Invoices For Blessings Already Received!

          They say it usually takes a small business at least 5 years before it can start to really see consistent growth and sustainable profit. I’m an entrepreneur and have been for the past 4+ yrs – I own my medical practice here in Nashville, TN. I faced many financial challenges in the first couple of years of my practice including a large majority of that time, not being able to pay myself a salary. Ask any entrepreneur you know and I’m almost certain that will tell you something very similar about their experience lol!

          I have some great mentors, including my parents who are both entrepreneurs, and knew because of their advice to expect some financial strain in the beginning. However, at one point I started to get really aggravated by my bills….yes, aggravated! Every time I looked around there were unexpected bills popping up – state taxes, federal taxes, Professional Privilege Tax (yes – that really is a tax here in the state of Tennessee that taxes me for being a Doctor!).

The more the bills came in, the more I complained and complained…….and complained!

I always prayed that God would make a way for each and every bill to be paid and He always showed up and the bills would be paid. However, every time one would come, I would start fussing again lol!

          One day in the course of the daily reading that I do on Twitter and Facebook, I started coming across article after article about money management that somehow encouraged me to start looking at money differently! Instead of complaining every time a bill came in the mail, I started being thankful that I’m doing something I want to do or have something I want to have that results in a bill coming in the mail for it as compensation!

           I have a cable bill because I get to enjoy unlimited cable every month. I have business taxes to pay because I am blessed to own a business that creates income for myself and my future. I had (Thank God for the blessing of it being totally paid off!) a car payment to make because I am blessed to drive a nice, comfortable, reliable car!

            You see, when I re-named my bills  “Invoices for Blessings already received” things started changing in my life! My income started increasing and I had more money available to pay the bills – taking away the negativity I was associating with them in the first place!

            Money is Spiritual. I know…you may have never thought of it that way! When I talk about money being spiritual with people for the first time I often get “You know, I never thought of it that way!” comments or the opposite, blank stares (lol) until I explain it further!

            You block the flow of money when you approach it from a place of lack and scarcity. You increase the flow of money when you appreciate the money you already have (even if it’s not as much as you want or think you need) and become a good steward over it. You want to know why??? Check this out:

Because Little Becomes Much in God’s Hands!!!!

Starting today I want you to literally write on the top of every bill that you get and feel negatively about this phrase:

“This Bill is an Invoice for a BLESSING Already Received!”

Moreover, it’s not enough to just say it….you must really feel grateful for the blessing already received!

This practice has totally changed the way I deal with and handle money and I hope it does for you too!

         Dr. Carmen April is an entrepreneur and community leader recognized as a 2014 Nashville Emerging Leader Award (NELA) Winner, a 2013 Nashville Business Journal Top 40 Under Forty Award Recipient and is a 2014 Graduate of the New Leaders Council Institute – Nashville Chapter. She is available for speaking engagements on Entrepreneurship and Life Leadership for College Students and Young Professionals.

You can follow her daily #Leadership insights on Twitter @DrCarmenApril