How to Shift Your Focus from Poverty to Abundance

Your thoughts create powerful change.

You are a living magnet. What you attract into your life is in harmony with your dominant thoughts.~Brian Tracy

Do you pay attention to the stories you tell yourself?

Our stories shape our experience. Thoughts turn into things. We have daily evidence. You can choose to give power to the problem or the solution.

How do we change our stories?

The answer is simple yet profound. Our thoughts create our reality.

Complaints can crush our spirits and attract more of the same. Whatever we focus on, expands.

The verbiage I use comes from the Law of Attraction workshops of Abraham-Hicks. I highly recommend their teachings to show you the power of our thoughts.

Now let’s talk about changing your stories so you can live a full and prosperous life.

I’ll share stories based on a scarcity mindset, and how we can quickly shift our energy to abundance.

Story #1: Why does life have to be so hard?

I had a rough week. I immediately launched into a story of money woes and helplessness. I continuously focused my thoughts on the negative aspects of my life.

Not all money-related issues arose, but I gave my energy to all I lacked. I couldn’t find peace. My mind kept me in a negative feedback loop.

My 8-year-old lent me laundry quarters from her piggy bank so we’d have clean clothes. She woke today at 4 am to a roach crawling on her lips. I scratched my back with a glass shard from a tiny essential oil bottle when I returned to bed. I jumped because I thought it was a roach. The bottle broke the other day when I accidentally threw it against a stone with Courage written on it. Message received, almost.

Can you see how these incidents aren’t accidental? They may seem so at the surface, but my previous thoughts and negative attitude were precursors. When I kept worrying about my lack of serenity and security, more stress showed up right on time. Have you told yourself this kind of story?

I’m a work in progress. I’ve redirected my energy, then occasionally revisited when particularly challenged by outside forces.

Story #2: I don’t have enough money.

Many of us tell ourselves we can’t afford the things we need or want. We say we can’t do it. Or we could if we had enough, but we don’t. Oh my, isn’t it pervasive? A lot of false stories come through our media. US culture crams the idea down our throats, telling us we don’t have enough.

I’ve expressed a few of these sentiments aloud and it’s not helpful.

My kids need beds, but I don’t have money them. If they didn’t sleep on the floor, they wouldn’t have roaches crawling on them. We need to move, but I can’t afford it. We could participate in fun activities, if only I had the money.

What if we flipped all of this on its head? We can always think of something that’s working, things we can afford, all we do have.

For example, I was gifted a couple of things at Trader Joe’s yesterday. Interestingly enough, we went for only a few items because I had $11 in my account until I receive food stamps.

We kept running into this adorable man with a beard and knitted Santa hat. He and his wife connected with me and my kids. We got to chatting, and he handed me a piece of paper with an offer to see the River of Lights. It’s a holiday event they manage, and he gave us free admission.

I saw a familiar face at the register. He checked my groceries a few days before Thanksgiving. I was dismayed over returning a few items. I had a positive attitude this time. I told him I needed to do a subtotal. I ended up having just enough for a dark chocolate bar. Then he offered to pay for it.

I have more than enough money. We’re rich with generous people in our community. Abundance is omnipresent.

Story #3: I’ll never find a healthy relationship.

Why predict my relationships’ demise? I’ve killed any chance at a healthy, loving partner in one sentence. My logic is faulty.

Although we might not always say it aloud, the underlying thought of helpless defeat is still ever-present.

Pay attention to your current relationships and celebrate your joyful unions. If you’re a parent, begin with your kids. Reflect on all your different kinds of connections. I strike up friendships with people everywhere I go. I frequently bond with folks working at Trader Joe’s, for example.

These bonds don’t need to be your lover to be valuable. Start nurturing relationships with folks who light you up. Focus on the ones who reciprocate the love you give.

You’re never alone, and you have at least one healthy relationship. I guarantee you’ll find a way to change this story.

Our eventual fate will be the sum of the stories we told ourselves long enough.~Crystal Woods

Here’s what I generally practice to avoid staying in a scarcity mindset and increase my abundance.

I apply an attitude of gratitude. When I appreciate everything I have and all the things going well, I forget about the other stuff and my energy changes. I notice abundance everywhere. It’s a palpable feeling that expands over time. The more grateful I feel, the more I receive. The more I receive, the more grateful I become. Isn’t it wonderful how we can change our story in an instant?

Gratitude is the open door to abundance.~Harbhajan Singh Yogi

I change my language. It’s essential to be mindful of our words. Speaking aloud will reinforce your beliefs. If I’m always saying something is frustrating, I’ll find more frustration into my experience. Saying how easy things are going will put attention on what’s going well. And surprise, you’ll have an easier time.

I focus on feeling good. Our emotions guide our thoughts, which turn into experiences. We believe everything’s working out for us. Intentionally feeling good raises our vibration and brings more happiness and contentment.

Taking care of ourselves helps us feel better. When you’re in a high vibrational state of being, you spread it to others.

Life is easy when we’re focused on positive aspects. Relax and feel good. Then you won’t need this old story anymore.

The entire universe is conspiring to give you everything you want.~Abraham Hicks

Final thoughts

When we intentionally refocus our thoughts on what’s going well, we expand our current reality. It’s easy to move away from a scarcity mindset into a prosperity mindset. You only need to change your perspective. You do that by making a conscious decision to think differently.

Take a few simple steps and watch your outward circumstances improve. Be in a constant state of appreciation. Watch your language by choosing uplifting words.

One day you’ll discover the stories have changed. You have a new tale to tell, and you’re in perfectly alignment with what you want.

The stars we are given. The constellations we make. That is to say, stars exist in the cosmos, but constellations are the imaginary lines we draw between them, the readings we give the sky, the stories we tell.~Rebecca Solnit

For more on energy, attraction, and the power of thought, take a peek at these stories:

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