Growing up across various households in the South, from Picayune, Mississippi, to Galveston, Texas, and New Orleans, money was always a source of anxiety for me. The belief that there was never enough, that acquiring it was arduous, and often involved unsavory means, was deeply ingrained in my upbringing. Even my birthday money wasn’t safe from theft within my own family. I was living with a poverty mindset without even realizing it.
However, during my time working on the Wendy Williams Movie, I was confronted with a harsh truth: I had internalized this scarcity mentality to the extent that it was hindering my growth and happiness. It took a pointed conversation with Morocco, who astutely observed that I was clinging to money out of fear rooted in a poverty mentality, to jolt me into action. It was a wake-up call that I desperately needed.
I had been driving the same fully paid-off 2009 Hyundai Sonata for almost seven years, rationalizing my reluctance to invest in a new car with excuses about avoiding a car payment or simply being content with what I had. But Morocco’s perspective shifted my mindset. He made me realize that I deserved better, and that I was worth investing in myself.
So, after nearly three years of deliberation, I finally bought a new car. And let me tell you, it felt liberating. What’s more, donating my old car to two former students in need brought immense joy and fulfillment. It was a symbolic act of breaking free from the chains of scarcity and embracing abundance.
Escaping the poverty mindset wasn’t an overnight process. It required consistent effort and a daily commitment to reprogramming my thoughts. I started my mornings journaling affirmations of abundance and prosperity, reaffirming that my wealth grows and that I am a capable steward of my finances. Books like Florence Scovel Shinn’s “The Game of Life and How to Play It” and “The Soul of Money” played a crucial role in reshaping my relationship with money.
As we embark on the journey into 2024, I am committed to reinforcing affirmations that banish thoughts of scarcity and lack from my mind. I invite you to join me in exploring these affirmations and discovering which ones resonate most with you. Together, let’s embrace a mindset of abundance and prosperity.
With love and best wishes for the year ahead,
xoxo,
CP
