"Unlocking the Secrets to Wealth From Within"

I want you to read the title of this blog post, and visualize what wealth means to you.

I wake up every day and tell myself I am wealthy, because I am. However- my version of wealth and how I decide to view wealth may be different than yours. I believe that true wealth comes from within.

I drive a Toyota Corolla, I get most of my clothes and house decorations from goodwill, my cell phone is from 2017, and I definitely will not miss a good deal when it comes to couponing at the grocery store. So from the outside looking in so many people would say I am not extremely wealthy. However, I do not let external things label me as "wealthy or not wealthy." Wealth is not just about the materialistic things and your external world, wealth also comes from within.

To me and a lot of other self help entrepreneurs- internal wealth is so much more important than any form of external wealth such as money, cars, clothes, etc. There are many celebrities and multimillionaire entrepreneurs who have it all in their "external world." They have the money, fame, cars, and million dollar homes, but many are still the unhappiest they've ever been. Why is this?

Your external world no matter how much you try- will not bring you internal happiness. I was that person in my early 20s focusing on finding happiness through my external world. I was comparing myself and idolizing my friends and family members who had the luxury cars, luxury clothes, and houses I never felt worthy of owning. Focusing on these things left me feeling even emptier on the inside. It wasn't until reading some self help books and listening to a lot of different podcasts that I came up with the following internal dialogue in my head, and reframed my views and moral compass around wealth:

Wealth and Happiness comes from within. You will only find happiness within when you stop chasing the materialistic things in your external world.

If you are someone who is continuing to seek happiness by chasing things in the external world like fame, cars, and luxury houses, I want you to ask yourself what exactly are you chasing? Validation? Happiness? Self Worth? Self Confidence?

You won't find it by chasing things in your external world. Start investing into yourself. Starting chasing things that bring you peace, balance, and joy internally. This is the true definition of wealth.

Pouring into yourself by doing things that make your internal world brighter will create a byproduct of happiness and wealth. Pouring into your external world by buying materialistic things will only create an illusion of internal happiness and wealth. These materialistic items for some will come at the cost of debt which over time will build up and create internal feelings of stress, resentment, anger, and frustration.

So from my own mistakes, road bumps, and experiences- I will share the three most important things that helped bring me internal wealth and happiness!

1) Finding Wealth Through Human Experiences

Something my fiancé and I both define as wealth is creating experiences and memories. We laugh and joke about how we live our life in four different boxes. We have our house which is our main box. Our places of work being our second box. The gym would be our third box, and the grocery store is our fourth box. Over the days, weeks, and months I will look at him and say I'm getting claustrophobic in our boxes, and am feeling like a robot- lets get out and breathe. Lucky for us we are at a time in our lives where we can go on adventures and trips to reground, re-center, and find balance and peace again internally. Being young, and only having animals-we have the support and love from our families to get away and break free from "robot" mode.

Even if you can't get away for long periods of time- that's okay. Find a day or even a few hours and take yourself to the place that re-centers and grounds you most. You can find so much internal wealth and happiness through life experiences because they shape us into who we are.

I always begin with the end in mind when I choose what to prioritize in my life, and those are things that bring my soul internal happiness. Prioritizing travel and experiences is more important to my values and morals because one day when I take my last breath I want to be remembered for the trips I took, the different cultures I diversified myself in, and the memories I created with the people I traveled beside.

Getting out and experiencing the world is a great way find wealth internally. The luxury cars will eventually break down, when you are gone your dream house may get remodeled because the next buyer didn't like your taste, and lastly all that money and fame doesn't go with you when you are gone. When people pass- they are remembered for how they treated others, the experiences that molded them into who they were, and the memories they made with those closest to them. These memories will be passed down to future generations. They won't remember your for your materials, they will remember you for your values, morals, and impact.

2. Find Wealth Through Gratitude

I have found so much internal happiness and wealth through the practice of gratitude. Rather than wishing and wanting more, more, more- I try to find happiness in what I currently have. When we lose sight of practicing gratitude, we start to operate from a place of lack, rather than a place of prosperity and abundance.

As a kid- I would have never known that my dad raised three kids and wasn't extremely wealthy. This was a realization that I came to as an adult. Growing up my sisters and I always had a roof over our heads, clean clothes, and food in our pantry.

