|
18 June 2007
Attaining Real Wealth
by Charmaine Saunders
In our society, wealth is generally perceived as money, material possessions, shares and property; tangible things we can see, feel, use and touch. Yet this is only one aspect of wealth; and wealth, whilst measurable, is nevertheless a subjective concept. In this article, I want to explore the following:
- a wider view of what wealth means
- the notion that money itself is energy
- how to positively deal with money
- how to break down blockages that create negative ideas about money and thus, increase its flow.
Prosperity is an overall state of wellbeing which may or may not include having a lot of money in the bank, owning property and being successful in the material sense. Society gauges wealth by these criteria and the important thing is for us not to believe the same. Surrounded by values based on commercialism and materialism, we need to stand firm in the insistence of being more than just our net worth. We are spiritual beings, creative, precious and unique, every one of us. There's nothing wrong with striving for money, a luxurious lifestyle, owning boats and big houses, taking lavish holidays; as long as we understand that these are not the reasons for our happiness, but rather the result of it.
Let me explain. We carry core beliefs from childhood about ourselves and life in general. These form the patterns that we live by, the foundation of all our choices, desires, decisions and behaviors. It's what motivates and drives us but because it's subconscious, we're not aware of this powerful, underlying force. Let's say that we grew up with parents who had little regard for money, spent it foolishly, got behind with bills etc. We either would follow suit and live the same way, or, we would be only too aware and swing to the opposite extreme, possibly being stingy or overly concerned with financial matters. Neither extreme is healthy and a more balanced approach should be sought.
In most cases, a negative concept or a blockage is formed surrounding the notion of money - yes, money is primarily an idea, like everything else. If there is any ambiguity or ambivalence about money, there will be struggle in one form or another. Our actual lives will always follow our unconscious patterns until such time as we release those patterns. So, if you are always short of money, never seem to earn much, are careless with it, too much in love with it or a combination of these, trace back to the belief that spawned these ideas in the first place. There you will find the root cause of your money "problem."
Money is one of the things human beings most obsess and worry over, fantasize about and yet fear more than almost anything, except perhaps sex! But this very fact is in itself the problem, not whether we have or don't have a lot of money. Money deserves our respect but it is essentially a commodity, a currency which is meant to come in and go out like the tide. We're not meant to hold tight to it nor fritter it away. Nor are we meant to place any emotion onto it; but girls, do we ever! Money for most people represents power, security, freedom, pleasure, happiness, choice - yet it is a tool of these qualities, not the embodiment of them.
People have been arguing for centuries about whether money can truly buy happiness - well, it can't. It can bring you the means to happiness and cause happiness, but never be happiness itself for that is completely intangible and internal, not external, whereas money is always external and never internal. Freud said that the reason money can't make us happy is because it is not a primal need. It's learned, conditioned in us to be important.
Neither is money "the root of all evil." What we do with money can be evil but money itself is totally neutral and cannot be good or bad. Think of how many good deeds are also done with dollars and cents.
If you want to be truly wealthy, work on yourself, increase your self-awareness, strive for honesty and personal morality; don't do anything that keeps you awake at night; get money by means that come only from integrity and honour; like yourself, like your work, do things you don't have to do to please others; also please yourself; be kind, be in touch with all around you, be healthy, sleep well and eat well. Then you will be wealthy in a much more fulfilling and lasting way than ever you could be with merely a big bank balance. Money comes and goes but you're in for the long haul. If you're not enjoying the journey, what good would even a million dollars do for you? You're here to fulfill a mission, not to accumulate money. Are you on target?
Money
Money is energy, thus its inflow is directly in proportion with your outflow of energy. Negative energy (ideas/attitudes/beliefs/behaviors) will return money shortage, poorly-paid jobs and financial struggles. Positive energy returns abundance, lucrative employment, money ease - it's a boomerang effect. After you've worked through the strategies outlined so far, you'll have cleared the decks for an easy flow of money-in and money-out. A good rule-of-thumb is to ensure more comes in than goes out!
Another important contributor to positive money management is balance. If you're saving every penny you earn for some future disaster or imagined security, that's not going to make you wealthier or happier; if you're spending or wasting all your money, the same applies. Here's a plan - pay your bills, save a bit, spend a bit and have some "mad money" which is money you use purely for fun. Why do we find this so hard? Why do we seem to prefer to fret over money endlessly and create the very poverty we say we fear the most?
