I’m often asked exactly what is rich thinking? Many people seem to think it’s about money, and that’s because in our culture we tend to immediately think of money when we think of the word ‘rich’. But of course, when you go deeper, its not just about money at all, riches includes riches at all levels, the physical or material, emotional, mental, and spiritual. In fact, without riches at all these levels, you’re not really rich at all. Hence those who have plenty of money but aren’t satisfied with their family life; or those who are very happy within their relationships but have poor health or little money. So what exactly is rich thinking?
It’s any thought, feeling or action you have which expands you. It’s about inviting the biggest essence of you into any situation you find yourself in; it’s about operating from a place of abundance, rather than lack; it’s about finding the gift in the challenging situation. And it’s about choosing to respond to your circumstances in a positive away. But that doesn’t mean it’s all sweetness and light — far from it! I’ve often seen people focusing only on the positive, meaning they are ignoring or pushing away the negative, to the detriment of their overall situation. Because when you don’t acknowledge the negative (not giving it too much attention, just acknowledging it), it tends to make its presence felt even more. This isn’t rich thinking, even though it may look like it — it’s just poor thinking heavily disguised.
At a gallery exhibition opening the other night, someone was considering whether or not to buy a painting they just loved. They were wavering back and forth, not sure what to do. Clearly from what she was saying, she would have to find a creative way to pay for the painting. But she told me she had the perfect space for it on her wall, the painting there at the moment was too small, and every time she sat down she thought ‘that painting’s too small’.
I knew from the way she was talking that rich thinking in this instance was for her to buy the painting, so I encouraged her. That’s because I could tell she was going to receive much more value from her painting than the £300+ that it cost. And if she and the artist could agree terms, then the painting would become priceless to her. (They did and she’s now got it on her wall, and it is indeed priceless!).
But rich thinking in regards to money isn’t necessarily about spending money. It can be about saving it too. Here’s another example: I’ve just returned from a couple of weeks of visiting family and friends, and I wanted to keep to a certain amount of money during this time. I knew however that I would be tempted by various shops that I would see in London, and I decided that was OK. Sure enough, I saw a lovely pair of shoes that I might have bought. But I chose not to buy them because I realised it was more important to me to keep my word to myself about staying within my budget, than to own the shoes, which I didn’t really need anyway. I felt so proud when I walked out of that shop! The value of that experience to me was far, far more than the value of the shoes would have been. In this case, not spending money was thinking rich.
The real question to be asked to determine whether or not you’re in thinking rich mode or not is ‘where am I coming from in this thought/feeling/deed?’ If you can ask yourself that, and listen honestly to the answer, and then act on that answer then you’re practicing rich thinking. It’s easier said than done, of course, but like everything, you get better with practice. That’s why I can hear rich thoughts and poor thoughts in what people say; it’s how I can see what is really going on in their actions, even when it appears that someone is behaving richly on the surface. It’s why I feel so uncomfortable when someone’s words are not matching up with their body language, or feelings. I’ve practiced, and practiced this kind of thing — and guess what? I still need to practice — and enjoy doing so! It becomes a way of life, and so long as your overall intention is to be in a feeling good place of riches at the inner as well as the outer level, then you’ll be moving in the right direction.
Applied to your business, or the service you provide, simply discipline yourself to stop before taking any action; close your eyes, and ask yourself ‘is this rich thinking?’ before you continue. You might surprise yourself!
I have used the principles I write about here in RichThinkers to bring about all kinds of things in my life, including running a successful counselling practice and health clinic business. Coming from a place of inspiration has enabled me to bring meaning and magic into all that I do, and my background in psychotherapy and counselling, combined with practical business skills, means I am uniquely positioned to help you in both the inner and the outer levels of success. (more…)
RichThinking: what it is and how to do it
I’m often asked exactly what is rich thinking? Many people seem to think it’s about money, and that’s because in our culture we tend to immediately think of money when we think of the word ‘rich’. But of course, when you go deeper, its not just about money at all, riches includes riches at all levels, the physical or material, emotional, mental, and spiritual. In fact, without riches at all these levels, you’re not really rich at all. Hence those who have plenty of money but aren’t satisfied with their family life; or those who are very happy within their relationships but have poor health or little money. So what exactly is rich thinking?
It’s any thought, feeling or action you have which expands you. It’s about inviting the biggest essence of you into any situation you find yourself in; it’s about operating from a place of abundance, rather than lack; it’s about finding the gift in the challenging situation. And it’s about choosing to respond to your circumstances in a positive away. But that doesn’t mean it’s all sweetness and light — far from it! I’ve often seen people focusing only on the positive, meaning they are ignoring or pushing away the negative, to the detriment of their overall situation. Because when you don’t acknowledge the negative (not giving it too much attention, just acknowledging it), it tends to make its presence felt even more. This isn’t rich thinking, even though it may look like it — it’s just poor thinking heavily disguised.
At a gallery exhibition opening the other night, someone was considering whether or not to buy a painting they just loved. They were wavering back and forth, not sure what to do. Clearly from what she was saying, she would have to find a creative way to pay for the painting. But she told me she had the perfect space for it on her wall, the painting there at the moment was too small, and every time she sat down she thought ‘that painting’s too small’.
I knew from the way she was talking that rich thinking in this instance was for her to buy the painting, so I encouraged her. That’s because I could tell she was going to receive much more value from her painting than the £300+ that it cost. And if she and the artist could agree terms, then the painting would become priceless to her. (They did and she’s now got it on her wall, and it is indeed priceless!).
But rich thinking in regards to money isn’t necessarily about spending money. It can be about saving it too. Here’s another example: I’ve just returned from a couple of weeks of visiting family and friends, and I wanted to keep to a certain amount of money during this time. I knew however that I would be tempted by various shops that I would see in London, and I decided that was OK. Sure enough, I saw a lovely pair of shoes that I might have bought. But I chose not to buy them because I realised it was more important to me to keep my word to myself about staying within my budget, than to own the shoes, which I didn’t really need anyway. I felt so proud when I walked out of that shop! The value of that experience to me was far, far more than the value of the shoes would have been. In this case, not spending money was thinking rich.
The real question to be asked to determine whether or not you’re in thinking rich mode or not is ‘where am I coming from in this thought/feeling/deed?’ If you can ask yourself that, and listen honestly to the answer, and then act on that answer then you’re practicing rich thinking. It’s easier said than done, of course, but like everything, you get better with practice. That’s why I can hear rich thoughts and poor thoughts in what people say; it’s how I can see what is really going on in their actions, even when it appears that someone is behaving richly on the surface. It’s why I feel so uncomfortable when someone’s words are not matching up with their body language, or feelings. I’ve practiced, and practiced this kind of thing — and guess what? I still need to practice — and enjoy doing so! It becomes a way of life, and so long as your overall intention is to be in a feeling good place of riches at the inner as well as the outer level, then you’ll be moving in the right direction.
Applied to your business, or the service you provide, simply discipline yourself to stop before taking any action; close your eyes, and ask yourself ‘is this rich thinking?’ before you continue. You might surprise yourself!