“What does abundance feel like”?  I recently had a client ask me this question. She wanted to know what it felt like, so that she could get past having enough, but no extra. Her current money goal is to reach a new level of abundance. She thought that possibly knowing what it felt like, would help her get there.

When we haven’t actually felt something for ourselves, it can be difficult to associate a feeling to it. So, what does abundance, wealth, riches, prosperity (insert whatever works for you), really feel like?

Here are a few examples that I’ve heard:

• Calmness
• Empowerment
• No worries
• Freedom
• Satisfaction
• Wonderful people to do life with

When I think about this question for my life, immediately feelings of happiness, calm, relaxation, pleasure, joy, freedom all come to mind. Abundance, wealth and plenty means that I:

• Live in my happy place
• Spend time doing things I love
• Set my own schedule
• Enjoy delicious, healthy foods

As I sit here and think about these things, I see that it is more than money that creates them. I think that living the life I want comes from creating those feelings of happiness, calm, pleasure, freedom, etc.……even when I feel like I don’t have enough money to do what I want.

For example, when I was planning my move to the Florida Gulf Coast from landlocked West Virginia, I didn’t believe I could spend the money to truly live where I wanted – in a house with a pool of my very own. My business coach encouraged me to sit with it and allow my mind to explore ALL options. Even the ones that didn’t seem feasible money wise. Her advice to me was to explore in possibility, i.e. to open myself to the possibility of living exactly where I wanted to live.

A couple of things happened to me at that moment. The first was this huge resistance. No way, did I think it was worth the effort. I didn’t want to be disappointed. But she encouraged me to push through it a bit and to at least look at those houses with pools. So, I did.

Then the second thing that happened to me – I began to get excited. As I looked at the options and began to explore new possibilities for my life all sorts of good feelings came over me. My body flooded with tingles in my tummy and incredible lightness (think weightlessness). As I let myself feel those things, my mind began to open up and I let go of what other people expected of me. I let go of years of programming about what I should do and how I should spend my money. I can’t really even describe to you how much joy and freedom letting that stuff go gave me.

And all that was before I found the perfect house! Yes, it cost more than I had ever paid for housing. Let’s be honest, moving from West Virginia where housing is relatively inexpensive, to the Gulf Coast of Florida was going to cost me far more than I had ever paid for housing before anyway! And…. the price was doable.

In fact, miracles started to happen in that the house I really wanted became available AND the price dropped by almost $300 per month! If I had never allowed the possibility in…. then I wouldn’t now be sitting in the home of my dreams writing this!

That sort of thing is possible for you too. Feeling things give them legs. So, learning to tap into how you want to feel and then associating those feelings to what you want is powerful! It’s magical even!

Here are a few tips to help you get started.

Pinpoint what Excitement feels like in your Body.

Remember when I said that my body filled up with tingles and lightness? That kind of feeling is what you are looking for. How did your body feel when you first fell in love? How did it feel when you were about to do something you’ve wanted to do for a long time? How did it feel when your first child was born?

Look for those things that were the best things that ever happened to you and remember how your body felt.  Look for where you felt it in your body too. Was it in your stomach, your heart space, or your head?

When you remember that feeling, then you are on the right track and the hard part is done!

Practice Replicating that Feeling in your Body.

Now it’s time to practice creating that feeling on your own. The body is a magical thing and has muscle memory. So, it will remember that feeling even if you don’t know how to create it yourself.

I like to imagine myself with that tingly feeling in my stomach and my body feeling light and airy. I hold my breath for a few seconds, close my eyes and imagine tingles and floating. Even just typing this, the feeling came and brought an unexpected smile to my face. It feels so good!

Don’t get discouraged if you can’t feel it immediately. Keep practicing and it will surprise you one day!

Open up to Possibility.

This is another one that can take some practice. But if you can see yourself living a different way, having more money or stepping into wealth, then it is far more likely that you will achieve it.

We each have open to us all the possibility in the world. It’s true. It may not always feel like it, but we do.

How else do you think people like Oprah Winfrey, Steve Jobs or Richard Branson overcame the odds and reached greatness? I can assure you it wasn’t by staying in their little box or letting circumstances hold them back. They allowed themselves to see the possibilities for greatness long before they ever achieved it.

I encourage my clients to start small. Baby steps are much easier than going for a giant leap and failing. Here are a few examples:

• Upgrade to the next level on something you like. A better bottle of wine, one kind of produce that is organic, one high end piece of clothing…your options are endless here.
• Decorate a room so that it reflects your dream location.
• Cook a meal or eat at a restaurant that epitomizes exactly how you want to eat all the time.
• Test drive your dream car.
• Add everything you want to buy to your Amazon shopping cart; imagine how you’d feel if you had those things.
• Make an appointment to see a property that is exactly where you want to live, even if you know you aren’t in the position to make an offer.
• Plan your dream vacation and visualize yourself being there.

All these things open your mind to possibility. They can also create excitement and good feelings.

Once you begin to do even one of these things, you can more easily associate a feeling with an outcome and tie it together.

For example, if you are like my client and you want to step past just having enough, into living a life of wealth and abundance,  then I encourage you to imagine yourself in your dream life and while you are imagining, replicate that feeling of excitement and positive emotions in your body.

See yourself living the life of your dreams. Feel yourself having wealth. Pretty soon, magic is going to start happening. Things will begin to shift and doors will begin to open.

Have you done anything like this? What does wealth or abundance feel like to you? Comment below, I’d love to hear from you.

Sherry Parks, CPA, is a Money Mindset Coach who helps women escape feeling trapped by their finances. She is passionate about helping women change mindset, emotions and actions regarding money, so that they learn to keep what they have and generate more. Check out her 5 Steps to a Better Money Story workbook or join her women-only Facebook group More Than Enough Money Sisterhood.

Image courtesy of Brooke Cagle.