Here's to Your Abundant Life!

Stepping into a brand-new year is typically a time of reflection and of new beginnings.

We look back to take account of the good things we did to affect the life we’re now living. If we’re smart, we also examine the things we could have done better to provide more in terms of better health, wealth, and happiness.

With retrospect in our hip pocket, we look forward with renewed optimism at what lies ahead. The most common anticipation centers around our desire for more. It is tantamount to our inherent nature to not only survive but to thrive!

Most people think of abundance and prosperity as external factors, when, in fact, they are elements that are manifested by the way you think. This is great news because it essentially means that you already have everything you need to turn things around in your favor.

If you agree with the premise of living with abundance, all you have to do is…

Ask.

And then, follow a few simple mindset rules...  

1. Begin with gratitude

Gratitude is a perspective that announces your appreciation for goodness. If you start with thanksgiving for what you already have, then more will “automatically” be attracted to you through the Law of Attraction.

2. Think differently

Rich people live in a world of abundance. Poor people live in a world of lack and insufficiency. Each of these two groups think in accordance with their circumstances.

If you want to attract abundance and prosperity, you need to raise the level of your self-worth and let go of the limiting beliefs that are holding you back.

Abundance is energy. Most people live in an energy of lack and unawareness. They fear their finances. They feel stuck in situations and circumstances. And most are going through the motions and repeating the habits they were brought up to believe. 

Abundantly rich people understand that life doesn’t have to be an “either-or” situation. They build their lives on the premise that they can have “both”. This is not a matter of gluttony or selfishness. It is a thought process that influences the external conditions of life. Abundantly rich people also believe in the power of ASKING without regard to “how” abundance will flow to them, but rather, that it “will” flow to them, just because they asked.

3. Be Intentional

With every decision you make, you are creating your reality. But chances are you’re not being very intentional about the reality that you’re creating. Reality is subjective; if you realize that your reality is a result of your choices and decisions, then you can choose to believe that you can do something about it.

Take account of the beliefs you have about yourself. Focus on the things that empower you and be intentional to summon the courage to move forward. Your confidence will quickly follow.

4. Stop making excuses

Your ability to recognize and eliminate excuses is critical to opening the floodgates of abundance. Eliminating excuses is important because your future is important.

If you only get the future you work for, then what you work for should be pretty important. You probably want to get that right. If it affects your future, stop making excuses and get busy creating the content and conditions of a life you desire.

5. Seek to Add Value

Stand on any beach and look out over the ocean and there is seemingly no end to it all. There is, of course, but we can’t comprehend it, so we think the water is endlessly abundant. That’s how an abundant mindset works. You give away praise, recognition, compliments, ideas, knowledge, and money because you know there’s plenty to go around. What you give away will come back to you many times over. This, of course, is based on one of my favorite Universal Laws—the Law of Reciprocity.

6. Reinvest in Yourself

Explore the unique, endless possibilities within you. Remember, when you work on improving yourself, you’re adding to the creativity, vitality, and sheer wonder of your mind.

As you examine the year ahead, I challenge you to think abundantly. Think not in terms of what you need, but what you desire. When you do, your renewed mindset will open the door to an abundant world you’ve been withholding from yourself for far too long.

Here’s to your abundant year ahead.

Here’s to your abundant life!


Until next time...

- G -

"Abundance is not something we acquire, it is something we tune into."  ~ Wayne Dyer

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Time Value of Money

If you’re younger than thirty years old, you possess the single most desirable component of the investing universe–time. Time is the one factor that is the most powerful when it comes to your money growth.  If you haven’t yet hit the big 3-0, you have a lot more going for you than you may realize. A little sacrifice now can produce huge rewards for you over the next several years if you follow a few basic rules. So, in essence, you have an investing advantage that a lot of “older” people don’t–time.

 

To make the most of the advantage of time and money during this phase of your life, you should consider these 5 basic truths. Apply them and watch the essence of your financial outlook take shape before your very eyes.

