What is holding you back from experiencing greater abundance in your life?

Abundance in love.

Abundance in friendship.

Abundance in opportunity, prosperity, money, and financial stability.

You are no different from the people you see living happy, successful, and abundant lives. You are just as capable. You are just as deserving. So why does it sometimes feel as though you are still struggling to move forward?

I believe that before we can create something new in our lives, we often have to make peace with what came before it. There may be old beliefs, fears, disappointments, habits, or experiences that we are still carrying with us. And sometimes, without even realizing it, those old patterns continue to influence the choices we make today.

If you want to create a new reality, you first have to recognize what may be holding you back and begin the process of releasing it.

Think about your own life. How many times have you started something only to walk away before it was completed? How many times have you tried something and decided you simply couldn't do it?

How often have you caught yourself thinking:

~I can't do this.

~It will never work.

~No one will come.

~No one will buy.

~I'm going to fail.

You might be surprised by how many people have these same thoughts. These are often referred to as habitual thinking patterns; thoughts we have repeated so many times that they begin to feel automatic. Habitual thinking isn't necessarily bad. We all have mental patterns. The important question is: What are you repeatedly thinking about? Are your thoughts supporting the life you want to create or reinforcing the fears and limitations you are trying to leave behind?

So, what can you do?

The simple answer is: Take control of your mind.

The difficult answer is also: Take control of your mind.

Your mind is constantly thinking, analyzing, judging, questioning, and interpreting what is happening around you. Much of that internal conversation takes place without you even noticing it.

Then suddenly a thought appears:

~You're not good enough.

~This isn't going to work.

~Why even try?

~And you wonder, where did that come from?

The first step toward changing those thoughts is becoming aware of them. The second is intentionally creating new ones. Changing your thought patterns takes practice. It requires consistency, repetition, awareness, and a willingness to believe that something different is possible. It also takes time. You are not going to undo years of habitual thinking overnight.

Instead, I would like to invite you to begin a simple practice. Over the next several months, we will work through a series of steps designed to help you recognize limiting thoughts, release what no longer serves you, and begin creating new patterns centered around possibility, confidence, prosperity, and abundance.

Step One: The 30-Day Abundance Breathing Practice. For the next 30 days, begin your morning with five quiet minutes dedicated entirely to yourself.

Find a peaceful place in your home where you can sit comfortably and without interruption.

~Close your eyes.

~Take a deep breath.

~Allow your body to relax.

~Take another breath. And another.

Simply notice yourself breathing.

Now begin breathing with intention.

Slowly breathe in through your nose for a count of four.

One… two… three… four.

Then slowly breathe out through your mouth for a count of four.

One… two… three… four.

Continue this rhythm for several breaths.

When you feel relaxed, begin adding an intention to your breathing.

As you inhale through your nose for a count of four, quietly say to yourself:

~I breathe in wealth, prosperity, and abundance.

As you slowly exhale through your mouth for a count of four, say:

~I release poverty, frustration, fear, and self-doubt.

Inhale: I breathe in wealth, prosperity, and abundance.

Exhale: I release poverty, frustration, fear, and self-doubt.

Continue this practice for five minutes and do it every morning for 30 days.

Don't worry about doing it perfectly. The purpose is to begin teaching your mind to recognize a different possibility—to consciously shift your attention away from limitation and toward abundance.

Notice what comes up.

Notice the thoughts you have.

Notice the resistance.

Notice the changes.

Most importantly, notice the way you begin speaking to yourself. As this is only the beginning. Small shifts in thought, practiced consistently, can begin creating very different patterns in the way we see ourselves, our opportunities, and our lives.

Breathe in abundance.

Release what no longer serves you.

And begin making room for something new.

And as you move through your 30-day journey, share your experience with us. We would love to hear what you discover along the way.