The Abundance Hack Capitalism Wants to Keep Top-Secret

How to manifest when you CAN'T EVEN (Harry Potter marathon optional)

Image by author, created with AI.

Is it possible to actually master your money mindset?

As in, wrestle it into submission so it doesn’t come back to haunt you at inopportune moments, like, say, your birthday?

The older I get, the more I think the answer is no.

I’ve been working on my money stories for over a decade, and still, every so often, a new layer floats up from the depths like, “Things seem good, sooooooo I’m here to piss in your Wheaties.”

The latest rerun of “How Is This Still A Thing?” featured a familiar plotline: If you want to be abundant, you have to work HARD—and constantly. Only when you’ve earned that rest can you actually lie down. Because capitalism.

So when I came home from a work trip covered in the virus my seatmate on the plane had coughed all over me and collapsed for weeks, it felt like a personal failing. My birthday came and went, and all I got was a lousy pity party. I couldn’t even muster the energy to do client work—which, you know, keeps the lights on.

All I was capable of doing was watching Daniel Radcliffe learn how to act while journeying through puberty. 🧙🏼🪄✨

I did manage a few neglected life-admin tasks—like performing Roomba surgery to diagnose its broken mop function and repotting a tragic houseplant. But I only did those things because I felt like I had to earn my right to exist for another day.

Because, obviously, one does not just lie there.

Maybe it was the magical movie marathon that caused what happened next. Or maybe it was the fact that when you listen to your body and act in alignment with it, abundance does not, in fact, dry up.

Contrary to what we’ve had rammed down our throats about how it all works, prosperity sometimes manifests not in spite of resting, but because of it.

All I know is that while I was busy feeling like a worthless slug, a wealth of blessings started pouring in. I share this list with you not to brag, but because I bet you've had a moment recently when you simply couldn't push anymore. Given the current state of affairs, that moment might be right now.

What if it’s not just okay to let yourself step off the hamster wheel when this happens, it’s actually the best thing you can possibly do?

Perhaps my little avalanche of joy hits can be a reminder to cut yourself some slack–because it’s just what the doctor ordered. Maybe my observations will help you recognize how often abundance appears in the moments you surrender.

Here goes:

The Easiest Car-Buying Experience EVER

I finally reached out to the guy my bestie’s girlfriend told me about—”the one who could help me find a truck.” I’d been putting it off for ages because purchasing a vehicle solo felt intimidating AF. The few dealers I’d talked to were either unclear on the details of their own inventory or seemed shocked I understood towing capacity while also being female.

But this guy? This guy was sunshine in human form. You could hear him smiling through the phone. He found the exact truck I wanted in a day. No upsell. No BS. He pulled strings with the fleet manager, knocked off $2K and offered to chauffeur me to the dealership two hours away. Toyota overnighted the paperwork so I could test drive, pay and bounce in 30 minutes flat.

When I went to get the cashier’s check, my banker told me she had purchased her son’s truck at the same dealership. She then waived the check fee for no apparent reason.

Free Stuff from Amazon

I needed a console cover to protect the new interior from my cat’s murder mittens. The only one that fit and would arrive before my maiden voyage was listed on Amazon. I haven’t shopped there all year—because fuck Bezos. But it turns out I had an unused gift card, plus an affiliate payout, plus credit card points I didn’t know about. The thing ended up being free, which is the only way I’ll let stuff from Amazon into my house ever again.

The “Secret Garden” Walkway of My Dreams

The gas company has been ripping up my street for all of 2025. It has only ever been a nuisance until I got a notice last week that they would have to demolish a small section of the tile in my walkway. I’m pretty sure they were bracing for a fight.

Little did they know that I have hated that section of stained, ugly tile and have long been dreaming of turning my walkway into this.

When I explained the ideal scenario to the workers, they offered to cut out a much larger section of tile and build a new flower bed to my exact specifications. 😍

IRL Community

It was so easy making friends back in my drinking days, but moving away from the city, quitting drinking and finally acknowledging that I’m an introvert has left me severely lacking in local friendships. As I was being driven to the dealership last week by two lovely humans who were discussing how much they’d like to buy houses in my area, and would I want to hang out once they do, something clicked.

So far this summer, three couples I adore have made offers on houses in my hood. Two weeks ago, friends from LA declared their intent to visit every other month, at a minimum. Since June, I’ve forged a friendship with my neighbor and another gal I met working as a volunteer for a local art festival—both of whom feel like kindreds.

All of a sudden, I realized I had gone from zero to sixty in the friend department. I simply had to stop and take notice.

The Best Affirmation

The day I admitted to my Substack readers that I was sick, grumpy and creatively tapped out, I got the kindest outpouring of support.

But here’s the kicker: I also got a new paid subscriber.

Apparently, even while wearing my so-exhausted-I’m-cranky pants, I’m still worthy of getting paid.

Which is honestly the most validating abundance of them all.

Final Thoughts

This is what happens when you stop forcing productivity out of an empty tank. In fact, I vote we quit using the word productive altogether, since it feels so laden with the ooze of hustle culture. I owe this mindset shift to

Dre Beltrami

, who brilliantly stated: “I want to get shit done, but I don’t want to be productive.”

The fact is, a big part of a healthy abundance mindset is being open to receiving. That happens when you take aligned action—even if that means tapping out and getting horizontal.

So if all you can manage right now is pillow forts and weighted blankets, you are not failing.

You are not falling behind.

The magic isn’t in doing more. It’s in trusting that sometimes you’re allowed—nay, invited—to do less.

Your turn.

What’s something that found you when you finally gave yourself a break? A tiny abundance, a cosmic wink or a total freaking windfall. Let ‘er rip in the comments.

Cheers to gathering ALL the evidence that rest = receiving.

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