 

1.      Start Now.

There’s no time like the present to radically affect the future, especially when we’re talking about your financial future. When I was twenty-four years old I was fortunate enough to have a friend, a mentor, who stressed the importance of starting early when it came to investing for my financial future. After I had exhausted just about every excuse I could muster on reasons not to invest, he introduced me to the magic of compound interest. It was all I could do to contain my excitement.

I began by reconstructing my finances and my way of thinking. Doing so put my financial future on a very different path than it was on. I started by putting aside $25 per payday. At first, it was one of the toughest things to do. Not so much because I needed the money, but more because I was used to consuming the entirety of my paycheck on things my family and I “needed.” Since then, I’ve learned quite a bit about recognizing a true need from a fleeting desire. What a difference it has made.

I gradually increased the contributions to my savings. My first goal was to be able to save 10% of my income. I managed to hit that goal rather quickly, not because of pay raises (although with every raise since then I have put aside a portion for savings) but because the desire for financial freedom was stronger than the desire for immediate gratification.

As the amount of my savings grew I became even more motivated. I increased to 15% and then to 20% and to a figure that you would likely find difficult to believe today, all while increasing my standard of living.

If you simply cannot see a way to set something aside, keep reading. Perhaps some of the remaining concepts will help you to discover areas that’ll free up money within your personal budget so you too can start now. Remember, nothing begets nothing; while something compounded increases itself. In other words, if you do (or save) nothing, nothing is exactly what you’ll have. Absolutely no one cares about your money like you do. Take control now!

 

2.  Live within your means.

One of the toughest financial concepts to control is the ability to live within our means. Oftentimes, it takes more of a psychologically disciplined approach because of the inevitable competing demands for our money, not to mention our appetite for a quality lifestyle.

As we begin to make money, most of us tend to begin building a lifestyle just beyond what we can afford, effectively living outside our means, because after all, we expect to get raises and grow into a lifestyle. Why not push it a bit to “get ahead?” We begin to rationalize our desires by re-labeling them as needs. What occurred to me over the years as I was saving a significant portion of my income was the fact that I never felt as though I had sacrificed my standard of living. My family and I simply became accustomed to living well within our means while validating the relevancy of desires versus needs. Buying a car, getting married, and purchasing a house are just a few of those needs. Here’s a tip: no one really cares what kind of car you drive. Sure, the BMW hard-top convertible is nice, but is it worth sacrificing your financial future for? Keep in mind that a car is among the biggest obstacles between you and the success of a secure financial. Apply the car example to just about any aspect of the concept of living within your means and you’ll quickly realize the essence of the magic behind this truth. By the way, some people never realize this foundational truth. So master it and watch how you soar past your peers as they wonder just how you’re doing it.

 

3.     Pay down debt.

Every dollar that’s tied up in paying down debt is one less we can use to save for the future. Create a plan to reduce debt by devising a plan and sticking to it, which will, in turn, allow you to allocate more money toward your savings. This concept could not be truer than for credit card liabilities. Find a way to reduce or eliminate your credit card purchases. Few will disagree on the amount of stress credit cards can bring into our lives. Take control as soon as humanly possible. Transfer balances from high-interest cards to those with lower rates. Ideally, find a card with a 0% introductory APR, and pay the balance off in full before the zero-percent interest clock stops. And seriously consider how your next credit card purchase will affect your savings plan the next time you feel compelled to use it.

 

4.     Fund retirement accounts.

Building a solid foundation for retirement right now is critically important. With compound interest rates accumulating over time, until retirement, the principle amount you have to save today to meet your goals pales in comparison to amounts you’ll need if you wait. By starting now, versus the less desirable alternative of waiting, you effectively “automatically” increase your gradual standard of living simply because of the power of time. Should you decide that waiting is your only alternative, it is still a better choice than not investing at all. Realize however, that the time value of money is extremely difficult to recoup and is a rather expensive missed opportunity. The amount of money one must invest in order to compensate for a “late start” increases exponentially over time. Why not act today while you have time on your side along with the advantage of tax-deferred (and in some cases, even tax-free) growth opportunities that comes with retirement accounts?

