5 Money Mindsets You Need to Develop to Experience Financial Abundance

I'd like to thank those of you who've reached out with positive feedback about my financial related posts.  Money can be a touchy subject at times so I tend to want to tiptoe around the topic even though I'm very passionate about it.

Today, I want to summarize how I think money works.  Keep in mind, that this is based on my current mindset. Things may change. And if they do, I'll share any new insights with you.  Money is a funny thing. It tends to reveal our true nature and, most importantly, our mindset.  The way you view and relate to money will essentially determine how much of it you'll earn and keep.

Which is why I want to cover the five money mindsets that will bring abundance in your life.
Mindset I: 
[Money is Infinite]
When I started my financial journey, the very first mindset I had to break was my focus on lack.  Growing up, we didn't have much.  For Christmas and birthdays, my brother and I received 1 gift each while our neighborhood friends were flooded with toys.  I vividly remember going over a friend's house on Christmas morning to help her open gifts because there were so many.  I didn't hate our financial situation, I just accepted that we didn't have much.  That way of thinking was so embedded in me that I couldn't break it.  Every so often, my dad came to visit and would take us shopping.  He told us to get anything we wanted and I would often only pick out one item. He practically had to beg me to grab other things but my limited mindset wouldn't allow it.

That way of thinking stayed with me all the way into adulthood.  It took years of hard work to finally accept the infinite nature of money.  Once I did, my earning potential skyrocketed and so did my bank account.  Most of the work I did was eliminating any traces of lack from my vocabulary and in my actions.  Lack comes in many forms. Carrying consumer debt is a form of lack.  Blowing your paycheck in a weekend is a form of lack. Operating outside of your income earning potential is a form of lack. Doing stupid things with your money is lack in its purest form.

Mindset II: 
[Money is a tool]
Once you understand the signs of lack in your life.  You can start to move away from it and move towards the land of abundance.  To do so, you must first utilize money in ways you've never had before.  One sleepless night led me to a product infomercial that would change my life forever.  Back then, interest rates were high and they were offering this program where you manipulated where you put your money so you can earn a higher daily rate of interest.  I can't remember all the details but instantly, I had an idea!

When I got my paycheck, I put almost all of the money into a high earning online savings account (back then they were offering over 5% interest).  I used my credit card to pay for living expenses while I let my wages collect interest.  When the card payment was due, I PAID IT IN FULL.  At the end of the month, I earned credit card reward points and made a nice return on my paycheck.  

My plan worked like a charm. More importantly, I developed a slight addiction for creating money from money (versus creating money from time).  At the end of the year, I earned hundreds of dollars of interest (and lots of reward points) simply by being a little cunning with how I utilized my money. From there, I became more daring and bought company stock on Etrade (after the market crash of early 2000s).  Again, another strategy that allowed me to make money from money.

Finally, I started setting aside money to launch my business.  This has been the greatest "making money from money" move that I have ever made.  Not only does it allow me to make a living, I'm also banking on building an asset that will eventually have a large payout in the future.

Listen to me:  Your money can work harder for you than you ever can. 

If done correctly, your money can outpace your earning potential.  Working for money is understandable, but it can also be inefficient.  You don't have to quit your job, but if you don't put any of your money to work, you are playing a fool's game.
Mindset III: 
[Money is a Game]
Speaking of game, I want to tell you about a book I read years ago when I wanted to obliterate my old thinking about money.  It's called Busting Loose from the Money Game.  The book is a bit quirky and deals a lot with quantum physics (and the illusion of reality).  Some of the theories are very unconventional, and I didn't agree with all of his viewpoints, but it did challenge my thinking about money.

 Basically, he encourages us to see how much of our current reality is created by us.  Once we are aware of how we impact our reality, we can take back our power and create the outcome we want.  I remember giving up attachment around money after reading the book.  It's like the scene in the matrix once NEO realized his true power.  Everything became so clear and I started to play "the game" much differently than before.  Since then, nothing has ever been the same.

Mindset IV: 
[Abundance is a Real Possibility]
Yesterday, I told a friend about a home listing that I stumbled on.  The house is quite unique with a modern luxury architectural design.  It's on the market for around $675,000.  In my city, that's considered an expensive home.  I then tell her how I struggle with only wanting homes that are outside of my current budget.   After venting for a little bit, I calm down and share my theory of how I desire these higher end homes because I believe I can obtain them.  Sure, these homes are currently out of my financial reach, but my desire for them is a signal that I should be moving towards greater abundance.

Deep down in my heart, I believe living in a home that I absolutely love is a real possibility.  From here, I have to nurture my belief until in manifests into solid form.  My current belief in my ability to buy this home is low.  I can tell because of the nature of my actions.  What I desire is very possible, but I have to operate in a different way in order to experience it in reality.  My job is to understand where the incongruence lies and what behaviors I need incorporate in order to manifest exactly what I want.

Mindset V:
[Money is an exchange of value]
Wanna make more money? Provide more value.  You may have heard this advice before.  If not, please imprint it into your permanent memory.  If you aren't earning as much as you'd like, it's a direct reflection of the amount of value you bring to the marketplace.  When I got my first real job in corporate America, I earned $9.75 an hour.  My one and only goal was to climb the ladder as quickly as possible to increase my earning potential.  Four years, and several promotions later, I was making a decent annual salary complete with bonuses and other perks.  How?  By becoming more valuable to the company I worked for.  The more responsibilities you hold, the more valuable you become.

In the entrepreneurial space, the rule about adding value is even more critical.  If you're bouncing around business ideas in your head, you need to ask yourself, "how can I help as many people as possible with my new business?" This way of thinking will bring so much joy and abundance to your life.  But in order to increase your level of value, you have to work on developing yourself.  The more you learn and grow, the more you can be of value to others.

Work on yourself, share your growth and knowledge with others and experience the rewards that helping others will bring.

I may have forgotten to include 1 or 2 additional money mindsets that create financial abundance. If you'd like to add to my list, feel free to leave a comment.