The word abundance has a fullness and richness to it. Every time I say it, I am struck by its impact. It truly is one of my favorite words. Its meaning is “to have more than you need.”
Its meaning with mindfulness can take us from a place of despair or overwhelm to one of optimism. When you have an abundance mindset, you don’t feel like you aren’t enough, or don’t have enough. You are appreciative of your life as it.
The opposite of abundance is scarcity. A scarcity mindset is the belief that there will never be enough, resulting in feelings of fear, stress and anxiety.
Cultivating a mindset of abundance
Cultivating an abundance mindset can help us relieve our fears and anxieties. Appreciating what we already have can help us feel more secure and confident and help us realize that we don’t necessarily need more than we have to achieve emotional well-being. It eliminates or counteracts the impulse to use a scarcity mindset in uncertain times and situations.
An abundance mindset is also important for our sense of financial wellness. It goes beyond how much we earn or have in the bank to affect how we regard our whole lives. It is about focusing on the positive and being grateful for what you already have.
When you focus on what you are grateful for, you naturally overcome feelings of scarcity.
Gratitude is about having an appreciation for what is good in your life. Appreciation means increasing value, so by focusing on the positive feelings of gratitude, those positive emotions will increase, and you will start to notice the good things in your life more often. This then makes you feel more abundant!
A simple practice of abundance is to begin and maintain this simple and powerful habit.
Each night before you go to sleep or first thing in the morning, write down five things you’re grateful for. That’s it!! When you begin and/or end your day in gratitude, abundance will feel natural and available.
This doesn’t need to be perfect or a high-maintenance routine. It can be as simple as keeping a notepad and pen in your vanity to jot down your gratitude after you brush your teeth. You can keep a pen and paper near where you sit with your coffee in the morning. You can also add this exercise to your regular journalling.
The point is, find something you are already doing daily, make it easy to grab pen and paper, and then add an abundance mindset to your life.
The impact of abundance on the bank account
Financial wellness is often described as freedom—freedom from financial stress, worry about unexpected expenses and debt, and freedom to make choices.
When you pay attention to budgeting, saving, and debt reduction and commit to engaging with your finances in a practical way, combined with an abundance mindset, you will truly be on the way to the financially freer and more abundant life that you envision.
Set clear SMART goals. Envisioning what you hope to achieve financially and setting clear goals can be a strong motivator for creating a savings plan and adjusting your current expenditures to meet it.
Save for retirement and a rainy day. Your abundance mindset will allow you to realize that by putting money away, you are paying yourself first before paying bills to others.
Use credit wisely. When you are happy with what you have and live within your means, you can limit your use of debt for important purchases, borrowing only as much money as you can afford to pay back.
