How chocolate covered almonds became a defining moment in my life

Back when I lived in lack and scarcity thinking, I created a particularly difficult summer for my family. We had no money in savings, no credit card to use as a “cushion” and my seasonal job had ended so we had very little income during the summer.

To cut costs I decided we’d drink water instead of milk, only allowing milk to be used on cereal at breakfast, we’d eat very little meat (it was so expensive!) and spend the summer living on pancakes, waffles, eggs, homemade biscuits and canned cream soups. I even started making my own bread so we wouldn’t have to spend $2 on a loaf at the store. (And while homemade bread is fantastic, the reason behind the homemade bread was steeped in fear and scarcity. Method of procedure is crucial to creating miracles.)

Before I cut all the “fun” out of food, Jeremy and I used to get a small bag of chocolate covered almonds from the bulk section of the grocery store as a small treat for us when we’d go shopping every week.

You can imagine that this treat was the first thing on the Do Not Buy list.

Somehow we got through that lean summer without any catastrophes, and when my seasonal job started up again, I “caved” and allowed us to get a small bag of chocolate covered almonds one week. I remember looking at the receipt and telling Jeremy, “Let’s see what the damage those almonds did.”

Want to know the damage? $1.83.

It literally stopped me in my tracks. I looked at the receipt again and told my husband, “You mean, I’ve been denying us the joy of some chocolate covered almonds so we could save less than $2.00? You’ve got to be kidding me!”

That was a defining moment for me.

That was when it finally struck home that I’d made life so much harder than it needed to be simply because of my fear. I felt embarrassed at my behavior all summer, and right there decided that, no matter what our income level was, I would find ways to not only feel abundant, but I would also share that abundance with others. (I’d heard that gratitude and generosity were the way to abundance. And they absolutely are!)

We still had to eat on the cheap, but when we had pancakes, I made sure we spent $2.50 and got a package of sausage to go with it, to prove to myself and declare to the universe that we were abundant.

My kids love milk, so I lifted the milk ban and trusted we’d be able to afford more than 2 gallons a week.

I started the mantra, “I can afford to be generous” and donated $2 extra to my church, and put an extra $1 in the tip jar when we’d go get a burger. (Eating out here and there was allowed when my seasonal job started up again.)

Though nothing outward happened for several months, inner changes happened within a few weeks.

I began to feel lighter, more grateful, and more trusting. I could breathe easier and didn’t feel like I was constantly choking inside. Inner changes MUST proceed outer changes if you’re going to hold onto the physical form of abundance. I allowed small things to be my declaration that I was on my path to prosperity!

Now, much larger “things” proclaim that I’m on my prosperity path, like new cars, a Disney time share, and a new addition on our house planned for later this year or early next. I grew into those larger things.

But it started with chocolate covered almonds and $1 tips.

What will your declaration be? Getting flowers “just because”? A new purse or pair of jeans that feels a little stretchy but make you feel prosperous when you see them? Maybe you’re in a financial position that it CAN be a new car, like it was for us a few years ago. Maybe it’s a great piece of art.

Just make sure it FEELS expansive in you, and even though it might make you feel a little stretched initially, as long as it doesn’t create feelings of panic or constriction in you (we want to experience expansion, not fear with your prosperity), it counts!

And if it’s a small bag of chocolate covered almonds, just know that it can pave your path to miracles.