you can't get rich by feeling poor!

There you are – the paradox.

The rich get richer, the poor get poorer. The worse it gets, the worse it gets. The better it gets, the better it gets. Those who don’t need it appear to have it, and those who appear most in need are those who lack it!

Life is unfair! Or is it?

The truth is that life is hugely fair. It gives you exactly what you ask for. Now, that’s the tough bit for many people. We may consciously ask for what we want, but then we (often unconsciously) worry about whether or not it will show up. This is tantamount to asking for it not to show up.

How often have you said, “I’d like that . . . but I can’t afford it”? How often have you bought something you wanted and felt guilty about it at the same time? How often have you come across someone who has a house or car you’d like, and then thought, "It’s all right for some" and felt envious or annoyed? How often have you thought, "How come they can achieve that and I can’t?&quo; And how often have you thought, "I need and I want more money" whilst feeling poor?

Do you notice how there are conflicting messages here? You’re saying one thing but feeling another.

Now, think about something which you feel sure about. Something which is well within your comfort zone. How differently does that feel? How much do you even think about the subject at hand? I’d say that you don’t even think about it, other than to conceive the idea in the first place. You just take it for granted that what you want to happen will happen. You just know it, and it feels good.

That’s where we want to be, as much of the time as possible. That’s when both your thinking and your feeling are in alignment.

The toughest time to feel rich is when you are feeling broke. The toughest time to relax is when you are feeling under pressure. The toughest time to take time out is when you’re really busy. The toughest time to stay on a diet is when you’re feeling fat. The toughest time to stay focused on your vision and what you want is when your current reality is far removed from that, and you’re focusing on your current reality!

This is one of the biggest challenges that all of us face. Yet the irony is that our most inspired ideas and actions happen when we are relaxed, feeling good and focusing on what we want; not what we don’t want.

So, how can you start to feel rich, here and now? Change your focus.

Remember that Crisis = Danger + Opportunity. The Chinese word for Crisis is made up of those two other words. You notice the danger, and you feel less than good inside. Then you change your focus and look for the opportunity. You’ll feel lighter and you’ll be better able to access your creativity.

Keep in mind too that at the end of the day, it’s not just about the money. It’s about health and family and relationships and everything else besides. Financial success is not the only measure of your self-worth.

Money cannot buy you peace of mind, or love, or happiness, or a feeling of success and all those other intangibles. All of these are available to you in an instant, regardless of the current state of your bank account. Success does not come from having or making money; having or making money comes from success. So if you just happen to be thinking that having more money will bring you those intangibles, then, what is it that is stopping you from having those intangibles right now?

Action Points

1. Look for the silver lining, the blessings in disguise, the bright side of life. These are age-old phrases and for good reason!

2. Make a list every day for all the things you appreciate and are grateful for. "I’m grateful that today has ended and tomorrow is a new start" is also acceptable!

3. Play the Abundance Reminders Game - it's free. This is a great game to get you into feeling rich (especially in the run up to Christmas), just when the pressure starts to mount.

4. Give something away so that you can feel a greater sense of abundance – be it time, money, ideas, books, or old items you no longer want.

Quote

"Always aim at complete harmony of thought and word and deed. Always aim at purifying your thoughts and everything will be well." - Mohandas Gandhi

"How does one become a butterfly? You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar." - Trina Paulus

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