3 Changes I Observed As a Child When My Parents Shifted From a Scarcity to an Abundance Mindset

Growing up, my family always had enough money to get by, but we lived paycheck to paycheck for many years. My dad was a police officer and my mom was a nurse, so while they both had great jobs, they were regular, working class careers that didn’t leave much money for extras. They did what everybody was taught to do.  By the time I turned 12, however, my parents decided they wanted more. 

My dad’s banker and friend suggested to my dad to meet up with a man he knew about a business opportunity. His friend had declined it due to a conflict of interest but he had offered a referral (to my dad) instead. Lesson one, always be asking for referrals.  I remember how much our lives changed when they started Amway. There were Success Unlimited Magazines around the house, with stories from William Clement Stone, Napoleon Hill, Earl Nightingale, Og Mandino and others. I read them all. Each of these writers talked about the secrets that unlock potential–they stated those secrets lie in the subconscious mind, and we are limited only by the limits we place on ourselves. 

Talk about a transformation. Before Amway, Mom would worry about the price of butter; we ate meals of hot dogs, tuna casserole, and liver dumplings. After? Mom and Dad were setting goals and writing them on mirrors with lipstick, hanging up vision boards, buying new cars and taking the family on vacations for the first time ever. 

It’s amazing what accepting a new idea can do for you. Just grasping that more is possible can be a big deal for a lot of people. I noticed that my parents weren’t just relaxing after work anymore. They were busy and excited, networking to build their downline and share the dream of more with others. They had a side hustle.

We are taught to go to school, get good grades, get a job and keep it. It’s a solid 40-year plan. When you accept that it’s possible to have multiple streams of income, something they don’t teach you in school, then you’re no longer bound to the limits of your chosen career. You can have your career, but you can also write a book, or moonlight with a second job, or start your own side-business. Your income potential becomes limitless. 

I watched my parents go from the regular nine to five, talking about what is, to talking about what could be, what they would love. They started dreaming.  They surrounded themselves with people who wanted more. And that’s where the shift to abundance began. Who you surround yourself with matters. They went from living to fill basic needs like shelter, food, and water to questioning what else was out there for them. What did they really want to experience? What could they give and share with others? There was a huge attitude shift and I saw firsthand what the power of a positive attitude could produce. As they dreamed, visualized, and pursued those dreams, our world opened up. 

When you shift to a positive attitude, you are embracing the law of polarity. Your attitude is your energy field. You shape energy with your attitude.  Think about it. If you are nice to someone, they are nice to you. Say something nasty to that same person and I think you know what you will get back. It’s the boomerang law. The more you look towards the positive, the more positive you attract. They moved from an “either or” attitude to an “in addition to” attitude.

I think what made my parents so successful and what kept them going was knowing they were made for more and the desire to go after it.  Once they realized it was possible, they wanted to share it with others. Instead of just thinking about what they wanted, they followed the directions of their guide and put the goal down on paper. They set goals for themselves, they created those vision boards. They knew what they wanted and believed they could achieve those things. They moved their attention away from what they did not want and onto what they did want. They jumped into action which is where the receiving happens.

When we visualize what we want repeatedly, a new idea takes root. That seed you plant creates a vibrational frequency that’s different from where you are. It’s the precognition phase. And eventually the seeds you plant will create new results. 

My parents are still selling Amway many, many years later. Watching them sparked a desire in me to sell others on the possibility of freedom, liberty, and service. I’ve been in sales for 35+ years and I’ve loved every minute of my career. And if I’m being honest, my passion for selling started when my parents started selling Amway. I watched them go through a metamorphosis when their lives that never seemed small before, started breaking wide open with endless possibilities. If I can inspire others to do the same, I have transferred the gift of possibility and potential.