Overcoming a Poverty Mindset
By Stephanie E. Wilson-Coleman
Author of Be Sure You Dance: Life’s lessons to make every moment count,
Embracing Life’s Lessons and Is Anybody Listening?
www.champagneconnection.com · www.asipofinspiration.com
In today’s high-tech, low touch society filled with an overabundance of stories about the rich and famous, we are hypnotized into believing that success and wealth are achieved by “get rich quick” schemes or “being” discovered on social media. We never hear the stories that most of the overnight successes were twenty plus years in the making. The long road to success often leaves us believing that dreams do not come true. It’s not long before we are submerged into a poverty mindset. Thinking that no matter what we do, unless a Star spots us, the road to success is limited to a few.
During my life, I have overcome teenage pregnancy, gang rape, sexual molestation, homelessness, and financial ruin. The process I used helped me complete high school with honors, to earn her bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas, cinch an MBA from the University of Chicago’s Executive MBA program, become an ordained minister with a Ph.D. in Holistic Counseling. I even studied economics and finance in Singapore and Barcelona, Spain which created a desire to travel the world and experience other cultures. Since then, I have visited over ten countries.
If someone with my background and experiences can breakthrough poverty, you can too. The tools I used to overcome a poverty mindset and embrace a prosperous mindset are below. These are tools that everyone uses. How you use them is the key.
Boost Your Imagination to Rethink the Impossible – When everyone and everything around you amplifies poverty, food desert, high crime, noisy neighborhoods, and violence; it becomes next to impossible to find a role model or mentor. I often teach to start with what you have. Everyone has an Imagination. Using your imagination will allow you to create, in your mind, the world you desire to experience. The mind has the tremendous ability to help you achieve your dreams. As you shift your time living in your imagination you automatically decrease the amount of time you spend “living in your nightmares.” We attract that in which we think about. This allows us to see possibilities that we could not previously see because you were focused on what we do not want.
Change Your Environment – Spend a minimum of 30 minutes a day in a quiet space. If you can visit a park. If it this is not possible, create a space in your current environment that is quiet. This will you time to clear your mind and relax. It also gives you space for meditation. It is this relaxed mood that thoughts and ideas reach out to you.
Gratitude: Find something to be grateful for – Melody Beattie said, Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more.” Gratitude reminds you that regardless of what you are experiencing you have something for which to be grateful. Daily write down a list of three to five things that you are grateful for. Keep your focus on the list and not on your problems. Saadi Shirazi says “I cried because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet.”
Watch Your Conversations – You can never outlive your conversations, so watch what you talk about. A recent article stated we spend approximately 80% of our time in idle conversation such as gossiping, social media, they did me wrong stories, discussing what other people should do or say. What you think about and talk about you create. By eliminating idle conversations, you will be able to keep your mind on your dreams, and your dreams on your mind.
Forgiveness - Forgiveness is often a concept that is very difficult to grasp and at times more difficult to understand and consistently put into action than tithing. Forgiveness is not about forgetting the event occurred; it is about refusing to re-live the pain of the past in your future. Life will present opportunities to forgive. Refusing to heal your heart will keep you from establishing a mental equivalent for the success we all crave. If anyone is having any problems in life, especially financial issues, then they have some forgiveness to do.
Take Steps to Improve Your Health – improving your health is paramount. Drink more water, eliminate one food at a time that is not good for you such as sugars and salts. Exercise. Walk 20-30 minutes a day. Your body will need to last long enough for you to achieve your goals.
Take Action – Do not wait for motivation before you take action. Action creates motivation, not the other way around. Decide on an action to take. If you are new at taking action, start with one small goal. Set a clear reason for the goal. Look at several outcomes and chart your progress daily.
Believe in Yourself – Your voice is the most important voice for you. Because of this talk to yourself like you are a champion. Remember in are you star player. Remind yourself just how good you are. Make a list of the things you absolutely love about yourself and read it daily.
These recommendations are not the only things you can do to change your poverty mindset. If you have no idea how to start, give these a try.
Dream Big! Live the life you have imagined.
Remember, life is too short to drink cheap champagne.
Stephanie, a Success Mindset Mentor, has the uncanny ability to help others transform their emotional and mental obstacles into stepping stones to living their dreams. She has an insatiable appetite for assisting others to achieve the impossible. Stephanie works with others to recognize, uncover and reconcile painful feelings, hidden secrets and memories that are affecting their financial health and the health of their families. She lives her inspiration as the founder of The Champagne Connection, Inc., the author of 3 books and the Host of the television show "A Sip of Inspiration,” www.asipofinspiration.com and www.champagneconnection.com. She is also a regular contributor to The MetaMonthly Magazine, Champagne and Beyond Magazine, www.champagneandbeyond.com, and Ezine Articles.
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