7 Keys To Unlock Your Authentic Abundance

 Abundance and wealth are not about how much you have but about how much you give.

As a shamanic healer and mentor, I see a fair amount of individuals who are going through huge life transitions in which they have had to let go of a lot of things, particularly a secure job and source of revenue, at times even a roof over their head. How to trust that abundance is on their way is a big issue for them but also for many others, even though they may face less dramatic situations. There is no doubt that there are strong cultural components to this as we live in a society in which most people have a love affair with “more” and, at the same time, live in a sense that they will never have enough, that there will always be something lacking. This is what some have called a scarcity mentality, something that marketers and advertisers certainly need to keep entertaining in a market economy.

Don’t get me wrong. Is renouncing all material goods and walking barefoot through the world the solution to your happiness? Probably not. Is willingness to provide for your family and children a legitimate desire? Of course, it is. But true abundance is often very different from what we think we are looking for and this is what I would like to suggest here. I see a lot of fear, anxiety and desperation that, for being understandable, are nonetheless creating more obstacles than they are helping to shift the situation at hand. And what is true for material possessions is also true for immaterial ones – love, health, friendship, spirituality, etc.

Here are 7 keys to unlock and nurture an abundance mindset:

1. Abundance is not about how much you have but about how much you give.

People who have some knowledge of how much money I live with have often asked me how I could give so much through gifts, donations, time, etc. The answer is very simple. I have always given as if I could afford it and, as a result, I have never felt poor or limited. It does not mean that I have not known moments of doubts or never wondered about how to pay my bills, but it is hard for something to feel scarce when you are giving it away. This is even truer of time or love. Whenever I function as if I had all the time in the world to attend to somebody else’s needs, or love without wondering about where is the love for me, it does feel as if I had all the time and love in the world. And I do. We truly receive through the same doorway through which we give.

Ask yourself: Where do I feel scarcity now? How can I give some of what I am missing?

2. Abundance comes from the wealth of your experiences and quality of living, not your material possessions.

When you have to choose between buying a new couch, going on a trip or investing in your own wellbeing and spiritual growth, what are you choosing? Though it seems counterintuitive, all studies show that it is physically permanent stuff that evaporates from our minds. It is memories in the ether of our consciousness that last a lifetime, there for us to enjoy again and again. This “paradox of things” has been thoroughly documented by psychologists who have researched how people remembered different kinds of purchases or “investments” (of money and time).

Ask yourself: What is most precious in my life now? What is bringing me more happiness? How can I do more of it and celebrate what is truly abundant in my life right now?

3. Focus on the abundance, not on the lack.

What you focus on, you will see in your world. Since you can’t take in everything around you, your reticular activation system – your focus system in the mind – will bring into focus what you focus your thoughts on. This will allow you to see the abundance in your world that you may be missing right now. If you, for instance, have a lack of money, then don’t focus on your lack. Focus and think about the abundance of possibilities in the world to make money. Soon ideas and opportunities to make that happen will start to “pop up” in your world. It’s amazing how opportunities – perhaps through readings or acquaintances – that have been there in the background for quite a while just one day suddenly jump out at you. And, of course, there is no better way to focus on the abundance than to be truly grateful for what you already have.

Ask yourself: Where are the opportunities to do what I would like to do / have now? What are the things that I already have and that I can truly be grateful about?

4. Do what you like as the cornerstone of having abundance in your life.

Countless studies show that doing things for their own sake — as opposed to things that are merely a means to achieve something else — makes for more happiness and joy. In one famous experiment, college students were given puzzles to solve. Some of the students were paid, and others were not. The unpaid participants tended to continue to work on the puzzles after the experiment was finished, whereas the paid participants abandoned the task as soon as the session was over. And the paid subjects reported enjoying the whole experience less.

Ask yourself: How much time do I spend doing things that I really enjoy for the sake of doing them? Make a list and put a value on what enjoying those experiences bring to you.

5. Create a life of possibilities, meeting limited circumstances with unlimited thoughts.

When I think about creating abundance, it’s not about creating a life of luxury for everybody on this planet; it’s about creating a life of possibilities, opening doors that we did not know even existed. When you face your greatest loss, it may contain your greatest opportunity. Those crises are the point in life where everything that held you back can be left behind and moving toward something better than you’ve ever had will make any sacrifices meaningful. There is no real transformation without a death of some kind, things being undone so that something different can be created. It can be scary, yes; but it can also be exhilarating.

Ask yourself: What would I do if anything were possible? What would I gain from those possibilities that I don’t have now (try to identify very concrete values or qualities such as time and freedom)? How can I have those experiences in my life now?

6. Set your own priorities, and simplify.

At times, we don’t feel abundant simply because we envy others with greater means or apparent better lives. We don’t like to think that we function that way but I can see it all the time. Doing so can ruin your day or your life. So the question is not what you wish you would have but what is most important for you now and, based on these priorities, simplify everything else.

Ask yourself: What is most important for me now? Where can I simplify my life? Where can I make different choices?

7. Start where you are.

You have to start with where you are. This is your path, nobody else’s; your choices, nobody else’s. Be mindful of what you have. Your most precious, valued possessions are invisible and intangible. No one can take them. No one can give them away for you. This is your unique contribution to the world. Be willing to give what you have from where you are and I promise you – abundance will flow into your life.

Béatrice | Contemporary Shamanic Healer

allowingthelight@gmail.com

Béatrice Pouligny
Allowing The Light
March 2015