Today my dad is thriving. He has his own business, a beautiful home, lots of grandkids, a beautiful truck, and the four wheeler he and I always dreamed of having when I was a kid. He always says things like you are going to be mad at me because I finally got that four wheeler, and it is quite the opposite- I am so proud of all that he has done.

The lesson in this all- is throughout my upbringing he never operated from a place of lack. He always practiced gratitude for what he had. He would never admit this to me now because he is the most humble person I know.

When raising us he probably desired all the things he has now, but never operated from a scarcity mindset. He was grateful for all that he had. Fast forward to today- he has all of his desires, and that makes his internal world so much brighter and fuller. If he was chasing more, more, when raising us- he would have lost sight of all that he already had. So now in the present moment with all that he desires- he can sit with abundance and appreciation for all that the universe and higher power has brought into his life. This is what makes you wealthy inside- practicing through a a lens of Gratitude..... not a lens of deprivation.

Gratitude is so powerful. It helps you be present, or at least circle you back into the present moment when you are practicing it. God will allow my life to be filled with the external things I desire when the time is right. Just like my dad- the external things are nice and something I desire in the future, but I already am grateful for all the external things I have.

I am just like my dad when he raised us- I have a roof over my head, I have clean clothes (when I actually do laundry lol), I never go to bed hungry, and I have lots of experiences and memories with those I love and care about. If it is meant to be by those above us- I too one day will have all that I desire. I will have the house I always dreamed of, the car I always wanted, and that dream beach-house on a ridgeline in Hawaii that I can drink my morning coffee and watch the sun rise at.

However- for now I focus on what I have, and if this is all I ever get I am still abundant. I have family members and friends who support me, I have a car, a house, and a roof over my head. I have a paycheck so I can afford groceries, and treat myself to an ice cream every once in a while. If I didn't focus on all that I have- my internal wealth would be non-existent.

3. Finding Wealth Through Healthy Habits

The last and final tip for finding wealth is to prioritize healthy habits on a daily basis.

I would love to spend my nights scrolling media for instant dopamine. Even though scrolling on my phone gives me instant gratification I know it is not a healthy habit that fills me up internally, so I try my hardest to prioritize reading self help books to grow, and in turn help others grow.

I would love to spend nights on the couch watching TV and eating out, but I know this is not healthy for the long term, so instead I prioritize eating a more whole food based meal and prioritize movement over being sedentary because I know that will make me wealthier internally.

When I am stressed I would love to turn to a beer or glass of wine to calm my mind. However, I know this is not wealthy or healthy for me internally, so instead I prioritize meditating and journaling to help me through the stressful storms that life brings my way.

It is so hard to recognize that practicing and maintaining healthier habits in your life will bring you more internal wealth. Healthy habits that make a positive bank statement on your identity will create a byproduct of internal happiness. Habits that make a negative bank statement on your identity will sometimes create a byproduct of instant dopamine for the short term, followed by feelings of anguish, regret, and resentment.

When you are able to connect your habits with what truly brings you happiness internally- you are cracking the code to wealth.

We often times lose sight of practicing healthy habits because they can be frictional to implement, and that is usually because most people try to implement a healthier lifestyle by falling victim to the all or none approach to lifestyle change:

Some examples of the all or none- mindset

- People who say they will start again next Monday

-People who overcommit and underperform with their daily habits/behaviors. This would be someone who doesn't exercise at all, and will start a wellness journey by committing to exercise 5x a week for an hour a day. Too much friction from the outset will create a lot of inconsistency with habits, and inhibit individuals from reaching their goals.

-People who have to be all in with their wellness journey and habits, or not in at all (Keto diet, carnivore diet, low carb diet, no cheat meals)

-Instant gratification habits like fad dieting

When you start trying to live a wealthier life internally by practicing healthier daily habits the process should be slow, gradual, realistic, and enjoyable. Habits can not be adopted overnight, and often times take weeks, months, and years to adopt into your true identity.

Don't beat yourself up if you feel far from internal wealth in regards to your daily habits. Self- awareness is step 1. When you become aware you need to make healthier choices and habits in your daily life- you then create a system to slowly, gradually, and manageably start finding alignment your ideal self. Don't be afraid to hire a wellness coach (cough cough- I am one) if you need accountability and guidance to get there.

I wrote this blog post to help you become aware that WEALTH does not need to be defined by your external world. Wealth can be internal happiness, peace, and abundance. So after reading this post- I hope you have some tools and strategies to start creating a WEALTHY life internally.