An abundance mindset is the deep belief that you are enough, you have enough, and there is enough to go around for everyone.

If you’re like most women, you might find it hard to stay in an abundance mindset. Especially if you’re struggling with self-doubt or impostor syndrome.

Over a lifetime, you’ve been conditioned to think in a negative or scarcity mindset. You’ve been conditioned to trust fear over faith, lack over abundance, and doubt over confidence.

Your thoughts create your reality. If you believe you’ll never be good enough to go after your dream job or start your own business, you’ll behave in a way that gets you that result.

On the other hand, if you believe that you have enough knowledge, wisdom, strength, and guidance to achieve your goals, you’ll feel confident enough to take powerful action.

The latter is an example of an abundance mindset; a belief that you already have everything you need to be successful.

When you think about finding or living your purpose, what thoughts come to mind?

Are you excited at the opportunity to find more joy and fulfillment in your life, or are you overcome with fear, hesitation, or overwhelm?

Do you know exactly the steps you need to take to live your purpose each day? Or, are you like most of us: you know you’re meant for more, but you have no idea what that is or how to get there?

When the future is unclear, fear of the unknown can cause us to think with a scarcity mindset.

A scarcity mindset is the belief that there will never be enough, resulting in feelings of fear, stress, and anxiety.

A scarcity mindset can cause you to limit yourself through your beliefs and actions, preventing you from finding or living your purpose.

Thinking about finding your purpose in life? Wondering what you’re meant to do, but don’t know where to start? Or maybe you think you found your purpose, but you’re not really sure.

If this sounds like you, you’re in good company!

These are the same questions I’m constantly asked by women like you, who are looking for more meaning and fulfillment in their lives.

Finding your purpose can feel like a daunting task. It’s overwhelming to think about the one thing you’re meant to do with your life and how you’re going to get there.

Trust me when I say, it’s not as difficult as it seems to find your life purpose. You might just need some reassurance.

If I had to guess, I'd say the first half of 2020 didn't go exactly as you planned.

Between the Coronavirus pandemic and social uprising in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, this year is certainly one for the history books.

While 2020 brought so much fear, anxiety, heartbreak, stress, overwhelm, loss, uncertainty, pain, and outrage, it also brought us "closer" to family and friends through virtual dinners, coffee chats, and happy hours.

For some of us, it brought life and jobs to a halt to allow us to focus on what's most important to us. For those on the front lines, it brought your purpose to light - serving the world in a way you never dreamed imaginable.

2020 is a collective awakening - some of us are waking up to our role in white supremacy. Some of us are waking up to a career that no longer aligns with what we want. Some of us are waking up to the start of healing generations of trauma. Some of us are waking up to realize the lifestyle we're living is no longer sustainable.

We're all waking up to something. And awakening brings profound change.

It’s easy to feel lost, confused, or overwhelmed right now.

The Coronavirus pandemic upended and shut down life as we knew it. Social uprising and protests for Black Lives Matter are demanding radical change. Change for individuals and society as a whole.

Our jobs have changed. Our income has changed. Our social lives have changed. Our belief systems, organizational systems, and government systems are being challenged to change.

Change is overwhelming, even when it’s a good thing. Especially when it’s necessary.

Impostor Syndrome is a psychological phenomenon involving the belief that you’re inadequate, incompetent, and a complete failure despite evidence that you actually are successful. It’s also the inability to believe that you deserve success or that you achieved success as a result of your own efforts, skills, or expertise.

Impostor Syndrome affects about 70% of the population, and minority groups, including women, people of color, and people being “the first” are disproportionately affected.

How often do you put yourself first?

If you’re like most women I know, then it’s not often.

As women, we’re wired to care about the needs of others, to make everyone around us feel comfortable and taken care of. That’s an important quality of a strong, feminine leader.

That same line of thinking also creates opportunity for comparison. We’re constantly comparing ourselves to those around us, putting others on pedestals, and thinking that their needs are more important than our own.

We think if we selflessly give to others, or sacrifice what we want for what other people want, we’ll get those people to like and respect us. We derive our sense of value from the approval of others.

