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.

There Is No Try

One of my very favorite movie quotes is that of Yoda when young Luke was attempting to raise his soon-to-be-swallowed-by-the-swamp ship. Yoda was doing his Yoda best to get the boy to focus. And at some point, the young Skywalker said, "I'M TRYING!". To which wise Yoda replied, "Try, not. Do or do not. There is no try."

Never forgot that. Even though I wasn't a huge fan (I only saw the first two movies), I always loved that darlingYoda. He was, to me, the quintessential Yogi. (Gee. Ya think that's what George was thinking all along?) To me, Yoda was the absolute best of all of us. And, with or without his sword, he yielded a mighty power that, to this not-so-young-lass, still affects. I often hear his voice when I'm in a tight spot. It's a funny voice to hear, but there you have it.

What struck me most about that particular quote was that, like everything else Yoda said, its simplicity was indisputable. How can you argue with that kind of logic? I  mean, either you are going to do something or not. There really isn't any in between. You're either doing a thing or not doing it. You may be in the midst of that doing. You may be half way there. You may be struggling with it. Or not. But no matter what, you are either doing it or not. Just because you aren't finished doesn't mean you aren't doing it. See what I'm getting at here?

So then...what's all this about "trying" anyway?

Well, it occurred to me recently that for all the insanity that has been my Life for the past six years, the one thing that never changed was my unyielding determination regarding the end result. That is to say, I'd gotten both a diagnosis and a prognosis. Neither of which I accepted. I refused to believe what "they" said it was or how I would "end up" (in a wheelchair!) None of it made any sense to me. Nor did it feel right when I thought about it. Somewhere inside me I just knew that there was something off. At first I fought. Hard. Then I realized that I could negotiate with my own beliefs until I found a balance between what "they" were saying I should do and what I thought was right for me. Little by little I found that course corrections were going to be a part of this whole adventure. Rather than saying, "Well, I'm going to try to do this or that...", I just took each segment of the journey as it came. I wasn't trying, I was doing. I didn't realize when it all began that it would take me all the places it has. Nor did I realize that it would affect so much of who I am. It took a long while to see that the whole of the journey would be just that: a Journey. So rather than drive myself off the bridge, I just toodled along until I got the hang of it. Kinda like when you're learning how to ride a bike. Sure, you're going to crash every now and then. But before too long, you're cruising along as if you'd been riding your whole life. It's not about trying, it's about doing. Even if you're doing it badly.

Now, it may seem that there is a bit of ambiguity here (regarding the actual matter at hand) but I do this purposely. Because, as with most things, it is not about the subject matter, but rather about the attitude one has while experiencing whatever it is that one is facing. Whether you are facing a dis-ease or a financial challenge or a broken heart or the loss of a loved one or...any number of icky things we all face during our lifetimes. No matter. What matters, from onset to end, is that we realize we have choices...and we make them according to what feels best. Choosing to be terrified is your absolute option. As is laughing in the face of it. Or hiding 'neath the covers. Or drinking yourself into a stupor so as to avoid it altogether. We all have choices to make each and every day. It isn't about trying, it's about choosing. Choosing a Joyful path is one way to make things a bit less terrifying and a lot more fun. 'Course, that's a choice too. Either way, there is no try. Do or do not. 

Your choice.

There's More Than One Way to Kill a Weed

Yes. I know. That's not how the saying goes. But just the thought of skinning a cat makes my stomach turn. So I changed it. There.

The point is, there IS more than one way to kill a weed. That is, if you feel the need to kill them at all. Some weeds are useful, you know. Example: a dandelion is said to be a weed, yet they are excellent cleansers. Dandelions have been used by Native Americans for eons. The Iroquois Indians ate boiled dandelion leaves along with fatty meats to avoid indigestion. When the Ojibwa had heartburn, they drank dandelion root tea. The Kiowa women mixed dandelion blossoms with pennyroyal as a cure for cramps and PMS. The Mohegan drank dandelion leaf tea daily as a tonic to keep their energy levels high and to stay free of stomach aches and constipation. Other Indian tribes collected the young leaves in the spring and ate them with other leafy vegetables. Dandelion tea can be used as an herbal detox to help cleanse your liver and kidneys. And to relieve water retention. I'm sure there are hundreds of other beneficial uses for the 'weed', but you get my drift.

Not all weeds are 'bad'.

Same goes with those beliefs we call 'negative'. Or 'limiting'. Or 'harmful'. Are you sure? Are you sure they're not there for a good reason?

I pose this today because of some very interesting conversations I've had lately. Seems that this whole idea of 'bad' and 'good' may just be skewed. Maybe instead of seeing things as 'good' or 'bad', we might like to look at them without judgment at all. Like...they just 'are'.

Here's what I mean:

What if we have this belief that when we 'die' we will either go to heaven or hell. {Bear with me here. Crazy as it may sound to some, there are millions of people who believe in such things. I may not be one of them, but that's beside the point.} There is no actual proof such places exist. There is also no proof that they don't exist. Either way, it doesn't seem to matter much to those who believe in this philosophy. Does it serve them in some way? Does their belief in heaven and hell make them better people? Do they use this belief to monitor their actions and/or keep themselves aligned with their higher good?

Beliefs are merely thoughts we think...over and over and over again. That is how they become beliefs. With enough practice we can adopt any belief. It's a matter of consistent thought and a resonance in the heart. If it 'touches' us, it stays. If it doesn't, we ditch it. Right?

So then, we make the decision to keep rethinking a thought, which then turns into a belief, which then serves us in some way or another. Is this good or bad? Guess that depends on how it (the belief) either enhances or diminishes our life. Make sense so far?

What if we decide to have a look at our beliefs. Really take inventory of the things we believe in. Like make a list and then go over that list carefully. We look at the list and ask, "where did this come from? Is it mine or someone else's? Did I pick this up from my parents or some teacher or a long-forgotten experience? Where did it come from and does it apply to me NOW?" Then, one by one, you can either keep it or ditch it. There may be some beliefs that did happen to serve you at some point, but now they're passe and no longer needed. You get to choose...and rethink those beliefs.

This is just one way to weed your garden. Taking the time to put your hands in the dirt and really examine what you want to keep and what you want to dig out and toss. You can choose to keep the dandelions or not. You can choose to keep half and dig out the rest. Or you can wait until your garden is so overgrown that you can't tell what's what. In my experience, tending to one's garden on a regular basis is much easier than waiting til it's a mass of tangled ick.

And then there are the flowers...

{You'll have to wait on that part. One thing at a time, okay?}