You’re Richer Than You Think: Tips for Shifting Your Money Mindset and Finding Abundance Everywhere

Your money mindset affects everything you do. Have you ever found yourself checking your bank account multiple times a day, watching those numbers like they hold the key to your happiness? Maybe you’re scrolling through your transactions with that pit-in-your-stomach feeling, wondering how you’re going to make it all work this month. Or maybe you’re lying awake at night, running the mental math on bills, groceries, and that subscription you forgot to cancel.

I get it. I’ve been there.

There was a time in my life when I was working 40 hours a week and going to college full-time, and I had to call my mom and ask her to send me $20 so I could buy chicken and milk. Twenty dollars. That’s all I needed, and I didn’t have it. It doesn’t feel very abundant when you’re asking someone for grocery money.

But here’s what I want you to know—and what I had to learn for myself—that feeling of “not enough” doesn’t have to be your permanent reality. In fact, the money mindset you carry with you every single day is shaping your experience with money far more than your bank account balance is. And the good news? You have the power to shift it anytime you want.

The Scarcity Trap (and How I Fell Into It)

When $20 Felt Like Everything

My money mindset when I was in school, barely scraping by, it would have been so easy to stay stuck in that place of lack. To obsess over what I didn’t have. To check my account over and over and just see how little was there.

I had a friend who did exactly that. She was so consumed by her money mindset that it became the only thing she could focus on all day. She’d check her accounts constantly, fixating on how little she had. And I say this with so much love—but she was living in victim mode. She was doing the affirmations, she was doing all the things, but she was coming from such a deep place of lack that the Universe couldn’t pick up on anything else. It wasn’t picking up that abundance was on its way. It was just matching her energy of “It’s not enough.”

We’ve all been there at some point. I’m not saying she’s a bad person—I’m saying that a scarcity money mindset is a trap, and it takes real, conscious effort to climb out of it.

So what changed for me during those $20-for-groceries days?

I had to change my money mindset by reminding myself that my situation was temporary. I was working toward something, I was in school for a reason. And instead of sitting in victim mode, I kept my eyes open for opportunities. I put myself out there. When I overheard that a position might be opening up at my internship, I went straight to my boss and said, “If something opens up, I’d like to be considered. And if there’s more money available, I’d love to have that conversation.”

I wasn’t being pushy, or trying to force anything, I was simply staying open and aligned with where I wanted to go. And it made all the difference.

Three Morning Affirmations That Changed Everything

Say These Three Things Every Morning (with Deep Breaths)

Here’s the thing: When it comes to shifting your money mindset and stepping into abundance, it doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, the simpler, the better. Especially when you’re overwhelmed.

I discovered these three affirmations, and they are so simple, but they encapsulate everything. Before you say each one, take a deep breath. Say it. And then just go on with your day. Don’t sit in it. Don’t force it. Just let it land.

“I am the creator of my destiny.”

This one is everything. What you want, or what you can see as your future self, you can obtain by taking the steps to get there. It’s about recognizing that you get to choose your path.

Want to live debt-free? What steps can you take? Maybe it’s cutting excessive spending, saving even $20 or $30 a month, looking into a Roth IRA, or canceling subscriptions you forgot you were paying for. 

Here’s a practical tip that’s been so helpful for me: There’s an app called Rocket Money  that tracks all your subscriptions and bills and helps you cancel the ones you’re not using. You might be surprised how much money you find just sitting there. A hundred dollars a month might not sound life-changing, but that’s gas money. That’s groceries. Or a dinner out. That’s $1,200 at the end of the year you didn’t know you had.

Or maybe your path is a career shift. Can you join a webinar? Learn a new skill? Put yourself out there for that promotion? The point is, you are the one creating this. So what are you looking for?

And here’s something I truly believe: our paths are already in place. The reason certain things happen—the hurdles, the blocks, the things that feel like they’re going wrong—is because you’re being redirected or protected. Don’t think of them as bad things happening to you. Think of your higher power, your angels, God, the Universe, (whatever resonates with you), as guiding you toward where you’re meant to be. Everything happens for a reason.

“My energy creates my reality.”

There’s a quote often attributed to Albert Einstein that I love: “Energy is everything and that’s all there is to it. Match the frequency of the reality you want and you cannot help but get that reality. It can be no other way. This is not philosophy. This is physics.”

Everything is energy. Everything is vibrational. And if you can keep your vibration up, it keeps your focus up. It keeps you on track. It keeps you moving through your day, your week, your month, your life in the direction you want to go.

Now, do we veer off sometimes? Absolutely. You’re going to have days where you have a headache, where you’re exhausted, where you just don’t feel it. And, that’s okay. That’s probably a reminder that you need some downtime and you weren’t taking it.

I think people forget that if you don’t choose when to rest, your body will choose for you. There’s nothing wrong with a quiet morning or taking a couple of hours in the afternoon just for yourself. That’s not laziness. It’s how you keep your energy aligned so you can keep showing up for the life you’re building.

“I am whole and complete right now.”

This one is my favorite. And all you need to access this energy is gratitude.

I’m talking about gratitude for the little things. A hot cup of coffee in the morning. A cozy blanket on the couch. Your pet snoozing next to you. A nice warm shower. These things are so easy to overlook, but they are abundance. They are evidence that you are okay right now.