And in doing so, we’re sending a signal to our brain that we’re not worthy of spending time on ourselves. That we don’t deserve to put ourselves first because other people need us.

Putting someone else’s needs before your own makes you believe, even subconsciously, that they are inherently more worthy than you.

Everything in our lives starts with an intention.

The careers we choose, the places we live, the people we surround ourselves with.

Even the food we put into our bodies starts with an intention.

If that’s true, is it possible to use an intention to find our life purpose?

An intention is a guiding principle for how you want to be, live, and show up in the world. It’s not the same as a goal, which typically has an endpoint or an expectation of success.

An intention is a path you aim to align to. It guides our thoughts, actions, and attitudes.

If you consider that your life purpose is who you are at your core, then an intention can help you discover who you’re meant to be, and how you’re meant to show up in the world.

The Coronavirus pandemic has upended our lives and demanded more from all of us. We’re navigating a new world of extreme telework, we’re stocking up on months’ worth of food and household supplies, we’re taking on more responsibilities at work and at home.

There are more virtual happy hours, family dinners, coffee chats, and Meetups than one could possibly fit into a week. There are more deadlines, more meetings, more assignments. There’s more pressure to perform, more pressure to get it right.

And there’s more burnout.

How do you view the world in general?

Do you generally think that people are rude and selfish? Or, do you believe that people are generous, kind, and warm?

Do you feel like everyone is working against you? Or, do you feel like others are there to help you?

In his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change, Stephen Covey explains that when you live in a world of scarcity, you compete for available resources, even when there is an abundance of them.

Does this sound familiar?

We see this a lot in corporate environments. Promotions and raises are few and far between. There are not enough women on our leadership team or board. We’re constantly in competition with similar businesses, vying for a bigger share of the market.

And in recent events like the Coronavirus pandemic, we’re scrambling for the last roll of toilet paper, the last bottle of hand sanitizer, the last box of pasta or can of beans. When just days before, the shelves in stores across the country were stocked full of them.

Fear of the unknown can cause us to think with a scarcity mindset. A scarcity mindset is the belief that there will never be enough, resulting in feelings of fear, stress, and anxiety.

On the other hand, an abundance mindset flows out of a deep inner sense of personal worth and security. It’s grounded in the belief that there is more than enough for everyone.

Over the last few weeks, the Coronavirus went from something happening across the world, to something happening in our backyard.

The uncertainty of the pandemic creates fear, panic, and a sense of lost control. As many people have put it, this is uncharted territory.

It can be terrifying to know what to do next when our government and leaders aren’t giving us a plan.

But there’s one thing we can control: our mindset.

Because fear is only as powerful as we make it. We can choose to live in fear and panic, or we can choose to find peace and connection.

Shifting our mindsets to find peace amid chaos is one way we can take back control of this terrifying situation, take care of ourselves, and take stock of the good in our lives.

We’re all in this together.

Have you ever been told you’re bossy? Aggressive? Too much? What about too emotional? You’re too nice?

Do you struggle to find the balance between being respected and liked at work? Do you struggle to find balance at all?

If you’re like most women, you likely said yes to any (or all) of the above questions. And let’s face it: this double-edged sword of trying to hide our feminine strengths to fit into a masculine work environment is holding women back.

Women are asking for raises and getting promotions at the same rate as men, yet we have a long way to go to close the gender gap. We need a new approach to leadership, one where traditional feminine strengths are recognized and rewarded. Playing by the old rules of leadership is over.

Yet, when we try to adopt a traditionally masculine approach to leadership (i.e. authoritative rather than participative), disconnect with our emotions, and focus on our weaknesses rather than our strengths, the gap in female leaders grows wider.

It’s time to own who you are and what you bring to the table.

Women are asking for promotions and negotiating salaries at the same rate as men. We’re showing up at work, committed to our companies and careers. And this translates to more women in senior and C-suite leadership positions across the country.

Yet, women continue to be underrepresented at every level of leadership.

