Simply a Matter of Energy

Money is energy. It comes in many forms. Coins, paper, oil, gold, beads, live stock, food, and some others that I shan't name since they make my stomach hurt. But all in all, money is simply energy. Let's just say this is "truth" for the sake of this missive and not get ourselves all riled up over semantics. So....

If money is energy and our energy is somehow not a "match" to whatever currency we use, then it won't find its way to us. Believe me when I tell you, this truth has been quite a challenge for me; it remains such today, Me thinks, because I've still not managed to embrace this Truth. In short, I still have some issues. For the sake of all those who are in shortage, I'm going to offer this up (for both you and myself!):

Whenever you see/meet someone with lots of money, what is your first feeling? Like if you see someone with a car that costs more than a house or a ring that could buy a house, or some super-expensive shoes, or whatever, what is the very first emotion you experience? 

Is it anger? Envy? Rage? Disdain? Loathing? Do you immediately judge them? Do you want to walk up to them and holler hateful things? Or hit them over the head and scream your outrage at their "foolish spending"? Or tell them what that money could have done for the "needy"?

Or do you feel happiness for their success? Do you look at them and think, "Well good for you! I think it's utterly fabulous that you are able to lavish such things on yourself! Bravo!"

{First aside: stop for a moment and breathe please. Just BREATHE. I'm not here to preach. Merely to sway your perspective, if only a smidge."

Here is what I believe to be true thus far: whenever I "see money" and allow myself to feel joy for that person, the feeling that ensues (after the joy) is that of relief. Yes. I said relief. Because once upon a time I took great issue with "rich folks". I'm pretty sure I got that from my Dad. But that's a whoooole 'nother story for another day. Fact is, my Pops had great rage towards those with "more than enough". And I grew up with that energy. So it's no small surprise that it took me so long to see that his attitude toward "rich people" was pretty much the one I carried with me. I was envious and hateful. I was enraged that such stupid people could be so wealthy. I thought it was unfair. There were so many unpleasant emotions around money. Even when I was making a very good wage, it seemed I never had enough. Horrible. Horrible. Horrible.

But then something happened. I began to see that these feelings were really not close to a "match" for what I truly do believe money is about. The more I explored this, the better I began to feel. Hence the feeling of 'relief'. I was no longer enraged by their wealth; rather, I began to feel joy for them. I began to see that even very wealthy people have troubles and fears and failings they might prefer to avoid. I could finally understand that it wasn't about luck or brains (or the lack thereof) or talent. It was/is simply a matter of matching energies. Those people figured it out. Sure, some of them may have had a jump on the game by being born into a wealthy family or some such. But for the most part, I truly do believe that you don't have to be born into it. There are millions of examples of folks who made their own way, even coming from the most horrific backgrounds. The first example is, of course, Miss Oprah. You don't have to like her. But she is a great example of how someone can come from "nothing" and make a grand life for themselves. 

{Second aside: time to take another breath. Leave your feelings toward Oprah out of it. BREATHE.}

One of the very best (and funnest) practices I now employ is to rejoice the wealth right to the person living it. When I see a super cool car (that I know cost a small fortune), I honk my horn and give them a big thumbs up. If I see someone wearing something especially beautiful, I take the time to compliment them. Whenever or wherever I am, when I am met with "wealth", I appreciate it. And I always, ALWAYS feel good doing it. It wasn't authentic at first. I kinda faked my way to those feelings. But now, after practicing for so long, those feelings are authentic. I really do appreciate their success. And here's the best part:

Even though I've not yet had a huge surge of money flow into my own life, I am far less anxious about it (money, that is), giving way to feeling better in general. Because I'm not stressing about it, my body is responding in a most positive way. So is my head. I find more things to appreciate and hardly ever notice those things that would have annoyed me before. I also find that when I am in dire need, somehow or other that money shows up. Sometimes it comes from friends or family. Sometimes it comes by way of a small job or service I provide. Sometimes it comes in the form of not having to pay for what I am in need of at that particular moment. No matter how it comes, it always does. The more I practice, the better it works. All because I shifted my feelings about money and those who have tons of it.

I don't yet know where it's going to come from. But I do know this: somewhere in this vast Universe there is a ginormous pile of money with my name on it. The day is coming when I will have more than I could ever spend. And when that day arrives, I will know that it was merely a matter of lining up my own energies to such perfection that there was no way that money could not come. 

"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one...."

{Last aside: don't be a hater. I know he was talking about peace. It just so happens it fits here too.}

On an ending note: if you're still holding a grudge against those who have more than you think is fair, perhaps you might like to adjust your perspective just a little bit. Perhaps you might fake your way to feeling joy for their success. Perhaps, one day sooner than you thought possible, your pile of money will make its way to you. And then you will see that it was, in truth, simply a matter of (your) ENERGY.

And then, you can roll around in it and rejoice in your own lavishly ridiculous way.

