Recently, and quite often, I’ve found myself fearing the loss of money. It creeps in every time I spend, even as little as ₹100. The justification also seems logical: expenses are mounting, and income hasn’t started flowing yet.
To add to this, my bank reminds me of the dwindling balance like an overly enthusiastic alarm clock; via SMS, app notifications, emails, and, just in case I missed those, a “friendly” call from my relationship manager.
To be fair, I’m working on my startup mindfully. I had planned for this lean phase. I spend only on essentials. Call it disciplined. Minimalist. Even borderline miserly… all apply.
But here’s the thing, despite being aware and prepared, the fear has been growing stronger. I found myself starting to avoid looking at my bank balance altogether. That’s when I knew: this wasn’t just money-stress. It was becoming paranoia.
And paranoia is tricky. It’s a double-edged sword. You fear losing something that was never really yours to keep (because if money was permanent, why have an economy?). And you fear a loss that hasn’t even happened yet (in my case, becoming bankrupt in imagination).
I had to interrupt this thought pattern and needed to rewrite my mental script about money.
That script? It’s a mantra… a tiny ritual.
The solution I found wasn’t complicated. This simple mantra has made a remarkable difference over the past few weeks.
Now, whenever I spend money, whether through UPI, card, or cash, I silently and sincerely recite:
“It served me well. May it bring you satisfaction and peace.”
This post-transaction mantra has been transformative, and it “breaks the script”.
It’s a result of applying a deep self-diagnostic question that you too can explore through the Mindful Productivity skill called Hero’s Voice.
This thinking rewires the moment of spending. From anxiety to release. From hoarding to circulation. From fear to flow.
Nikhil Kabadi 