A mindset of abundance

When I left my high end five figure salary job last year, I knew that I would be entering a period of serious financial management. You see I had decided to start my own company and become self-employed. Despite the endless promises of making £1000, £10,000 or even £100,000 overnight (or within six weeks to 3 months if you were slow off the mark!); my experience as a senior manager who used to have responsibility for inward investment and business development (including start-up funding) told me that a much more likely scenario was that I was going to need to manage my lump sum final payment for between 18 to 24 months before I was in a position to replace my salary with the profits from my business.

You see not only was I going to work for myself; I was following my passion in a totally new direction. Therefore I didn't have a related network of potential clients to take with me. As if that wasn't enough of a "handicapped"; no sooner had I left work than the recession decided to take another large bite out of public confidence. And just to ensure that the escape box was sealed tight with no obvious means of escape - you know how stage magicians handcuff themselves, then put themselves in a sack, then lock themselves in a trunk and then suspend the trunk or from a burning rope high above the circus ring – well the incoming government decided to seal the final box, hoist the container and light the rope by announcing the severest austerity measures in a generation. Clearly it was going to be a hard struggle to grow a thriving business able to support my family in this climate.

I was taken aback, but not deterred. You see I knew that at the time of leaving my job I could describe myself as financially secure. That is I had enough savings to keep me going for more than six months, all bills were covered; I had no debts apart from my mortgage; I had adequate life cover and I had a range of investments vehicles that could be call upon if need be. In order to be in this position I had over the years learn to manage my money effectively and live within a specified budget. Years earlier I had decided to clear all my debts; credit cards, bank loans and overdraft facilities. Perhaps deep down in my subconscious I sense the move coming and my system was preparing for it. So by the time I left the security of a regular wage package I had the following:

• no debts
• 6 months plus funding
•  insurance cover
• a budget plan and monthly cash flow projections for both my personal finances and my new business. And probably the most important of all;
• a mindset of abundance.

Since leaving work I have to admit that money has been limited, however I consider myself to be truly wealthy: A true tycoon woman. There have been times when I've not known where the money to cover my next month's expenditure will come from, however, just when I think that its time to give up and go back to the J.O.B something shows up. Somebody once told me that JOB stood for “just over broke”, however I was never just over broke when I had a salary because I managed my money well and was relatively highly paid. Yet what my job didn’t give me was a sense of satisfaction; a sense of knowing that this was my contribution; that I was living on purpose. The flow of money into my life when I need it is the result of my decision to adopt an abundance mindset.

Having an abundance mindset is to completely trust that there is more than enough for all and to reject the pie mentality. The pie mentality says that there is only one pie and therefore the more of the pie I have the less there is available for others. Therefore we must all struggle and grasp in order to meet and needs. Believing in abundance means that you trust the universe, God, your source to give you what you desire and therefore you can relax and be confident that all shall be well.

How do you practice abundance  in your life, please share your thoughts I look forward to reading them.