The funny thing about money...

Money is a funny thing. When you've got a bunch, you don't think about it. At all. It's there and you know it's there and you just go about your business, with nary a lacking thought. You're free to spend your energies on other things. You might even take it for granted. It is, after all, "only money".

If, on the other hand, you don't have any or you don't have "enough", it is at the forefront of your every thought. You worry about it. You fret over the simplest things you need. You obsess to the point of making yourself ill. It is a most insidious demon, ever present, ever terrorizing.

It used to infuriate me to hear people (with lots of money) say, "it's only money". I would think to myself (and sometimes even say aloud) "Yea. Wonder how you'd feel about it if you didn't have a dime." I despised them for their nonchalant attitudes. I dreamed up schemes to take it from them. (Although I never followed through with such schemes. Mostly because I have always believed in the karmic effect.) Somehow those schemes made me feel a little better...just thinking about making them suffer. NOT a time in my life I am proud of. Happily, those days are gone...and so are the attitudes I held about "the wealthy".

At some point I realized that my relationship with money stemmed from my dad's rantings about "rich people". He was quite bitter about his own lack, and made it clear to us (his children) that rich people had done something "bad" to have what they had. "They're all a bunch of crooks." I suppose he learned this attitude from his own parents. Or maybe from the environs in which he grew up. Either way, he was pretty hateful toward those "with" and made it clear that he had no desire to be among them. Defense mechanism? Probably. In the end, I'm quite certain it was one of the things that led to his demise. Too much bitterness over too much time. Very sad indeed.

It took me a while to see all this with clear eyes. I didn't even realize I held those beliefs until someone, who was a total stranger (but as kind as they come) pointed it out. She told me that until I made peace with what money "really was", I would never have any semblance of abundance. It shocked me when she said it. Mostly because she didn't "know" me...and her awareness of my discomfort on the subject took me by surprise. But I knew she was correct; the moment she said it, I knew in my gut that she'd hit on something very important to my own well-being and my moving past those limiting beliefs.

One of the things she said during that conversation was, "Money is simply another form of love. Think about it this way: you see something you want. You give money in exchange for that thing. That thing could be an object or a service or simply a place to call home. Whatever it is, you exchange the cash for the having of whatever it is. All material things, including money, are manifestations of energy. Energy is love. Love is energy. Money, then, is simply a form of love." At first I thought that was a pretty big stretch. Money is a form of love??? Just couldn't wrap my brain around it. But it stayed with me, like a teeny sliver of wood under you fingernail, sort of festering until I couldn't stand it any longer. Time for the tweezers.

When I finally came 'round to looking at it from a different perspective, I realized she was dead on right. She was simply trying to show me another vantage point when she used that analogy. She was trying, in her kind and gentle way, to urge me to leave my dad's baggage behind and make my own trunk full of treasure. She could feel my unease...and she saw my "potential" with clearer eyes than I ever had. She was sharing the love in more ways than one (she happened to be the owner of a store and bought a bunch of my Zen Gardens that day; made for one hell of a 'sale')

Now, all these years later, her words still ring in my head. But today, it is not because of my own lack; it is because I see one of my closest friends going through what I was going through when this kind woman spoke those words. She is as talented as they come, also with a huge heart. But she has a very nasty attitude about "rich people". She hates them for their lavish spending. But it is those very people who can "afford" to buy her precious pieces. Without them, and all their money, she'd be starving. It is the epitome of a "love-hate" relationship. I have tried to share what that woman shared with me. I've tried to persuade her to find her way past the envy so that she may open the doors for her own wealth to flow. Still, she fights it. She just can't wrap her brain around the concept of "money=love". I know why. And I know that until she steers herself clear of her current attitude about money and the people who have (lots of) it, she'll never achieve the financial abundance she so desires.

It kind of boils down to this: whatever you focus on, you're going to get more of. When people say "the Law of Attraction" doesn't work, it is because they do not yet understand one of the most fundamental parts of the Law. That is, "that which is like unto itself, is drawn". If you want money but focus on the lack of it, you're not going to get anywhere (in getting more money). You're going to stay right where you are: in a place of lack. If, on the other hand, you take money out of the equation entirely (WHUT?!) and simply focus on all the things you do have in abundance, then you are in a state of allowing...allowing more abundance in all its many forms. This, too, was a bit of an eye-opener for me. The first time I heard "take money out of the equation", I thought they were kidding around. "Wait a minute! I just said I want more money. What do you mean 'take money out of the equation'???" Turns out, that is precisely the way it works. You cannot "get" if you are focused on the lack of whatever it is you're wanting to "get". As crazy as that sounds, it is absolutely true. And the sooner you can wrap your brain around that little nugget, the sooner you will see the walls of resistance fall, and the well of abundance bubble up and overflow.

Yes, it really is that simple.

