riches come in many flavors

It's been a while...and I shan't make excuses for my absence. I had need for some space...and opted to give the blogging a bit of a break. That is, until today. A few things happened that lit a fire under my butt...and then when I came to visit, I found even more to stoke that fire. I am deeply grateful to all of you who've written and asked for more. It warms me to my toes knowing that my offerings are helping folks...and THAT, my friends, is what it's all about. I thank you ALL.

Rather than getting into the details of my disappearance, I will, instead, share with you a few things that I discovered while absent. Among them are the great riches that abound in my world. All too often we think of riches in terms of dollars. But riches are far more than printed currency. Riches, in my world, come in many flavors. Kinda like Baskin Robbins, ya know?

Friends who love you in spite of your flaws top the list for me. Those people who stand by me, regardless of where I am or how I'm 'acting'. When I am reclusive, they allow me that space without laying some kinda guilt trip or chastising. When I am all agog with some new discovery, they let me go on and on (and on and on!) about it, without attempting to stop my rantings. I tend to do that...rant, that is. And my wonderful friends (whom I call "Tribe") are always in my corner. How can that not be counted as 'riches'?

Then there are those people who may not be part of the Tribe, but who make the days sparkle with their smiles and little courtesies. You know the ones...they see you in the market and give you a smile for no reason other than to smile. Or they let you cut in line because you only have 3 things and they have a cart full of stuff. Or they slow down to let you into traffic when there are zillions of others who will cut you off without mercy. Those 'strangers' who actually LIVE kindness. Are these not riches?

Being able to buy food and fill your cupboards/fridge with good things to nourish your body. Do you know how many people in this world cannot do this? Do you realize that there are millions of people on this planet who do NOT eat a meal each day? Many do not have clean water to drink. Or a place to call home. They have no 'extra' clothes or electricity or indoor plumbing. I can't even imagine what that must be like. Nor do I care to try. I just know that I have all these things and so much more...and I consider all of them riches.

I sit here now, in a beautiful office in my home, with a dandy computer, a speedy internet connection, food in my belly, a hot cup of coffee, a comfortable chair, a gorgeous desk, and all the pretty things that are my treasures. Crystals in the windows. Wind chimes just outside. Plants and pictures and books and fountains. All these things make up my lovely world...and they are my riches too.

I have come to a place in my Life where I can see, all day.. every day, just how rich I am. I am so blessed to have these people in my world. All the love. The laughter and sharing and support. The many conveniences that we all take for granted all too often. There isn't a thing in the world that I NEED right now. I have it all. This, my friends, is what it means to be 'rich'. And I am basking in the glorious warmth of gratitude.

It's GOOD to be alive!

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.