I’d never felt particularly excited about the idea of making money. In fact, I would characterize my old relationship with money as being filled with judgment, and — at times — full-on resentment.
I felt so trapped by the way money dictated every facet of my life in terms of what was and wasn’t available to me. It determined which restaurants I could go to, which clothes I could buy, which trips I could plan, where I could live, and even what kind of health insurance I could afford.
I was in this confusing headspace of wanting nice things and experiences and simultaneously judging them as selfish, indulgent, or greedy.
I resented the control money had over my life, that I felt so limited by it, and that I spent so much time thinking about it.
Beyond all of that, my fears around being able to consistently generate a healthy income for myself brought up feelings of self-doubt and worry that everything I’d created so far might disappear at any moment.
It wasn’t until I really dove into my own money mindset work that I realized how much energy I was wasting, how much unnecessary suffering I was creating, and how much I was limiting my potential.
OPERATING FROM a SCARCITY MINDSET
I was so stuck in my own lack mentality that I didn’t even realize that my scarcity-based thoughts were just that: thoughts. My misbeliefs around money felt so real that I took them at face value. In my eyes, they were 100% true.
Here are some examples of things I considered to be agreed-upon facts:
Everyone knows there’s only so much to go around.
Caring about money means you’re materialistic.
People who have money are selfish and snobby.
Money creates problems in businesses, marriages, families…it makes everything more complicated.
And the list goes on and on!
Then, once I started my own business, I had thoughts like:
Nobody will want to pay me this much for what I do.
Who am I to charge _____ for my services?
I’ll never be able to afford _____.
There are too many coaches nowadays. There’s too much competition, and not enough clients to go around.
Even when I received money, the worry would sneak in:
This is temporary. I won’t be able to do this forever. I’ll have to give up on my dream and go back to working for someone else at some point.
My money fears ran deep, and breaking free of them seemed like a far-off fantasy or pipe dream. I never would’ve imagined that my relationship with money would do such a 180 that I would eventually love teaching other people how to master their own money mindsets too. But that’s exactly what happened!
A NEW, ABUNDANT MONEY MINDSET
The fascinating thing about money is that it’s actually neutral — but for most people, it doesn’t feel that way. The good news is that in the same way we can assign negative meaning to money, we also have the power to assign positive meaning to it…and change our lives as a result!
For me, making this transition from a scarcity to abundance mindset involved lots of coaching, reading, and exercises designed to release my judgements and shift my perspective.
Eventually I saw how money aligns with 2 of my core values: 1) living a life of freedom, and 2) maximizing my potential and making the greatest contribution I can.
I now see that money brings me…
The capacity to help (and reach) more people
The freedom to be creative and have fun in my business. It gives me access to the entrepreneurial playground!
More time to spend doing things I love with the people I love
More mental space because I’m not constantly thinking about money
Money is simply a tool that allows me to play bigger — and show other people that they can do the same! For most of my clients, that looks like leading freedom-filled, purpose-driven, deeply fulfilling lives — the kind of lives that are available to anyone willing to dive in and do the work.
NEXT STEPS
Do you believe a life of financial freedom is available to you?
I’m on a mission to show people how possible it is to earn an abundant income and lead a thriving personal life.
I’m planning on sharing more about this topic, and some of my favorite tools for shifting your money mindset, in the weeks and months to come.
Is this something you’re interested in learning about? If so, shoot me a message here or drop a comment below and let me know! I’d love to hear any thoughts or questions you have :)
To thriving on all levels,
