Richness is a state of mind & you can be it now

The richest I’ve ever felt in my life was on a simple afternoon walk with my dog. The sun was glimmering between the trees on a perfect summer evening and I felt the most overwhelming sense of gratitude for being alive and experiencing that single moment. It had nothing to do with the number in my bank account – in fact I was actually in the midst of making literally $0. And yet, I felt with every cell in my body that I had absolutely everything I could ever need. I felt intensely rich. Rich in love. Rich in companionship. Rich in nature. Rich in possibility.

When you focus on seeing richness instead of lack, not only does your mind start to see it everywhere but life finds a way to keep giving it to you. It’s the best self-fulfilling prophecy you can participate in – and not just for your sake, but also for the sake of everyone else around you. I believe so fully that being rich is a state of mind that ironically has nothing to do with money and today, I’m diving into how I trained my brain to see it everywhere (& how you can too).

“I can’t feel rich because I don’t have everything I want!” If you’re reading this, that means you’re on a computer or smartphone and are connected to WiFi. That immediately makes you wealthier than roughly 90% of the world. Let that one sink in and get back to me! It’s about perspective and adjusting what richness even means to you in the first place. Because if you have the capacity to see lack, you have the capacity to see rich. Everyone has this capacity equally. The sun doesn’t shine harder on people who look at it. It shines the same on everyone. You just have to turn your head toward it and feel the warmth.

In order to feel rich, you have to identify the things in your life that make that sense of abundance absolutely inescapable. Take a moment to reflect or journal on what those things actually are. They might not be the same for you but a few of mine are: my most cherished relationships and friendships, my sense of freedom, my access to resources, the deep sense of love and connection I feel to everything that unfolds around me. I could go on forever honestly. My rich list is LONG.

What is most important is to find things that are authentically rich to you and your unique life. Things that are true to this moment here and now. For example, you might not feel deeply rich in partnership right now, and that’s okay. But maybe you do feel deeply rich in friendship or community or motherhood. The point is to find the things that make your heart shimmer. Like it grows 3x and you can feel it in your toes when you think about it. Things that inspire a deep sense of gratitude in your body. Those are the things that are YOUR sense of richness.

Considering what these things are makes you more aware of them. Once you’re aware of them, it’s much easier to sustain your focus on all of your riches instead of the lack.

One of the best things I’ve done is to think of my own mind as if it’s a literal toddler. It gets very easily distracted. Quickly throws tantrums. Only to bounce back 30 seconds later as if it never happened. The commotion in your mind isn’t something to get lost in – it’s not even you. This is exactly where the lack starts to seep in through the cracks.

Being still and finding the thoughtless space in between is the best method for improving your sense of focus. It takes time and consistency to build, but just start with 5 minutes of stillness and see what happens to your ability to direct your attention on what makes you feel rich instead of what makes you feel less than.

Think of it as a game throughout your day. When you find yourself getting tied up in the lack or commotion of your mind, simply notice it. Just say, “oh – there it goes again” and let go of whatever you were taking hold of. Come back to your inner riches. Over and over and over again. Just start small. Pepper in little moments of remembering whenever you can. “Oh yes, that’s right. I am so rich in this and that and the other thing.” Do this all the time. In the shower. On your walks. In the morning when it’s quiet and before you go to bed. During the lull of a conversation. Your sense of focus will slowly release the lack. Soon, there will only be rich.

Just deciding to feel rich now (despite all of the reasons you might feel otherwise) is a possibility for everyone. I wrote about this a few months ago, but it still holds deeply true for me:

“Being rich isn’t somewhere far away from you that you have to figure out how to get to. Being rich is already within you. You just have to decide to see it and be it. Embrace the parts of you that are already rich, if not monetarily. Inevitably with consistency and belief in your wholeness, you will start to see how truly rich you already are.”

Richness isn’t somewhere far away from you. Richness IS you. It is your true nature, this is just your journey back to remembering that truth.

Your sustained and consistent attention to these thoughts and feelings is the only way to realize your true richness. The see-saw, hot-cold, yes-no, I am or I am not – causes turmoil in your mind and the results reflected in your life will also mirror your own confusion. Just decide to let it all go and be consistent with the belief that you are truly rich right now in this very moment. Your capacity to hold onto it will expand as you consistently believe it.

For me, that looks like:

• Being still as consistently as possible

• Existing in the thoughtless space

• Journaling to release limiting beliefs that come up

• Affirmations that help me to remember my richness

Make no mistake: this is WORK! It is work to hold onto this belief. The world around us has architected every reason to make it hard to do so. There’s a constant stream of happenings designed to pull you away. Just do your best to commit and recommit when you stray – it’s a journey that gives you back what you put into it.

I appreciate you so much. Thanks for being here. New posts drop every Wednesday.

Until then, you can find me on Strava, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn. Join my Hudson Valley RUN CLUB! Shop my favorites here and here. For collaborations, partnerships or to work together, send me a note at kristinearocho@gmail.com.

And since you made it this far, congrats! You won a recent Otis photo below. See you next week!