Let’s be real: things are more expensive right now.
Many of us are carrying a persistent, high-level fear about what’s coming next. And that fear? It’s not overreacting.
The decisions being made by our current administration have caused the stock market to drop dramatically. The economy feels volatile, and it’s impossible to know what’s coming around the next corner.
In this environment, our nervous systems are constantly on alert. We’re being pushed to react, over and over again—trying to protect ourselves from the next hit. But reacting from fear is not the same as choosing from power.
This is when one of the foundational Abundance Bound principles—what we call the Power Cycle—comes fully into effect.
When the world feels out of control, many of us fall into what we call the Pain Cycle:
avoiding the numbers,
shutting down,
spending impulsively,
or freezing entirely.
This is a completely human response. But it doesn’t serve us.
The Power Cycle invites something different. It calls us to take financial actions based on information, not emotion.
To pause.
To look clearly.
To act with intention.
And while there’s plenty we can’t control right now, there are still important decisions within our control. That’s where our energy and focus need to go.
One of the conversations we’re having inside the Financial Empowerment Program is about spending—not from a place of suffering or lack, but from a place of seeking maximum flexibility and resilience.
Instead of asking:
What do I have to give up?
We can ask:
What are the choices I can make that support my ability to weather this season—without losing my sense of purpose, joy, or agency?
This means reevaluating what fullness in life actually looks like.
It means separating our quality of life from the things we’re able to buy.
And it means trusting that simplifying doesn’t mean shrinking.
This is not about austerity or punishment. It’s about empowerment.
It’s about staying grounded in what matters most and making space to respond—rather than react.
Yes, it’s a turbulent time. But that doesn’t mean you are powerless.
Let’s keep choosing from power.
Let’s keep choosing each other.
Let’s keep building lives rooted in clarity, courage, and care.
