Every year at this time, the Scarcity Monsters rear their ugly heads and send us scurrying for cover in every direction. They keep us up at night with worries about whether we'll have enough money to pay for gifts, family dinners, more presents, more dinners, the electricity bill, the gym membership, the car insurance, the mortgage, the rent, the cell phone and all that other fun stuff.
When the Scarcity Monsters are hovering, we feel grumpy and crabby and everything that the season is not about. Instead of generously opening our hands and hearts and wallets, we allow those pesky monsters to trick us into shutting ourselves down and going into hiding. The very idea of scarcity keeps us in a very small space of lack, want and need.
Well, those horrible SMs absolutely LOVE that! They are just like Voldemort's Dementors, hunting us at our most vulnerable moments, just waiting for their chance to pounce and suck the life out of us.
Sometimes, even a few of my clients who have not quite yet learned to value themselves and their work 100% are seduced by the Scarcity Monsters. They are frightened into thinking there's not enough money to continue investing in their creative businesses. They are cowed into doubting the worth of their talents. They are sometimes even completely scared off from sharing their talents with the world.
Fortunately, I know firsthand how that works, because those evil creatures succeeded with me for many years. But in the end, I won. I found my own protective Patronus and now I use it every time they come around.
That's right, I'm here to tell you one of the most important lessons I've ever learned in this lifetime, one I certainly didn't learn in school. Are you ready for this? Are you sitting down? Because this is BIG.
Newsflash: The Scarcity Monsters are FAKE.
True story! They are just a bunch of windbags! All just smoke and mirrors designed by your own subconscious to keep you in the Bermuda Triangle of fear, doubt and worry -- all in the name of "safety". The funny thing is, we all know that Triangle is not a very safe place to be stuck in. Amiright??
Problem is, our subconscious has not yet caught up with modern living conditions. We no longer have to fend off lions and tigers and bears in our very fortunate First World lives. We no longer have to hunt down and scavenge for our food in order to survive. There is an endless supply of everything we need right at our fingertips, right there for the asking, if only we just ask and receive. Including money!
Don't believe me? That's cool, if you want to hang with the SMs. But I can assure you that there's plenty of evidence to back up what I'm telling you. Just google it and see for yourself.
Meanwhile, for those of you who DO believe me, how can you protect yourself from the SMs, especially at this very emotionally potent time of year? As I said, I've been working on this subject for several years, so now I have a few solid tips for slaying the detested Scarcity Monsters:
1| Put up your hand and just say NO
Your words have more power than you realize. Tell the Monsters to BACK the EFF OFF. Don't let them bully you.
2| Stop the madness
If you let your imagination run away with the idea of scarcity and lack, the SMs will swoop right in immediately. Take charge of your thoughts. Slam the door, bolt it and throw away the key to keep fear, doubt and worry from storming your castle.
3| Take immediate action
Whenever you start to feel like you are losing money, just stop, take a deep breath and start listing new and different ways you can make MORE money. There will always be new and different ways. Take that list and start taking action on it.
4| Surround yourself with positive people and ideas
Negative Nellies have ZERO place in your life when the SMs are on the prowl. Listen to MP3s, read books, watch TED talks -- do whatever it takes to soak your brain, heart, mind and soul in positive vibes. This is your Patronus spell! Don't eff it up.
5| Focus on abundance instead of dwelling on scarcity
Get yourself an abundance mantra, find an infographic to repeat to yourself, recite a prayer, CHANT if you have to. Don't let the feeling of lack get a grip on your throat. It will choke you toute suite.
6| Get thee to thy success journal and celebrate your wins
You've been keeping a success journal, right? Glad to hear it. Open it up and read all about your wins. Then celebrate them! Throw a dance party for one!! If you don't, no one else will.
7| Embrace your money like a lover
One of the weirdest yet most effective pieces of advice I ever found regarding improving my money mindset was to imagine my wealth as my lover. Put a face on it, talk to it, treat it well, etc. So weird, right?? But after finding similar advice in some of the most respected wealth building tomes, I gave it a whirl. Guess what? It works.
8| Find ways to be thankful for everything you already have and write that shit down
Self explanatory. Gratitude is gold.
Try these protective measures. Don't let the monsters get you. Shine a light on their smoke and mirrors. Escape the Triangle of fear, doubt and worry. And by the way, if you need to follow someone with a flashlight and a map, I'm your gal! Shoot me a message and we'll set up a chat!
