I’ve started to see the word Abundance thrown around everywhere these days. So what does it mean to truly have an abundant life?

Abundance may mean different things to different people. The word abundance is generally a religious term, and while I’m not religious, I completely get the concept and the wonder of having unlimited resources. The idea of having much and of knowing that there’s more where that came from is a beautiful thing.

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My definition of abundance has nothing to do with religion. My ideas have to do more with the balance of people, health, and wealth that surround you. I’m strongly interested in nurturing a positive mindset, seeing the good in things, giving situations the positive benefit of doubt, being able to see solutions, allowing people in your life that support you and giving the rest the boot, working toward your goals with strong conviction and belief in how you’ll help others, and then enjoying the rewards of your hard work with those around you.

Everyone’s definition is going to vary because everyone’s circumstances, backgrounds, and belief systems around money vary. To some, maybe money does come to mind along with a specific dollar figure. To others, maybe a feeling of freedom comes to mind – it’s important to notice that even that feeling has some sort of price tag, even if it isn’t monetary.

We all have a different perspective on what we believe would provide us security and freedom. I started to become aware of this while we were working through the rock-bottom portion of our financial journey.

The Earliest Moments of My Turn Toward Abundance

I became sharply aware of the amount of stress I carried, how it affected my body, the lack of mental energy I had as a result of that stress and the extreme differences between abundant thoughts and scarcity-type thoughts.

During that time, my perspective around money and how I viewed parenting, our lifestyle, our future, and especially my kids’ future drastically changed.

I had never previously examined whether my thoughts were filled with scarcity or not, and I’d never looked at my behavior as an influence to the results I had with my money.

I’m naturally interested in psychology. So, during all my binge listening of podcasts and during all the time I spent pouring over books and financial research, I couldn’t help but notice how much our habits and behaviors and mindset had such an effect on how much money we make, how we use it, and what we have left.

I Discovered…

I clearly had not only been ignoring the numbers for years, but I’d been ignoring my feelings about money, how I treated it, and why I acted that way.  There’s a pivotal moment in there where I made a clear decision to change our lives forever.

As I moved through our 3-year debt-free slog toward $0 balances on credit, I began to uncover layers about my past, money mindset, and my own personal habits and thoughts around money. I discovered the idea that energy is what makes the world go around, and that money is energy.

I became open to the idea that money is not positive or negative, it’s a neutral energy and it is that way until we assign a pole to it.
Many childhood memories came up that I hadn’t remembered before – things that I had forgotten for 30+ years. I started to see how, as a young child, I was SO intuitive. But I was also able to see how I’d lost that somewhere along the way.

In time, I’ve discovered that my positive energy attracts additional positive energy. I’ve also had the hard lessons where I can see first-hand how negative mindset and attitude turns energy in the opposite direction.

What Is Abundance?

Abundance is more of a mindset, a feeling, or a way to live. Events that you celebrate, people that make you happy, or things that make you feel free are simultaneous with abundance. When working toward a more abundant life, we need to focus on the feeling that we want to achieve – that feeling of plentifulness.

In my mind, abundance feels like the freedom to fill up the car with gas without having to check the bank balance first, the ability to do a grocery run without couponing and watching the amount at the register tick up while hiding your sweaty palms.

Abundance is living a life of choices, free of guilt and embarrassment and the ability to allocate a bonus or tax return cash to what YOU want instead of where it is owed.

The ability to pay more than the required minimum payment, and not worrying about whether you’ll have to apply for a credit card to pay for the next car repair or appliance breakdown are examples of living abundantly.

Finding comfort in the savings you’ve diligently build over the past few years so that you’re no longer in fear of being laid off or losing your job is living abundantly.

An Abundant Retirement

From my perspective, abundance means a fully-funded retirement so that we have the freedom to travel and enjoy each other’s company. I picture a future for my family where we’ve worked hard to save our money, we’ve invested well, and we get to see our kids grow up and have a family of their own.

At that time, I want to be able to spend my money freely on travel and vacations for all of us,  to where I get to see the joy on my children’s faces as they watch their babies explore and discover new things. I want to be well enough to hang out with my grand-babies and and hold them and watch them and allow my adult children to have that fun vacation that we paid for. 

Dreams of Health AND Wealth

Abundance to me is freedom from medical bills and sickness and medications. And while we can’t control all of that, our financial situation and the choices we make with our money can buy us healthy foods, the trainer or any app we want for our fitness. The latest, most intuitive and advanced wearable technology gadget to track my heart rate and blood sugar.