Put aside as much as possible into your retirement plan at work and at least enough to receive the maximum match your employer offers. Not doing so effectively results in a net loss to your bottom line because you miss out on “reward” money your employer is offering for your commitment to save money for yourself. If you can squeeze out even more money from your budget, contribute to a Roth IRA as long as you qualify for doing so.

Make a promise to yourself and enlist the commitment of your partner to ensure the money you’re saving for retirement won’t be used until then. Sure, you can take money out of a 401(k) or IRA before you retire if you absolutely must, but there’s generally a penalty–and taxes, too–for doing so.

 

5.     Change your financial mindset.

For some of you, retirement may seem like such a distant concept. And, for those fortunate to say that, good for you! Allow it to be a green flag that gives you permission to begin your journey toward a secure financial future. The sooner you get started, the better off you’ll be…the further ahead of your peers you’ll be, the sooner you can claim financial independence, quit your job, spend time with family, play golf, drive what you want to drive, live where you want to live…how you want to live. By adopting sensible money habits, conquering your debts, and saving for retirement early in life, you’ll reap the reward of a secure retirement.

Until next time!

- G -

"Time has a way of reminding us of its perishable nature in the retrospect of our reflections."

Gary Westfal -

 

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The Shape of Our Future

Who will shape our future?  Who will dream a wild thought that will transform all of our lives?  Who will lead our next revolutions?  To better answer these questions, we must explore our innermost selves – that place where each and every one of us has an ability to imagine, create, and contribute.  That place is where dreams are born and reality emerges in the form of inspiration!

True inspiration ignites passions that are unstoppable.  Every one of us possesses the capacity to transform lives or processes in a manner that can be considered profound ─ whether on a grand scale or to a single process or life of an individual ─ and as a result, alter the very purpose of our own life in doing so. 

            So, roll up your sleeves and take an honest assessment of the things you can do to make an impact.  What are your gifts?  What do you have in terms of natural ability that you can “lend” to the process?  Your action will put forces into play that’ll ultimately inspire others, even if it’s just one person.  Your action will have an impact!           

            The universal law of nature rewards the spirit of giving.  So give judiciously - not just when it’s convenient, but especially when it’s most needed.  Those on the receiving end of our generosity are affected in ways more broadly than any of us can imagine.  I’ve seen it, experienced it, and lived it from both sides.  The rewards are rich and life-changing.

            So how do we make an impact?  It’s often as simple as finding a need and filling it.  Are you artistic?  Then seek to share your talent and open the eyes of others through the medium of paint or music.  Do you write?  Then write passionately with inspiring words of encouragement to those who need it.  Do you have time to spare?  Volunteer.  Are you successful?  Then share your story with others on how they too can follow the principles of success.  Mentor a student.  All of these and so many more examples can be the catalyst that serves as the critical pivot point and makes the difference in someone’s life that leads to profound changes.  The changes can save a life, a community, or even the world – it’s not unrealistic to envision if you open the aperture of your mind and admit to the plausibility.  In the absence of immediate ideas, simply offer a compliment or a gesture of encouragement to someone.  Make it anonymous if you can – a note or a small gift can make a profound difference and lead to positive change for someone in need. 

            What an honor it is to be part of the process that ignites the dream of another.  You don’t have to be a psychologist or counselor.  You don’t even have to have the right words.  You just have to be sincere.  Your sincerity will convey - even without words.

            So, open your eyes and watch for the opportunities to reveal themselves.  Then step forward and witness the change in two lives – theirs…and yours!

Until next time!

- G -

 “The greatest discovery of my generation is that man can alter his life simply by altering his attitude of mind.”            - William James –

 

 

If you'd like to receive a notification anytime I publish a new blog (currently about every two weeks), visit my Facebook page: G. Gary Westfal, Writer, Artist Educator

Once there, click on "Get Update via RSS" on the bottom of the left column. You'll be subscribed and will receive notification whenever I publish a new blog or provide updates to my novel Dream State. And help me by recommending this blog to others and "liking" my FB page.

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