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woman in white shirt holding a fan of money.

So….if you read our “debt stories” Part 1 & Part 2 and you’re still back for more than I’m going to assume that you might have your own debt story as well (or you’re a glutton for my run-on sentences and poor attempts at humor)?! 

I want to take a break from storytime and talk with you about your money mindset and how it has helped shape your entire view of money.

I started this blog to help others find a way to change their lives as we have.  I started it in the hopes of reaching people who felt as we did just a few short months ago…completely hopeless.  

And, honestly, just downright sick in the stomach every time I had to pay a bill or wondered how I could help my kids through college – let alone have anything left to retire with.

I totally get it, I know exactly how you feel and I’m here for you!  I have developed quite a love for personal finance as of late.  

I really just can’t get enough, kind of weird, I know.  

I find myself daydreaming (instead of dreading) about payday rolling around so I can pay the bills and I take way too much pleasure in updating my rainbow-color-order family financial goal sheets I have thumb-tacked all over my house.

My husband thinks I’m nuts but the truth is once things began to turn around with our financial situation my mental state quickly went from *scared-depressed-overly-anxious-worried we would be eating Ramen for every meal when we were 70-year-olds*  to  *extremely grateful, in-control of our finances-excited for the future*.  

And guess what? You can do the same!

As I mentioned before, we have paid off $35,000 of debt since the beginning of February (5.5 mths) and while I’m saving that story for when we pay off the remaining $3,000 (goal date of 8/31/17)

(Update: We have paid off $54,500 in 20 months) I do have some tips today to get started on your own journey to financial freedom.

What is Your Money Mindset?

Here’s the thing…a very wise man (Jim Rohn) once said: “For things to change, you have to change.”

This means not only changing your money habits but also your money mindset.

Change Your Scarcity Mindset

Many of us were conditioned to have a scarcity mindset without even knowing it.  We grew up, money was tight, we constantly heard “we don’t have the money for that”  or  “that’s too expensive”. These words shaped our mindset and led us to believe that money is finite.

This is not the case. Instead, money is infinite, we can always earn more.  

This belief leads people to view money from a place of lack instead of a place of abundance!  (I still struggle with this one sometimes)

An abundance mindset tells us that there are enough pieces of the pie for everyone. An abundance mindset allows us to be generous with our resources (money, love, opportunities, etc.) because we know we can always get/find/earn more.

I’ve found that embracing gratitude and finding contentment goes a long way to combat the lack mentality (more on that at a later date) and having a “silver lining” outlook on life makes a huge difference in the way we view our situation.

Once you can embrace abundance and cast out the scarcity you will feel a substantial shift in your mindset.

Believe You Are Worthy

Technically this ties in with #1 but I think it’s important enough to warrant its own number.  

I’ve struggled with an extreme scarcity mindset my whole life.  I know where it comes from and I’m conscious of it but it’s still hard to shake sometimes.

Something that has helped me is truly believing that I’m worth it.  I deserve it.  Make no mistake, I’m not speaking of entitlement.  

We are not entitled to anything, I believe in working hard and building a wonderfully abundant life for myself and my family.

But I would not be able to do so if I first didn’t believe I’m worth said success, love, acceptance and opportunity.

When you start believing this you realize that your situation is not permanent, you can HAVE better and you can DO better!  

When you believe it, you can achieve it.

Constantly heeding your great-grandpa’s warning about rich people and how they are all crooks is reinforcing your limiting beliefs and holding you back from building your amazing life.  

When you can understand that money is not the root of all evil, BUT the love of money is the root of all evil then you can let it go (insert Frozen reference here).

You will be free to get out of your own way, clean up your financial act, pursue success with all you have and relish in the overwhelming gratitude of everything you have been given.

Invoke the Law of Attraction (LOA)

This one can be difficult to wrap your head around but it works and is something I swear by!  

I truly believe that we can manifest what we want in life and the universe will make it happen.

Where it gets tricky for me is that I also [strongly] believe God is guiding my life, but hey, a little help from the universe never hurt….Have you ever read this classic book?

This is an awesome book (and movie) about the LOA if you want to learn more.

ALSO READHow Changing Your Mindset Can Improve Your Life

Regardless of your belief system, the LOA is a real thing.

Similar to the Law of Gravity, it’s not tangible so often goes unnoticed, but simply put the LOA tell us:  “What we think about, we bring about.”  

That’s it!  It’s not complicated but it’s also not magic. We will subconsciously move towards what we constantly focus on.  

Good or bad.

Laser focus all your energy towards one big goal, i.e. paying off your debt, and not only will you be working hard and gaining traction but you will begin to see the universe helping you to achieve those goals!

Certainly, there is more to getting out of debt and changing your current financial situation but intentionally working to shift your mindset and the way you view money can make a huge impact quickly.  

The first step towards lasting change is making a mental commitment to adopt a different belief system.

This can often be the most difficult yet most important step but I promise you learning how to change your mindset is the key to changing your life.

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Kristin Stones is the owner of Cents + Purpose, an online community dedicated to sharing practical personal finance content. Her mission is to equip women with the necessary tools and knowledge to take back control of their money and live a more purposeful life. She creates actionable content to help her audience achieve financial wellness using her simple approach to managing money - all learned through her personal experience of paying off almost $55,000 of debt in under two years.

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