Defined as “the surplus beyond what is needed,” the word abundance is often related to financial wealth. I define abundance as: “the self-given permission to receive.”

Growing up I had all of my needs met, I worked since age 13 to have extra spending money, and my family’s home was always full of love and food.

At 17, I moved out to attend University and for the following 12 years I found myself in ongoing cycles of fear and lack, swinging through the polarities of thriving and surviving.

I was rich with friends, food, and finances—and then suddenly I felt it was gone. Later, I had jobs making $70,000 a year and would be in fear of being homeless. There were handfuls of times in my 20s where I would feel at the end of my rope and ask my Dad to bail me out. It took me 12 years to see the root of this cycle; it had nothing to do with the money at all.

I had associated money with love. During my parents’ divorce, my mom and I (age three) moved to New York. I grew up seeing my dad twice a year, we’d go on trips, he bought me a car when I turned 16, and gifts like a Louis Vuitton backpack were fairly normal. All of this was great to me; however, I was always dissatisfied with the level of emotional presence that was available. No fault of his, it was just not in his nature.

I associated getting gifts with feeling loved in this relationship, a person I so deeply wanted to be closer with.

A few years ago, I found myself in the same position, riding high for a year or so, travelling, making money, rich in friends, clients and relations—and then once a day it was all gone. I was in fear, big fear, and irrational thoughts of living under a bridge fear. It all clicked, after years of studies in Spiritual Psychology the pieces fell into place: I saw that I was subconsciously creating this cycle of “being in a hole” for myself so that I would have to reach out for help, and through receiving that support, I would reaffirm I was loved.

Shock and a relief. I knew I could shift this…and I did. Through a practice of personal responsibility for creating deepened self-love, compassionate forgiveness and fully feeling my feelings, I arrived at a place of acceptance with clarity about what abundance really is. Now I live in the state described below and I couldn’t be happier.

I created the Abundance Manifesto as a template to help others out of the bondage of a lack mentality.

Abundance is not an acquisition.

It is a self-empowering state of being, it is a language that we live in, it is a sense of unlimited imagination and possibility. Abundance in all aspects of our lives has a sense of movement and growth. There is no lack.

Below are the Four Pillars of the Abundance Manifesto:

1) Like attracts like.

We are all responsible for the energy we emit in every moment.

Everything exists and is measured in frequency. Abundance is a frequency that we can emit and we will receive back reciprocally, if we allow ourselves to. Abundance is a state or power of being; it is a presence we can awaken ourselves into.

Fish live in water, humans live in language. Language is what gives meaning and a sense of understanding to all we experience. For example, “the sky is blue;” we understand this concept because of the meaning we’ve attributed to the words “sky” and “blue.” Often, our language is reflective of our subconscious beliefs. If there is a lack mentality within it can be heard in the words we subconsciously choose.

Be mindful if you hear anything that may sound like the following come out of your mouth or mind. I highlight mindful, noticing objectively, because I do not want any of you to move into judgment of oneself if you notice you use this language. It is merely tracking the lack inventory in order to release and shift what no longer serves us.

“It’s too good to be true.”

“I have the worst luck.”

“Things like that never/always happen to me.”

“Things would be better if…”

Phrases like these can reinforce the misbeliefs we may hold and will reflect to us a world where they are true. We create this reality, and just as easily we can create a new one simply by how we show up.

Some examples of alternative truths to replace any lack mentalities are:

“I deserve and welcome goodness in all its forms.”

“I am so blessed.”

“I welcome all experiences as an opportunity to grow and have fun.”

“I trust in the Divine unfolding.”

2) All is possible.

This says all, not anything, as the common phrasing—because I’m not talking about any one thing, I am saying all. You can have it all, you can be it all, and you can give it all. There is plenty.

The key is to embrace your unlimited potential, your sense of limitlessness. Limitlessness not only on what you are capable of, also the limitless nature of life itself. Miracles happen everyday.

When you reclaim the childlike nature that once allowed you to believe in anything, you invite yourself to reside in the place a possibility. Possibility is a magical place of openness and receptivity to all that is, and all that could be. It’s a choice where you live, in a state of possibility or a state of doubt.

3) It’s your birthright.

It is everyone’s birthright to access the infinite wealth of all good things that is available to us. Again, there is enough for everyone. Abundance is an infinite source of goodness and sense of power we can claim for ourselves.

When you begin from a place of abundance, there is no sense of a place to “get to,” but the knowing that you have already arrived. You began here. And the only thing that can take you away from that which is innately yours is one’s own self-limiting beliefs.

When the self-acceptance that you are what you seek is reclaimed as truth, one acknowledges that they are abundance. You are the emanation of all good things. You embody trust: surrender, acceptance, allowance and move into unconditional love.

“When you realize that nothing is lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” ~ Lao Tzu

4) Conscious choice.

Abundance comes from allowing yourself to experience everything as it is and seeing that it’s here to serve you. How much of the silver lining you allow yourself to see in all situations is equivalent to what you feel you are receiving.

One who gives themselves the permission to receive:

is aware that goodness is available,

sees and appreciates the endless beauty everywhere,

embodies gratitude for all they welcome into their lives.

“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” ~ Eckhart Tolle

In conclusion, the most important thing to remember is everything is happening for you, not to you. And it’s all happening for one reason and one reason only: to give you an opportunity to deepen in your Loving.

Questions to ask yourself:

What would you achieve, if you knew you could not fail, and there was no limitations?

Are you willing to remove all sense of lack from your life and cultivate an abundance mentality?

What ways of being can you choose right now to make a positive change in your life, and move toward your goals?

Can you truly imagine all the things that you want being a reality and that you deserve it?

Author: Luna Love

Editor: Emily Bartran

Photo: Steve Snodgrass/Flickr