Years ago, I decided was done with the constant stinginess about myself. I wanted to manifest a better life for myself with all the little luxuries. But I was in debt, didn’t make enough money to finance the life of my dreams. I had big dreams but I was too much of a realist as well, knowing that some things just come with a certain price tag.
This is why I started this blog. After years of struggle, I finally figured out how to “have it all”, both the things as well as the money for the things.
Luxeconomist was created for those who -like me- like the finer things in life. However, I know that the personal finance industry is all about saving money and living frugally.
So how do you marry these two? How can you look and feel your best all the time, create the life you want without jeopardizing your financial life?
Let Go of the Old
In order to uplevel your life, you need to shed your old self. It sounds drastic, but at some point, you need to acknowledge that your old you, including your home, wardrobe and limiting beliefs is not serving you anymore. They need to go to make space for something better.
A tangible way to let go of your old self is to declutter your life. As I have mentioned many times before, decluttering is a way of creating space in your life, a physical manifestation of your decision to part with your old identity.
Declutter your mind, your home, your closet and every area where you want something better. Every time I feel stuck or want something good to come into my life, I declutter some part of my life. And it proves true every single time. Good things happen when we decide to let go of the old. Often, we want to attract and create a better life, but we are too attached to the status quo. Your brain loves the familiar, so it can be very hard. Change is painful sometimes. For something to change, you need to change first.
In a way, letting go of the past is letting go of a part of you. But in order to grow and create something new, you need to leave your old self behind and start over, better.
A Dream Life isn’t Built in a Day
We want it all, and we want it now. However, life is a journey and not everything will happen at once. As mentioned, we grow mentally and physically into the person we want to become.
The magic behind upleveling your life is that you can do it in baby steps. You can change one thing at a time. That’s how I did it and still do.
Change your job. Update your wardrobe. Move or replace something in your home.
It is a myth that these areas are separate. Life does not happen in silos. When you lose weight, start working out more or update your closet, you will notice that you feel so much better about yourself, showing up more confidently, thus doing a better job at work, getting a promotion or meet the man of your dreams because you stop living in the hiding.
When you create a beautiful home, you might enjoy your downtime more, reading an inspiring book and just be more relaxed, which will make you more productive.
Our life is made of many moving parts. Once you change something in one area, or make a tiny change in your life like eating better, or stop wearing your worn out PJs and invest in a beautiful silk sleepwear, you did something for yourself that will reflect into all other areas in your life.
It’s All About Energy
How you show up for yourself is unconsciously noticed by others. We emit a certain energy at all times, so for others to perceive you a certain way or notice you, you first need to change something in you and around you.
Looking back, I believe I missed out on many opportunities in my career because I did not show up as the person I needed to be, including how I dressed. It might sound superficial, but I showed up as wallflower, thinking others will be able to see my potential and that wearing the perfect outfit every day is overrated. I didn’t value myself, so others didn’t either.
As the saying goes “Dress for the job you want, not the one you have.” That applies to everything in your life. Become the person who has XYZ first, and the universe catches up.
For something good to happen or manifesting something into your life, you need to shift your energy. This is not woo-woo stuff.
Whether we get what we want is determined by our own self-worth and whether YOU believe that you deserve it. This has nothing to do with selfish entitlement. So many feel shameful and guilty for wanting more and feel there is something wrong with it, so they keep sabotaging themselves into never getting anywhere.
When your mindset circles around the belief that you should not want it or that it means something negative about you to want it, then you will keep pushing it away. From my own experience, I always wanted more money or better clothes but due to my Christian upbringing I felt so much shame and guilt around it, that I unconsciously was denying myself to ever get anywhere or have anything.
Value Yourself
What many people struggle with, is the money area. You cannot be super stingy about yourself and expect your life to change overnight.
You need to show the universe that you want and deserve better by treating yourself accordingly.
The secret behind having everything you desire, in essence, is allowing yourself to have it. This is why the hyper-frugal lifestyle is so problematic. When you deny yourself everything, this is the message that you keep sending out to the universe:
“I don’t deserve to live like this.”
“Buying clothes is financially irresponsible.”
“I need to get out of debt before I can have XYZ.”
There is nothing wrong with budgeting and paying off debt, but when you live like you are barely scraping by, this is exactly what you will attract more of. (Read my post on abundant budgeting here).
You cannot save your way into abundance. It doesn’t mean you have to spend all your money either.
You Are Made for More, and You Can Have It.
Once you acknowledge that you are made for more and deserve better, take action on it and start upleveling your life one tiny piece at a time, you will create the life you want eventually.
I surely happened to me like that. I created my life to what it is now. I started with getting rid of everything that I did not want anymore, upgraded one thing at a time, and attracted the man of dreams, got admitted to my dream university for my MBA, got the job I wanted, the house ,… the list goes on.
Upleveling your life in one area has a ripple effect on all other areas. Be patient with yourself but stay determined.
Be clear on what you want and move towards it one step at a time.
I created the life of my dreams, and you can, too.
What do you want to upgrade in your life?
More resources:
How to Budget with an Abundant Mindset
Such a wonderful post that gives me a positive vibe just by reading all these wisdom advices.
Thank you!