This week’s question from our portal “Ask Us Anything” comes from Kathy:
I have a client who’s not paying on time and it’s creating cash flow issues for my business. I’ve been working on my abundance mindset and not focusing on lack, but I also need to handle this situation. How do I address it without getting into a scarcity mentality?
Having an abundance mindset doesn’t mean being a doormat. It doesn’t mean letting people take advantage of you.
Here’s what you do: You have a direct conversation about the payment. You enforce your agreements. You set clear boundaries.
That’s not scarcity thinking. That’s self-respect.
Scarcity thinking would be: “Oh no, if I push them on this they might leave and I’ll lose the revenue and I can’t afford that.” That’s making decisions from fear of loss.
Abundance thinking is: “I have an agreement with this client. They’re not honoring it. I’m going to address it directly. And if they choose to leave because I’m enforcing our agreement, that’s fine. Someone better will show up.”
See the difference? Abundance thinking doesn’t mean tolerating poor behavior. It means knowing your worth, enforcing your boundaries, and trusting that the right clients will respect both.
Have the conversation. Be direct. Be professional. But be firm. And if they don’t get right with the agreement, you have a decision to make about whether you want to continue working with someone who doesn’t honor their commitments.
Abundance mindset means you know there are plenty of good clients out there who will pay on time and respect your agreements. You don’t need to hold onto the ones who don’t.