Our idiomatic axioms identify our group consciousness about money, for example, "saving for a rainy day." Why not save for a sunny day?! Money can be enjoyed in a non-confrontational, uncomplicated way. If you keep money in an "emergency" account, you will almost certainly attract an emergency to use it for. If you have guilt or feelings of undeservability, you will sabotage every effort you make to earn, enjoy and attract money. One of the surest ways to push money away is to worry about a lack of it. Find a practical solution instead. Get advice. Stay positive and fearless; trust in the abundance that surrounds us all. Tidy up your emotional, spiritual and psychological life and watch prosperity (of all kinds) start flowing.
Beliefs
The laws of attraction - as with romance, good jobs, success and friendship; dictate that money is drawn to us by belief. What are the laws governing this? As stated before, it's related to our internal belief systems. We don't get affluence because we earn a lot of money or budget well or know a lot about finances. We get it because we have a positive attitude and because we're happy with ourselves and enjoy the process of making money. Billionaires like Trump, Gates and Branson no longer need to make a dollar in their lives, but they enjoy it so much and have become so adept at acquiring wealth, they just keep doing it.
If you have to think a lot about money, think positively. Focus on how much you have, not how much you want to have. Change your wording around this subject, e.g. if you have $5 in your wallet, say "I have 5 whole dollars in my wallet," not "I only have $5." Words are powerful and they are also a form of energy. Never underestimate how much thinking and speaking can influence your concrete reality.
You can have all the material pleasures you want but remember that their purpose is to reflect your inner joy, not the other way around. So, if you have a terrific house to live in, a beautiful luxury car, plenty in the bank etc, they are the manifestation of your self-love, not the cause. Enjoy them but never let them own you. Once you're right with yourself, you will naturally attract all the good things in life. Here's the equation - you have money, a good job, positive relationships, worldly success, good health etc. because you're happy, not the other way round. Whether you have them or not is irrelevant to true peace of mind.
The Power Of The Mind
Attitude is everything, with money as with all things. If you have what is known as "poverty consciousness," you will feel poor even with millions of dollars. And, equally, you can feel rich with zero-dollars if you have "prosperity thinking." The former comes from childhood beliefs based on family attitudes towards money, where expressions like "Money doesn't grow on trees," and "Waste not, want not," were frequently used. The latter may have developed from role-modeling parents or from a backlash to childhood conditioning. Positive thinkers are also inclined to invest energy into creating a prosperous lifestyle in all its forms. Prosperity thinking is pro-active, based on self-belief, and ever-trusting. Believe you'll always have money and you will. You're basically as rich as you believe you are and allow yourself to be. With this philosophy, you can achieve great things in life, not just cash but every kind of wealth.
Ultimately, there is no security in anything outside ourselves; not bricks and mortar, not cash, not the love and approval of others, not job status or good looks. Those are the trimmings, the icing on the cake, but you are the cake. Never forget that and you will always have wealth. There is wealth in every single day, every single experience; invaluable gifts in even the most painful disappointments and hurts. We live in a world of wealth; just look around you - the cloudless, endless blue sky, the tranquil river and the restless sea, a child's laughter, the entertaining playfulness of a cat, the unconditional love of a dog, sand between your toes, the healing power of music, getting the giggles at the movies, losing yourself in an absorbing book, sitting in your garden on a balmy afternoon, the hug of a friend - the list is infinite. For me, wealth is my book collection, my old car and my beloved cat. Decide what it is for you and grab for it; when you get some of it, hold on tight and get more. Let's not forget the greatest wealth of all - life! Each day we're given, each breath we draw, all the time we have to play, love, write, read, eat, sleep, dream, make music, share, feel.
Wealth begets more wealth, so be greedy - for the right reason - and you'll never be poor again.
Related articles:
Finding Happiness
The Power Of Affirmations
Abundance
Ouch! Divorce Costs Everyone A Bundle
The Dating Doctor - Why Am I Dating A Miser?
Forget Purchasing Power: All You Need Is Love
Talk About This Article In The Forum...
|
