Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Diamond-Studded Puppies...and all that jazz.


For all the zillions of books there are to 'learn how' to succeed, there's nary a one that tops the sound of coyotes or the crow of a rooster.

HUH?

Napoleon Hill ("Think and Grow Rich") may have been ahead of his time and Wallace D. Wattles ("The Science of Getting Rich") may have come up with his own little snippets, but for all the Rich Dad, Poor Dads out there, the one thing you can count on is that it's not about what you know, it's about how you feel.
If you happen to be remotely attuned to the whole Law of Attraction thang, you already know that "like attracts like" (contrary to the old "opposites attract" thang). If this 'law' happens to be true, then the next logical conclusion is that if you have any aversion to 'rich folk', you are not likely to attract your own wealth. You may run into some windfalls here and there, but the likelihood of your ongoing financial success (as in MORE MORE MORE) is about as likely as snow in the tropics. Ain't gonna happen.


Case in point:


I have a friend who is as talented as they come. She is an exquisite artist with a passion for her work like none other. Her work is magnificent, as is she. And every now and then she hits it big. She goes from absolute poverty to rollin' in the dough in a heartbeat. And then...back to absolute poverty again. To the point where her friends bring her groceries so she won't starve. Really. There is never any lack of financial drama. Phone gets turned off. Car gets impounded. Eviction notices. The whole shebang. Then...at the very last moment, the money comes rollin' in and she fixes all the delinquencies...until next go round. 


Luckily for her, she has a tribe that supports her, no matter what. I'll be the first to admit she's well worth it. But for the longest time we both contributed to this pattern, me by enabling, her by sitting as 'victim'. Every time something would pop up, she'd call and we'd talk it over, come up with a solution and carry on to the next challenge. This went on for years. And then...


One day, as I was listening to her rantings, I heard her say something about the "asshole rich people" who can go out and buy diamond-studded collars for their stupid Chihuahuas. She was really on a roll about how ridiculous 'they' were and how much it infuriated her. She just couldn't wrap her brain around the idea that "they're so stupid and talentless and utterly mindless jerks. How was it that these really dumb people could acquire such wealth?"


As I listened, I suddenly heard what was really going on. It hit me like a ton of bricks and it was all I could do to let her finish her rant without interrupting. When, at last, she took a breath, I offered this up:


"How do you feel at this moment? Right NOW. Do you feel that ache in your gut? Do you feel at ease? HOW DO YOU FEEL?"


She told me about her angst, and anger, and outright righteousness. She told me about her rising blood pressure and her elevated heart rate. She was as honest as she was enraged.


Then I said, "Think about this. You don't need to respond. Just let it sit for a while. Think about how you FEEL about "rich" people. Think about how it makes you feel when you think of all that money. Think about how pissed you get when you see them buying what you consider to be ridiculous stuff. How do you suppose you're EVER going to have that kind of money when the thought of it makes you feel so shitty? It's like you're telling yourself, 'yea. I want all that money but I don't want to be like them.' Total contradiction."


Maybe it's time to take a good look at how we really feel about money. Does it make us feel inferior when we don't have any? Do the people who have lots of it make us want to commit acts of violence? Does the idea of lots of money make us feel anxious and incompetent? Because if that's the stuff we feel when we think about money, ain't no way we're going to have it in any kind of abundance. No way, no how. The only way to grow the flow of dollars is to see it as what it really is: just another form of energy. You could even go so far as to say just another form of love. Really! Because money is nothing more than energy exchanged. If your energy is averse to that exchange, you're going to dangle by a thread for the rest of your human experience. If you see it for what it truly is, you're going to allow the flow of that energy to wash you in more than you could ever spend. If you don't believe this, just take a look at where you are. Take a day or five to really pay attention to how you feel when the subject of money comes up. Any semblance of aversion to wealth and the wealthy is going to stop that flow before it even begins. Once you clean that crap out, you're on your way to whatever it is you most desire. It sounds easy, but it may be more of a challenge than you can guess. Mostly because of old patterns. And how we feel about what we deserve. And...the old proverbial fear of success (not fear of failure!). 


So what's all this have to do with coyotes and roosters? The way they make me feel. Whenever I hear their voices, I feel like I hit the jackpot. I feel like there is a wealth of life-giving energy surrounding me. In short, those sounds make me feel rich. They make me feel like the wealthiest person alive. They make me giggle my ass off. AND they completely eliminate any thoughts of lack. These are the feelings that promote more of my own wealth. These are the things that confirm what I know: it's not about what I don't have...it's about what I do (have)...and the utter appreciation for all of it. 


I once heard J.K. Rowling say that money merely afforded her nicer clothes and more freedom. Freedom to do the things she enjoys and help loads of other people who are not yet so blessed. Money is freedom.


You don't have to believe a single word. All you have to do is look in the mirror and be honest with yourself. You'll hear your truth. And then...you can go out and buy a diamond studded collar and giggle your way home.

2 comments:

terri st. cloud said...

nice post, cams.......

Unknown said...

Ms JOY,

In case you didn't know, you are one of THE smartest cookies on Planet Earth and even the Universe.

Reading your insightful and wise, comical and pointed pieces just makes me feel so ALIVE, girl.

Boy, do you sprinkle joy all over OR WHAT?

Hugs
Mother Connie