I happen to know millionaires who drive cars that cost $5,000. I even know multi-millionaires who complain if the price of gas goes up a dime, although it has no impact on their life. 

Why do people do this? 

The reality is, you can have lots of money and have a poverty mentality at the same time.  Rooted deep within your subconscious mind may be fears of financial loss, fears of criticism, or the most common cause of a poverty mentality…guilt…

Many people are riddled with guilt when they have to purchase non-essentials….the thought of spending money unnecessarily sends chills up their poverty consciousness.  The media, family and/or friends have programmed them into believing that luxury equals waste.

They have not yet fully adopted the prosperity consciousness which would allow them to enjoy all of life’s benefits.

I remember when I first got married; my wife and I went shopping to buy a little lamp for our new home. 

The lamp my wife found cost $500.00. 

Even though spending $500 on a lamp wouldn’t have affected our lives, I was very uncomfortable with the idea of spending that much on a “lamp.”

Where I grew up, people didn’t spend $500 on a lamp.  People spent $500 on a car, and they spent about $10 on a lamp.  That’s what I had seen, that’s what I was comfortable with, and that’s what I knew.  Anything more seemed like an extravagant waste.

Now, I really liked the lamp my wife picked out, but I didn’t think we should spend $500 on it. 

To make a long story short…we bought the lamp, …and I left the store feeling sick (literally). 

It felt like such a waste of money. But on our way home, my wife told me something that really helped me out.  She said, if you can’t spend $500 on a lamp, how are you ever going to spend a million dollars on a home.

Now, even though I didn’t want to spend $500 for the lamp, I did see myself as a person who would eventually live in a million dollar home. 

But the truth was…

If I couldn’t get comfortable buying a lamp for $500, it would be difficult for me to get comfortable purchasing a million dollar home.  I needed to program “up;” I needed to change my thinking.

My mentality was making me feel uncomfortable with the idea of going above what was needed, into what was comfortable.

When you’ve been denied certain things your entire life, it’s sometimes difficult to adopt a richer mentality.

It’s like the story of the “fly in the jar.”  After the fly has been trapped in the jar for so long, the fly begins to believe that he can’t fly any higher than the top of the jar.  Even after you remove the top, the fly won’t fly away; the fly has been programmed to remain within the confines of the jar; even though he could soar.

Do you have a fly’s mentality?  Are you trapped in a jar without a top on it?

Are you unable to see yourself as a person who buys what you want? Do you only buy what you need?  The bare essentials…

Yes, you can have lots of money and a poverty mentality at the same time.  Which means, you’re not really rich…rich means abundance.  Your life is still being run in part by a mentality of lack and poverty.

James Allen said “man is mind” …if you have a poor mind; you have a poor man.

I think you can be a billionaire and be poor…

There’s nothing abundant or prosperous about driving a beat-up car every year.  You should grow and become better in every aspect of your life constantly; if you’re not growing you are dying.

The purpose of money is to use it, to enjoy it.  Not to store it up because of fear or guilt.  You shouldn’t live below your means, but at your means.

I have no problem spending $500 on a lamp now, but if I’d never got out of my comfort zone, I couldn’t say this.  I wouldn’t know the joys of a $500 lamp.  I now feel as if I’m worthy to be illuminated by $500 lamps, do you?

Like I’ve said before, you can try to sugarcoat it, but the reality is, a $500 lamp is better than a $10 lamp; flying First Class is better than flying Coach.  I’ve flown both; First Class is better.  When you fly First Class you’re not crunched up for 8 hours with somebody’s baby screaming in your ear.  You actually look forward to the flight, it’s an experience.  There is a dignity associated with it.

Next time you’re confronted by a lack consciousness, decide to stretch yourself.  It maybe a more expensive toothpaste that you would prefer and can easily afford, but begin to think bigger.  When you think bigger, you will stretch your mind, and you will be able to receive bigger.

Thank you for reading mrselfdevelopment.com where every article expands your mind, increases your faith, and changes your life.

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