Guard your speech. Never speak of yourself, your affairs, or of anything else in a discouraged or discouraging way. Never admit the possibility of failure, or speak in a way that infers failure as a possibility.
~ Wallace D. Wattles
I think the quote above is a great sentiment, but it is one that is very hard to live up to! The words from our tongue, our thoughts and our actions control the majority of our life experiences. Although it is true that things do happen to us outside of our control, we always, alwayscan control how we choose to react to each moment that comes our way. But knowing that fact mentally doesn’t always translate into making great choices. Rather than living proactively, we sometimes can fall into the trap of thinking that the world is just happening to us and that we don’t have any say in it.
In our current economy, with a lot of the news being dedicated to being in a recession, it is very easy to focus on money and the loss of it, or the need to get more…heck…for some, they are just focusing on getting ANY! But this can quickly spiral down to living a life of negative self- fulfilling prophesy where money seems to be constantly out of reach instead of living a positive life filled with abundance.
It takes a constant supply of positive inspiration to keep us focused on where we want to be instead of where others will drift us to if we let them.
My friend Christine Kane in her LiveCreative’ E-Zine article today reminds us how to BE RICH instead of pursuing riches. It was so good I just had to share it with my Life’s Little Inspiration friends and she has graciously allowed me to do so!
Thanks Christine for being a constant source of inspiration in my life!
Getting Rich Quick vs. Being Rich Now
by Christine Kane
Here’s a question to ask yourself at random times:
Am I getting? Or am I being?
When it comes to new paradigms and big dreams, think about this:
Getting somewhere is not an option. There is no there to get to.
You gotta just be there. Experience the feelings and the sheer knowingness of that thing you want.
When it comes to wealth, people often struggle because they spend their lives trying to get rich.
When you’re successful, you’re successful now. Artists know this principle well. You don’t wait to get creative before you create. You just create. And that is what makes you creative.
The same is true with prosperity.
Sound like a load of hooey?
I understand. All I can say is that it worked (and works!) for me.Here are nine simple ways you can BE rich starting right now…
1 – Get on a schedule.
If you have debt, or regular payments of any kind – then automate it, or put it on a schedule. Paying a tiny amount regularly is better than waiting for the big pay-day to arrive.
That’s because waiting for rescue drains your creative energy. It’s a stance of lack. When you schedule things, you eliminate reactivity. This liberates you.
2 – Fill your gas tank.
I was quite poor when I began my career as a songwriter. One of my poor-person habits was to put only five dollars in the tank when I went to the gas station.
One day, I decided to fill up my tank. A seemingly trivial decision, yes. But I felt so rich that I’ve never considered not filling up my tank since then. Try it! It does wonders for your emotional well-being!
3 – Count Leaves.
Whoever created this Universe didn’t fret about abundance. There was no nail-biting and wondering whether all the trees should get leaves. “Maybe I should only put leaves on a few trees. Otherwise we might run out.”
It sounds ridiculous. But that’s how most of us spend our mental energy.
Count leaves. Observe sand on the beach. Watch a river for a few hours. It just keeps coming! You’re a part of this flow. Remember that.
4 – Give.
The world would be quite a wild place if everyone gave constantly. Tithing is the most outrageous act of courage I know. It says, “Thank you. This isn’t mine anyway, so have some of it.”
Giving creates space. And space gets filled up again. If you feel poor, try giving a little away. I’m not talking about your life savings. But try giving a little.
5 – Eliminate nail biting and other nervous habits.
Think dignity. Think Princess Grace or Katharine Hepburn. Would these women of stature and wealth ever stand in the grocery aisle biting their nails because the price of organic oat groats had gone up?
Nervous habits are acts of lack. Lack of trust. Lack of abundance. Notice these habits and begin letting them go by taking a deep breath and remembering trust.
6 – Start a Gratitude Journal.
If you have the “not enoughs,” then every night, write down 5 things for which you are grateful.
Remember this: Energy flows where attention goes. Put your attention on joy, beauty, wealth. Celebrate even the smallest shifts. I remember counting every dollar in my tip jar when I first performed in coffeehouses. I’d think: “That’s one more dollar I made while not sitting in a cubicle! Yay me!” Gratitude works!
7 – Get a million-dollar bill.
If you purchased my Uplevel Your Life Mastery Program, then you’re all set! (Hint: It’s one of the bonus gifts!)
I got my first million-dollar bill from a gumball machine. I put it in my wallet. It’s so much fun to see whenever I pay for something. I can’t give you proof-positive about any subsequent million-dollar-deal I made, but I like seeing it. That’s all. It reminds me to be aware of abundance.
8 – Happily pay for services.
One night, after a performance of mine, the promoter handed me a substantial check for my fee. With a smile he said, “This is not nearly enough to pay you for this night.”
Ah, to be paid like that all the time!
I try to have his attitude every time I write a check. I make sure to acknowledge the value of that service or product. The attitude with which you pay for things (the outflow) creates the manner of the in-flow. It’s one big cycle.
9 – Uplevel your language.
Stop announcing: “I can’t afford that.”
Tell yourself instead: “I’m choosing not to do that right now.”
Stop saying: “I’m broke.”
Start saying: “My bank account hasn’t caught up with my seven-figure business yet!”Remember this: Your language is your creativity. It is one of the simplest places to start being rich.
Performer, songwriter, and creativity consultant Christine Kane publishes her ‘LiveCreative’ weekly ezine with more than 4,000 subscribers. If you want to be the artist of your life and create authentic and lasting success, you can sign up for a FRE*E subscription to LiveCreative at www.christinekane.com.
You’re right, that is a hard quote to live up to, but we can all do our best. I can imagine how you felt when you got handed that check with the sentiment so close behind. Good for you, I’m sure you deserved it. I got a tip from a writing job a couple of weeks back and my wife said I glowed through dinner! It is so much more important to live rich than be rich. Great way, as always, to keep us mindful Wendi.
Writer Dad’s last blog post..I’m a Writer
Writer Dad,
Oh yes, someone who is grteful for the work we do can make our day..our entire week!
I liked this reminder a lot. To pay my bills happily and gracously is a very important thing!
Wendi, I swear you have me bugged! I have been trying, albeit mostly subconsciously, to do these kinds of things lately. I’ve been trying to look for the positives in things instead of saying I can’t do something. Ironically it has been working and working very well! I’ve lost 14 pounds doing it and I plan to keep on going! It is really nice to have something I can go back and re-read to keep me inspired, the way Christine Kane inspires you.
Something else that comes from paying bills Happily, especially in person, you may just touch that person and make their day. If you’ve ever gotten poor service in a restaurant, paying Happily and Graciously, might just turn that persons day around!
Wendi and Christine, I love the ideas in this post. Wendi, you are right in that we must practice daily eliminating negative talk. It is so clear why scripture advises us to guard our hearts and minds, for what goes in is what we give back to the world and to ourselves. I have a million dollar bill on my ceiling. I see it each morning when I wake up. I celebrate what that million dollar deal / idea is going to allow me to do for the world. Thank you so much for this uplifting post!
Karen Swim’s last blog post..Eyes Half Mast, Mug Half Full – I am There
I always have enough money in my wallet to help someone get a snack or some gas and my intent is to always have enough to share. My wallet has rarely been empty since I made that affirmation!
Darren Daz Cox’s last blog post..Life is potential, art is potential frozen in time
As we’re on Living Rich | Life's Little Inspirations, “paying it forward.” You’ve heard of that, haven’t you? If not, do a web search for it and you’ll see what I mean.
I have heard of Pay it Forward and make it a practice of Life every chance I get!. Thanks for stopping by!