But do not confuse "simple" with "easy". Especially if you're carrying around a boat load of learned behaviors...or attitudes that "push against" whatever it is you're hoping to achieve. Bottom line: turn your attention to the many blessings that are your own abundant life. And yes, leave money out of it. The money comes as soon as you stop noticing how much of it you don't have.

I swear on my little monkey toes.

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.

the riches of our lives ~

In those moments when things seem to get all clouded up with ickiness, there is nothing that brings you back to joy faster than a good friend. The kind of friend who will let you cry, and listen with love, without trying to solve anything for you. The kind of friend who loves you in spite of your silliness. The kind of friend who can wrap her arms around you, all the way from Nebraska.

It is in those moments when you realize just how rich you are. You can see, even through your angst, that yours is a world full of treasures, full of love, full of all things good. And somehow, just being able to let go of the angst with such a friend makes the treasure even more valuable. As if the world has expanded just because of this friendship.

It's a beautiful thing.

What's even more beautiful is how you don't get those feelings of inadequacy or embarrassment when it's all over. You don't wake up the next day feeling stupid because you were such a basket case the day before. You feel neither shame nor remorse. Rather, you feel that love wrapped around you still, warming you all the way to your bones...and beyond.

Yes, these are the riches of Life. These friends who hold us when we are being the child we are. They hold us without judgment. They hold us in their Love...large and endless.

Such a beautiful thing.

focus, FOCUS, F-O-C-U-S!

Recently, Jason, the founder of Jason's Network (home of the world's most beautiful people), challenged us to write something about how we got into the 'mess' we're in, and what we can do about it, from a spiritual perspective, to affect change now. Not being one to pass up a chance to write, I did just that. He asked us to limit our submissions to 200 words. Pretty challenging limit for someone like me (if you hadn't noticed before, I'm kinda 'chatty'). I managed to squeak it in at 202. Not bad. Anyway....

After I finished my little piece, I got to thinking about how, as Americans, this is brand new territory. Most of us have never lived through such an economic disaster. My parents were mere toddlers when the Great Depression struck the U.S., so they didn't have much recall. In fact, I don't know anyone (alive) in my circle of family who did (live through it). I've only ever heard stories (& read books) about what people went through. From that I learned that it was not a pretty time. Many people were forced to do things they'd never considered possible. Like giving up their kids to families that were better off, in an attempt to keep those kids fed. I'm certain that was a horrifying thing to have to do. But they did it. And lots of other things too, just because they didn't have money to feed their kids or take them to the doctor. Awful times.

Which leads me to the next thought: how is it that a nation that is reportedly the wealthiest in the world could come to such a crossroad? How is it that for all the BILLIONS of dollars in this country we could reach this point? I'll tell you how. This crap has been going on for a long, long time. It's about that minority (what is it? 3%?) of people who have all the money and make sure it stays that way. The old adage, "the rich keep gettin' richer, the poor keep gettin' poorer"... didn't just come out of nowhere. Why do you suppose it's still here in our midst now? Not a big jump, if you ask me.

Anyway, here's the thing...I happen to believe that there is no such thing as 'lack'. I believe that there is so much abundance in our time/space reality that if we were to just let go of our own limiting beliefs, EVERYONE would be a gazillionaire (if they chose). I also believe that the only reason this crap is going on is because we allowed it. I say "we" as in "we, the people". We have allowed all the fat cats to do whatever the hell they want with no recourse, with no accountability, with no limit. WE did this. And it's high time we took responsibility for it and moved on.

How? Easy. Stop looking at the "mess" & (stop) trying to fight it. Just let it go. It is said that peace begins in your own back yard. Where do you think wealth begins? Where do you think order begins? Where do you think joy begins? You guessed it...right there in your own back yard. So, what if....What if every single person in this country chose to focus on the abundance in their lives? From the indoor plumbing to the fresh drinking water to the light switch that turns on the lights. All of this is abundance. And oh-so-much more!

We are a country of innovators. This country was founded on the principles of a new order AND of anarchy. Think about it. The men who wrote the Declaration of Independence were hard core anarchists. They refused to be ruled by the laws of England and took it upon themselves to break free of that rule. So what happened? It's high time we took our country back. Not by fighting or other violent means. But, instead, by offering each other the respect, peace & love that lives in all of us. By focusing on the good, not the fear. By making a choice to live freely, without judgment or blame. Sure, it'd be easy to place blame on "them"...the fat cats & their cohorts. But that's not going to change anything. Change begins with letting go of the garbage that weighs us down. Letting go of fear. Letting go. PERIOD.

It's not as hard as some may think. In fact, it seems to me that it's a far easier way to bring about the changes we so want. Thoughts become things. True? I believe so. So we can focus our thoughts on the things we wish to see...not the things we wish to eliminate. Doesn't matter what you focus on. Bottom line is whatever it is...you'll get more of it. Promise.