When I was young, I remember hearing other kids say, “I want to be rich when I grow up so that I can buy whatever I want.” Daily, I see how we are being sold the “American Dream” by showing us how we can make money, and when we make that money, we are shown what we can buy with that money, and after we buy that luxury car and home with a pool, we are told we will reach the height of our happiness in life. I bought into that dream but didn’t realize it. Being a first-generation American influences the relationship you have with money. I was frugal from a young age; I would put money into my savings with every paycheck and contribute to my 401k. The times I would spend money on myself were far and few between because I had to be sure that I had enough money in case of an emergency. In retrospect, I had been living with a lack-mindset, thinking that I never had enough.
It started to become clear to me that I was living in survival mode. This mindset did not stem from my relationship with money, but my relationship with myself. I moved through life with rose-colored glasses on because I thought I was impervious to all the hype around us. I would tell myself I was too self-aware to fall for anything. My pride led me to believe I was above par. I had to knock myself off my self-appointed pedestal. My need for stability and security was solely being sourced by how much money I had or could earn with my corporate job alone. The less money in the bank I had, the less worthy or grown-up I felt. I would constantly compare myself to friends that made more money than I did. They had the “American Dream” of the house and luxury car and vacations to tropical locations, and they would have designer clothes, purses, and jewelry. There I was, in my one-bedroom apartment, leasing my car and an avid Amazon shopper. In my eyes, I just didn’t measure up and constantly felt less than. That feeling also did not come from my friends, but from how I thought of myself. Since I didn’t feel like an equal, I was tirelessly always searching for the “thing” that would bring in a six-figure income.
I had constantly been drawn to advertisements on social media for how to make XX amount of dollars online while working from home. I was reaching an age where I thought I should have been further along in my life in terms of how much money I had and should be earning. Around that same time, I had just gotten into a relationship with a man I deemed to be accomplished and successful and was financially stable and secure. That combination had lit a small fire under me, and figured I should finally go after starting my own coaching business and leaving the corporate world. I had found a business coach that worked with women and helped build and promote their business with the help of social media. I was excited and had a new level of determination to succeed. Discouraged, even before six months had passed, I had decided not to continue working with this coach. I no longer resonated with the niche I chose, but more so, with the work I would be doing. Although I wanted to help others, and thought being a coach and having my own business would bring me fulfillment, I had been chasing a dream for a past version of myself, only to not want it once I finally had the opportunity to actualize it.
I had to finally put a stop to my get rich quick pursuits. They were depleting me. Not just because of my finances, but it was draining my soul. I kept giving and giving with little to no return. I was looking for my fulfillment using methodologies that were not in alignment with me. I was going after a cookie cutter life that I knew I didn’t want. I had no aspirations of climbing the corporate ladder, no desire to own a house, and had been content leasing a new car every three years. So why all the chasing? I had to sit with myself and deeply explore every angle of the who, what, where, and why of my life.
Once I began to ask myself the right questions, a flood of answers came in. I wanted to be a woman that was led by her inner wisdom and intuition that lived a life of ease, peace, freedom, and fulfillment. Seems like a general statement, but I already went through the hustle, struggle, and disappointments of life that I yearned for the simplicity of it. My need for control had me living in a state of envy and I failed to notice all the blessings that already existed in my life. Here I was trying to build monetary wealth in my life and overlooking the abundance I already had all around me. I hadn’t been walking my own talk. I was looking outside of myself for fulfillment and trying to fit myself into the boxes the world created, instead of forging my own way.
I had been approaching wealth from a material perspective, and not in a more spiritual and aligned way with who I presently am and my values. In essence, money is the physical exchange of energy, and I had to evaluate what type of energy I was putting out.
If you feel like building wealth in your life only comes from acquiring money, take this opportunity to assess the following 5 spiritual practices for building abundance and prosperity in your life:
Self-Conviction – We must know who we currently are, or who we are aspiring to become. When we don’t know what we want, we will chase everything that surrounds us in search of satisfaction and happiness. Knowing your value also exists in tandem with following your convictions. If you don’t believe you are worthy of having the things you want, it will always evade you.
Being Specific – Reflecting back on my childhood and hearing the words, “I want to be rich when I grow up”, prompted me to ask, but for what? Is it that you want lots of money just to have it and feel secure or are there particular reasons why. Is it for a vacation, to help family, do you have a passion project that you would like to invest in? I’ve learned that what we seek is also seeking us. When you know in detail what you want, it will be easier and clearer to find it. Think of it as a GPS, if you do not give it a specific destination, it will not show you how to get there.
Inspired and Intentional Action – It is easy for us to wish, hope, and pray, no matter if you are religious or spiritual; there is a higher power that guides us all. Part of our purpose in this lifetime is to experience, not just exist. We can’t just speak our desires out loud and wait a certain amount of time and expect to have them magically appear. If my desire was to be an Olympian, I couldn’t just show up at the Olympics and compete just because that is what I wanted. I would have to train and continuously improve myself. The same holds true for your desires. If you are putting out that energy to achieve your desires, the same energy will be reciprocated back to you.
Pay It Forward – What happens when someone smiles at you? You automatically smile back at that them. The Universe, God, the Divine, works in the same way. What you put out; you receive back. You may be thinking, well, I just paid XX amount of dollars for something, but I have not received the same amount back. When you give to others, you may not receive back in the same form. When I compare myself to others in terms of possessions or monetary wealth, I may not be exactly equal. However, I began to see my wealth in terms of my lifestyle and what I already have. I have family and friends that are always there to support me; whether that be giving me a place to sleep, sharing food with me, or sharing their time with me. Those people and the things they do for me out of love are so invaluable because they are not easy to come by. The energy they continue to give to me is a result of the energy I put out for them when I share my time and listen to them, not for an expectation of gain, but out of enjoyment and love.
Remaining Healthy – Health encompasses the entirety of our being. We not only need to maintain a healthy body, but also a healthy diet and mindset. For most of my life, I viewed having a healthy body as something superficial. I would tell myself that I didn’t want to be like a model or athlete, and I was satisfied with what I looked like. It wasn’t until recently that being more active and eating a more balanced diet not only served my present, but future self. My resistance stemmed from my pride. I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in my early 20’s, and throughout the last 20 years, no one would even know I had a disability unless I told them. I had been coasting by using clumsiness as my excuse. I hadn’t put a lot of focus on strengthening my body because I was able to get by with little to no assistance. Be that as it may, I remained at the status quo. I hadn’t really improved, and I was keeping myself from doing and achieving more in my life. If an activity involved hiking, walking long distances or even too many stairs, I would opt out. This kept me from experiencing all that this world has to offer. Over the years I would take classes at the gym, watch YouTube videos, and even had a trainer. What I had finally realized was that I was not customizing my fitness and health to my needs. I knew once I did that, I would be able to walk better, climb stairs with more ease, and ultimately be a vessel to receive and experience the riches and abundance of life.
In the end, although building monetary wealth is a necessity for survival, it is not the only form of wealth that exists. It has taken me most of my life to see that I am always surrounded by wealth and what I had been seeking is my authentic expression in this world. The byproduct of that is having a positive impact on others, and myself, which further magnifies the fulfillment I seek and my purpose in this lifetime.
~ Nicky Hassaballa
Below are ways you can connect with Nicky:
Email: nickyhassaballa@gmail.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-hassaballa
Instagram: @nickyhass14
Facebook: Nicky Hassaballa