Recently, our apartment lease was up for renewal. It came by surprise that our rent was going up by almost 10 percent, or hundreds of dollars each month.

Not only is our rent high to begin with—relative to the fact that one could have 3 mortgages for the price where I grew up…it’s an amount that just years ago, would have felt like a huge burden to cover.

As a side note: a combination of hard work resulting in success and privilege means we’ll be just fine. And I have a tendency to revert back to scarcity thinking if I’m not careful.

So I chose to see the situation differently.

Instead of taking a small, microscopic view that felt restrictive and reactive—I blew it up, expanded it for a bigger picture snapshot of what my greater wisdom knows to be true.

Because this is just a small stepping stone in preparation.

For starters, our future home will likely have a mortgage double or triple what we pay now.

And this increase is a sign of our growth in the direction of our dreams. Increase can feel uncomfortable. If it didn’t, you wouldn’t be growing. And growing is what we are here to do.

Onward and upward, always. In earnings, expenses, savings, giving and investments.

Because that’s the way life gets to work for you, if you choose it. Said from a small town girl from farm country, PA.

Just in case you’re dealing with a situation that feels hard and this helps, even just slightly.

Because one insight can change everything…