Yes, you want the bigger career. Yes, you want more financial freedom. And yes, you’re working toward something. But right now, in this moment, you are doing very well. Give yourself a chance to see that.

I heard a podcast the other day where a man was having a terrible day, and he stopped and took a deep breath and said to himself, “Where I am right now—I wanted this eight years ago.” Eight years ago, he was living in an apartment, barely making it. And now, with everything he’d built, he was exactly where he’d dreamed of being. So why was he being so hard on himself?

Think about that for a second. Think about where you were five years ago. How far have you come? That’s a win. Celebrate it.

Living in the Present (Where Peace Lives)

Here’s a framework that has stuck with me and that I share with just about everyone:

Living in the future creates anxiety. 

Living in the past creates depression. 

But… Living in the present creates peace.

But I know—when you’re in the thick of it, when money feels tight and your mind won’t stop racing, choosing peace feels impossible. So here’s what I want you to try.

Peace is available to you right now. All you have to do is choose it.

When you’re feeling tense or stuck in that victim mindset—where everything feels like it’s happening to you—start with the smallest thing. Find one thing you’re grateful for. Then another. Then another. They can be as simple as “I had a great cup of coffee this morning.” It sounds small, but that’s exactly where the positivity comes from. That’s where gratitude lives. In the little things.

Then, do some breathwork. Take a deep breath in. And let it out slowly—really slowly. Do it a few times. Let your body relax. Feel your shoulders drop. Feel your jaw unclench. This brings you back to the present moment, and remember, the present moment is where peace lives.

And here’s something I tell my clients all the time, and I say it with love: if you are sitting in victim mode, you have to get out of it. The only way out is to start finding the positive. 

Name three things you’re grateful for. Write them down. And do it again tomorrow. And the next day. Because you’re not going to automatically become positive because you said one affirmation one time. This is ongoing work. But it’s worth it.

Practical Tips for Shifting Your Money Mindset

The “Becoming” Bridge

Here’s something that changed the game for me and for so many of my clients when it comes to money mindset. Sometimes, affirmations feel too far away from where you are right now. If you’re asking your mom for $20 for groceries and you try to say “I am wealthy and abundant in every facet of my life,” your body tenses up. You don’t believe it. And the Universe doesn’t know what to do with that, because you’re saying one thing but feeling something completely different.

So here’s a little mind trick that works beautifully… 

Add the word “becoming.”

Instead of “I am abundant,” say “I am becoming abundant.” Instead of “I am wealthy and prosperous,” say “I am becoming wealthy and prosperous.”

It’s like building a bridge between where you are and where you want to be. When you say “becoming,” it means you’re on your way. You’re looking for opportunities. You’re open to what’s coming. And your body can actually relax into that truth because it doesn’t feel like a lie. It feels like a promise.

Bob Proctor always used to say, “I am happy and grateful for ___.” That small addition of gratitude at the beginning lets the Universe know where you’re coming from. There’s no right or wrong way to do affirmations, but the key is being aligned with what you’re saying. That’s the biggest thing.

When You’re Forcing vs. Flowing

I have a saying: if it’s not a hell yes, it’s a hell no.

If you feel like you’re forcing something—forcing an outcome, forcing money to come in, forcing a situation to work—it’s probably not aligned. You are living IN your life, not MAKING it happen. There’s a difference.

When you notice that tension creeping in, check in with yourself. Take a breath. Go back to gratitude. Go back to the present moment. Don’t forget, that’s where your power and your peace is.

Find the Money You Didn’t Know You Had

On the practical side—because I believe in balancing the spiritual with the actionable—take a real look at where your money is going. Download an app like Rocket Money and let it show you every subscription and bill you’re paying for. You might find things you completely forgot about. Cancel what you’re not using, and suddenly you’ve got an extra $50, $100, maybe more every single month. That’s real money. That’s abundance that was hiding in plain sight.

You’re Doing Better Than You Think

Here’s what most people miss about abundance…

It’s not just about the number in your bank account. It’s gratitude, opportunity, and growth. And most importantly, it’s recognizing that you’ve come so far, even when the journey isn’t finished yet.

We all do it. We get so caught up in chasing the next thing that we forget to look back and see how much ground we’ve already covered. You’re not where you were five years ago. You’re not even where you were last year. And that matters.

So give yourself permission to celebrate your wins along the way. Even the small ones. Especially the small ones.

And remember—wherever you are right now, this situation is temporary. Keep your mind open for opportunities. Put yourself out there, even when it scares you. Keep saying those affirmations, even on the days when they feel hard. Start with “becoming” if you need to. Start with one small gratitude if that’s all you’ve got today.

Because here’s what I know for sure: you are whole and complete right now. 

You are becoming the person you want to be. 

And abundance? It’s not something you have to chase. It’s something you get to notice—when you finally slow down enough to see it everywhere around you.

What are you grateful for today?

Love, Light, and Gratitude 🩵 

– Kathleen

Ready to go deeper? 

My book, Whispers Within Us, is your guide to tuning into the quiet voice inside you that already knows the way. It’s about learning to trust your intuition, breaking free from the limiting beliefs that keep you stuck, and stepping into the abundant, aligned life you were always meant to live. If this blog resonated with you, I think you’ll love it.

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