The 2019 McKinsey report, Women in the Workplace, revealed that men said the biggest obstacle to parity in leadership was having too few qualified women in the pipeline, while women said they are being judged by different standards.

In reality, the research shows that the biggest opportunity isn’t in breaking the glass ceiling, but in what they term the “broken rung.”

As a smart, talented, glass-ceiling-busting, emotionally-intelligent, compassionate woman leader, you know what it’s like to feel stress at work.

An assignment from a senior leader arrives without warning. Three emails pile up for every one you address. Your team members seek you out for problems they could solve themselves. Your cell phone rings, your calendar is filling up with meetings, and you still have to address a performance issue with a direct report.  

You come home from a long week feeling tired – emotionally and physically. Your fight-or-flight response is in overdrive, and over time, this constant navigation of stressful scenarios could lead to burnout.

I’m not here to empower you.

Because I know that you already have everything you need to be successful.

You have charm and wit and strength and power beyond what you think you’re capable of. You have the knowledge and resources to learn more, do more, and achieve more. You have skills and life experience that no other woman has, and that gives you your own unique perspective on the world.

You are empowered because you have those qualities; no one can take them away from you. Nor can someone give you permission, authority, or power to show up as your beautiful, authentic self.

No one can give you power, because you are already powerful beyond measure.

We’ve all been there – that Sunday-night slump, feeling defeated before you even set foot in your office, counting down the hours until you can go home, wondering if there’s more to life than this…

Sure, you may like your job or company, but something just doesn’t feel right. If you’re racking your brain for an excuse not to show up, constantly daydreaming about endless vacations, or standing in your closet for what feels like an hour trying to decide what to wear, you may be feeling stuck in your job.

And even though most of us have felt this sinking feeling at one point in our careers, it’s a sign that something needs to change. Feeling stuck in your job can have devastating effects on your life, leading to low self-esteem or self-confidence, feelings of unworthiness or not feeling good enough, decreased productivity or motivation, or even depression.

I’ve always lived by the quote, “Do one thing every day that scares you.” It’s shaped my life in so many ways – from being the first person in my family to go to college, to negotiating my first salary and being called “entitled,” to leaving my lucrative corporate job to run my coaching business full time.

Doing scary things helped me become more confident, advocate for myself, expand my comfort zone, learn new things, and help other women navigate similar circumstances.

Those scary things weren’t always easy, and they often came with mistakes, uncertainty, change, fear, overwhelm and self-doubt. But they always came with a lesson that helped me grow as a leader.

I hate exercising.

If you’ve been following me for awhile, you know this is true. I detest it. I avoid it at all costs. If there is an option between going to the gym or doing something else, I will always pick the other option. Especially if it involves wine.

But, I know that exercise is the one thing missing in my wellbeing routine. I know that exercise is key to preventing chronic illness and can reduce my chances of developing breast cancer (even though I have the genetic mutation that increases my risk).

I know that exercise will help me stay mindful and present and keep my energy levels high. I know it will raise my good cholesterol and lower my bad cholesterol. I know it’s a part of self-care and taking care of my body and setting the foundation for my future health.

I know all of this. So why do I still avoid it?

I recently had a conversation with a friend, talking about our various health issues. I started a new job this past week, and the transition from full-time entrepreneurship to full-time employment was harder than I anticipated! I was waking up in the night with racing thoughts and anxiety, I was hungry all the time, and I noticed my energy changing throughout the day.

She was frustrated with her weight. She started a new diet a few months ago and consistently lost a bunch of weight in the first several weeks. But now, she hasn’t lost a single pound in the last month. She’s been keeping up with her diet and exercise routine, but it’s not having the same impact that it did in the beginning.

2017 was not my year.

Sure, I was making more money than I ever had. I was leading a phenomenal team of staff I also called friends. I bought my first ever *brand new* car.

But I was also burned out. Depressed. I didn’t believe in myself. I felt like a total impostor. I was sick all the time. And drinking way too much.

After grad school, I climbed the corporate ladder like my feet were on fire. I held every volunteer role I could. I said yes to EVERYTHING. I had no time left for me.

Something had to change.