you.
Why did the latest bad thing happen? What could you have done differently?
Maybe you should date better people and you won’t get hurt. Perhaps you shouldn’t have parked your car on that busy street where it was sideswiped. It may have been a bad idea to drive home after doing nine shots of tequila at the local bar.
These are all decisions fully within your sphere of control. Something bad happened? How did your actions or decisions factor into the outcome? Change those actions and decisions in the future, and I promise you will change those poor outcomes.
Summary
Abundance is there for the taking. All you need to do is adopt the mindset of abundance. Eliminate negative thoughts and replace them with hopeful thoughts.
Try it for two weeks and see if things start to fall into place. Practice it daily. As you will see, life is special and good if you believe it is. All you have to do is align behind that belief, and magical things will come into your world.
Namaste. Thanks for reading.