Whenever I sit down to write Mindful Money, I am reminded of how important our beliefs are. They are important because we will never be able to sustainably achieve in the material world what our minds think is impossible. In order to grow, we must shine a light on the limiting beliefs we carry and notice where they came from. We need to ask ourselves if our beliefs are true, or if we are simply holding on to old beliefs we inherited and can let them go.
We learn so much from our families, and yet, if you have not noticed, the human experience of life has changed dramatically since your grandmother was born. If we limit ourselves with the beliefs of our parents and grandparents, we are actually not living in the reality of our times.
As important as examining and upgrading our beliefs is, there is also a component of action that is just as important. We can work to create a healthy belief system, but we will not experience a significant change in the external world unless we take meaningful action.
There is a West African proverb that says, “When you pray, move your feet.” This is a concise way to phrase what I am talking about. The prayer is in the mind and the heart, it is the inner work we do to align with the universe and project ourselves toward our goals. Moving the feet is the body taking action. With mind and body both reaching for the same thing, we are much more likely to get where we want to go. Connecting the mind and the body is parallel to connecting being and doing.
Being abundant means knowing that I have value; that love, sustenance, and freedom are inherent to life; and that I am connected to an inexhaustible font of life force. Doing abundant means asking for what I need, showing up fully for what I agree to, and saying no to what depletes me.

Taking Action

Let’s say I want to make more money. I decide to ask my boss for a raise. To be abundant, I need to take a look at how I am doing my work. Am I fully showing up and doing a great job? Does my work merit a raise? If I can honestly say yes, then I need to fill myself up with that knowledge.
To fill myself up with my value, I take out a sheet of paper and begin listing all the skills I employ, all the experience I have, and what I bring to my work that is unique. I feel into the future when I have my raise and notice how I am even more valuable in my work as the extra input of energy to me gives me more energy to give back. I visualize myself going into my boss’s office and explaining exactly how much I contribute to their mission and confidently asking for greater compensation in order to serve that mission better.
Then comes the doing. I type up all the points I have discovered of how I bring value to my work and put them in a form I can hand to my boss. I make an appointment with them. Before going into the meeting, I do my practices that make me feel energized and bright. I put on my best clothes and show up on time. I look my boss in the eye and connect with my heart while I ask for what I want.
Of course, we do not know until we take the action what the result will be. This fear of the unknown, or of failure, can easily stop us from taking action. If I ask for a raise and the answer is no, I will have to feel that. But what if I looked at it as simple information gathering and not a final answer?
If I have really aligned my beliefs with my goals, there is actually a deep knowing that what I see for myself will happen. Who said it would happen the first time? Or the second, third, or fourth? Not seeing results the first time I take action is no reason to think of myself as a failure. I continue to hold in my mind the belief that I create the value to receive more money, and regardless of the number of doors that stay closed, I continue knocking on doors until one opens.

Collecting Nos

I had a business coach who told me to go out and “collect nos.” My task became to immunize myself to rejection by making it my goal to get it. The more nos I collected, the faster I would get over my fear of receiving them, and the more people I gave the opportunity to say no to me, the more people had the opportunity to say yes.
I won’t lie and say this was fun for me. My fear of rejection and my sensitive nature are about as strong as anyone’s. But it was illuminating to realize that living life in a bid to avoid rejection would not get me where I wanted to go. None of us can know what will come in the future. We make educated guesses by reaching forward, taking action, and learning along the way.
How we think and feel on the inside comes first—next comes putting those beliefs into action. Then we must continue forward through what comes. With this recipe, we will doubtlessly watch our dreams materialize.

Jennie Hastings, LMT, BCTMB, has studied money in the therapeutic process from every angle: as a client, patient, and practitioner. She is the author of The Inspired Massage Therapist (Massage Blossom Books, 2012). Hastings believes having a career in massage and bodywork means having infinite possibilities, and she is always exploring new ways to evolve her practice. You can find more from her at www.jenniehastingsyoga.com.