Let me ask you a question
Do you have an abundant mindset?
Now I know many people answer that with an automatic – yes – because they like to think that they’re people who believe there's abundance all around them
But when you dig a little bit deeper and you watch some of their behaviour patterns, you start to recognise that maybe that's not so true
Or maybe they don't have a deep awareness of themselves and how they operate in particular circumstances
So one of the questions to ask yourself, certainly one that I was encouraged to ask myself when I was working on my abundance mindset, is – Are you a giver?
We all like to think we are
We like to think that we generously donate to our favourite charities and we would help a person in need
Let’s look at some circumstances and look a little deeper
Do you share knowledge, are you open to mentoring other people without expecting anything in return because that's the essence of a true giver – it’s someone who will give and give and not expect anything in return
Now, we all know that karmic laws, universal laws, whatever you want to call them, work in specific ways
And when you give you set in motion an energy of reciprocity
The more you give, the more things flow back to you, so ask yourself are you a giver?
And a very simple way you can identify that in yourself is to see if you are open and willing to share knowledge to coach and mentor others, to pass on guidance and wisdom because you want someone to succeed
Perhaps you've succeeded, you've got experience in a particular area and so you want to pass it on with no hidden agenda attached
If you can answer that question, then my suggestion is that yes, you are operating in an abundance mindset because givers know that they never have to worry about being short-changed
They never have to worry there isn't enough
They never have to worry that they will never receive because universal karmic laws work a certain way
You give, you receive, you may give to someone and you may not necessarily see back from that same someone, but someone else comes along in your life and passes on their knowledge to you
A gift of time, energy, and effort teaches and guides you
I mean, none of us have come up in our careers and life on our own, have we?
There's always been someone, whether it's our parents, whether it's one or two friends or colleagues we trust or a supportive community, we don't get to great levels of success on our own
Another question to ask yourself around abundance is - do you mistrust other givers?
So when people give you something or offer you something and they expect nothing in return, be it knowledge or information they share with you, do you mistrust that?
Do you always wonder what the catch is?
Do you wonder what the catch is or what the hidden agenda is?
I often work with people who come and yes, they pay me for my services
But if I've had a great experience working with them and I can see that they’re really absorbing and learning and taking in what I'm teaching, I am going to give more
So often I’ll do extra for them and won't charge them for it and it's simply because I've enjoyed the process of working with them
I've enjoyed the back and forth engagement and I see promise in that individual, I see that they are going to thrive
I see them on the verge
And I believe if I give them a little bit of extra time, go that extra mile, I'm going to help push them closer to their dreams
And I've had people get suspicious around thatIt's interesting to me to observe that when I tried to give to them freely, they became suspicious
So that's a question to ask yourself, are you one of those who mistrust givers?
Who, if someone offers you a free service or a free anything, you wonder what the catch is?
If yes, you need to sit with that and dig a little bit deeper and ask questions about where your mindset is really atDo you have an abundance mindset or are you always suspicious
Another question, do you spend on yourself?
Do you spoil yourself?
Do you invest in yourself?
Do you have you on your priority list?
Because if you are at the top of your list in regards to growth and learning and simple enjoyment or indulgence or pampering, then that means, that there's plenty to go around
People who have an abundance mindset know that they deserve something, they deserve the little extra treat because they've done hard work
Do you spoil yourself?
Do you invest in yourself?
Do you put your growth and learning at the top of your list?
Because if you do, I would suggest you consider yourself importantYou consider yourself deserving
And that is a strong indication of an abundance mindset
I notice that when I'm working with people and I’ve asked them those questions, the automatic response is yes
Well, why don't we dig deeper into, you know, what they do for themselves?
How do they grow, how they learn, how they give, how they share and do they pass on information?
When you go in for a job interview, for example, and you recognise or you get a response from a recruiter or hiring manager, and you’re not the right fit for the role, but do you know someone who is
Do you pass that person's name on?
Or are you one of those who become guarded and stingy, never willing to share, because you don't want someone else to get ahead of you?
The reason I wanted to have a chat about this topic is that I see so many people go through life with that cynicism, never taking, never trusting
When someone shares a gift of knowledge or wisdom or guidance or mentorship with them, they’re always suspicious
What an awful way to walk through life
Trust, trust that there are people in the world who want to help, who want to make a difference, who have themselves been helped and supported through their challenging times
And so they are about passing on and paying it forwardThat's what it comes down to
So for me, I offer certain things to people I work with, give them free sessions, coach them, write the extra cover letter for them, do something extra for them
It is all about passing on and paying it forward because I've been abundantly supported throughout my life
I didn't get to my success, or I always say I didn't come out of my mess and get to my success without other people stepping forward to rally around me to support meNow, if I had been cynical and suspicious, I'd probably still be sitting in the same place I was sitting in 20 years ago, broke single mom, struggling financially
But I opened up and trusted, took the support, took the wisdom, took the knowledge and used it and turned it into something, turned that knowledge and guidance and support into something that worked for me and went on to have abundant success in my corporate career and now having the freedom to work my own business
Step forward with an abundant mindset and watch the world open up to you
There's plenty for everyone