Effectively our money is what buys those things that can potentially keep us aware and active and healthy. And if we do end up sick, guess what? Money pays for medical care. If we save for the unknown, having money can keep us out of debt. And if I can spend money in a way that helps the quality of my life and potentially my longevity,  so that I can have those memories of traveling with my children and my grand-babies, well, that my picturesque, abundant future.

None of us can have an abundant life if we don’t feel well and if we aren’t making nutritious choices and keeping up with our fitness. Here are some thoughts:

How can you travel or fully be there for your family if you’re sick all the time?
How can you save what’s necessary into your retirement if you’re too busy paying doctor’s bills right now?
How can you have an abundant life if your friendships or relationships are stressful?
What baby-steps can you take to reduce stress in your life and immediately feel more abundant?

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Self-Care and Peace of Mind

As mothers, it’s so natural to put everyone else first. So we have to create time and space in our lives where we are able to get centered, recharge, and refuel our brains and our bodies.

Money can help me afford a housekeeper so that I can just focus on what truly moves my family toward happiness. Having outlets like therapy or yoga allows me to have a mind that is peaceful and clear and so that I’m conscious of my decisions and how I parent.

Abundance means having access to life coaching, and counseling, and therapy – whatever it takes, to feel strong and love myself so that I can positively impact my daughter’s mindset about her body as she grows older.

Money affords after-school care at some of the best facilities around and that gives me a sense of peace that my children are being cared for and educated well while I’m away working. Since I choose to pay for care like this, I’m able to take time to myself and focus on my business guilt-free.

When I’m with my children after school and work hours, I’m energized and happy to see them. That time is important to me because I want to bond and have important conversations with them. I want to positively mold them and teach them the lessons that they need in order to be empathetic and aware adults who are conscious of their decisions and how they affect others.

I will gladly pay for things that allow me to recharge so our time together is full of joy and I’m able to teach them to be courteous and aware of their need to make decisions that are positive impact to society.

What’s Most Important to Me

Most of all, abundance means spending time with the people we value most instead of spending money on things we don’t really need.

My greatest life goal has to do with spending time together and creating the experiences and the memories with my husband, my children, and friends that we are all going to carry with us.

Abundance means being able to provide a healthy, happy environment where we all look forward to coming home and being together – where we have fun eating healthy and helping each other and spending time together.

I love my home, I like shiny things, I love the most in style, beautiful decor, but I know darn-well that that’s not what’s going to make a difference in my life or in my children’s lives in the long term.

What will make a difference, is our time together and our attitudes and expressions and the words we use during those moments that we have together – and that is what abundance means to me. 

Everything Affects Everything

I strongly believe that it is our job as mothers, to teach our children to the best of our ability, and to provide them opportunity to seize this life in the best way they can. So I love to talk about these subjects – mindset, nutrition, kids, and money –  because I believe that all of them work in one giant circle and that every aspect of one affects another.

Our finances affect my mindset and my mindset affects my level of self-care. My self-care affects my mental presence and my ability to parent positively like I want to. My emotional well being affects my willpower and that affects my nutrition and fitness.

All of these things are affected by intention and consistency. And then, all of that loops back around to our ability to reach abundance in our lives.

Not only did the numbers change during our financial journey, I experienced massive personal growth and development of self-awareness through the process as well. My entire perspective altered from just wishing for happiness to actually taking action.

I became determined that there was nothing that could stand in my way to creating an abundant life, not just for myself, but for my kids. They didn’t ask to be brought into a household full of stress and financial disaster. This wasn’t their fault, I was responsible and I had the power to change it. 

You’re In Control

Over the next few days, I encourage you to think about what you really view as having abundance looks like. What does that really mean to you?

Try to take a step back and look at your life and think about if you’ve been working toward abundance or just treading water.

What would need to change for you to work towards abundance?

I’ve been on both sides, so I truly understand. Sometimes this simple thought will help you refocus on what you’re WANTING in life, and will help you make a better decision.

So, next time something big comes up for you, like a dilemma of some sort, take a minute and think about what abundance means to you. And then, consider what decision you can make that would help move you and your family toward that abundant future.

If you need to spend less on frivolous things, focus on setting boundaries around shopping, setting up controls with your accounts, and making smarter purchases each time you go to the store. If your health is holding you back from abundant feelings, take action toward healthier choices each day.

No one else is more in charge of the way you feel than you. Ultimately you have to take charge of how you expect to feel and how you want to live. You are the only one who can solve this problem. Take a small step each day toward the abundant life you deserve with your finances, your health and your happiness.

Harness your power to change everything.