For as long as I can remember, I've had money issues. Growing up in a middle class family during the 60s, my mother took care of the family, while my father went off to work. We rarely had money for anything extra and if I had a nickel for every time my parents said "We don't have the money for that", I'd be a millionaire.
At 16 years of age, I began working at a restaurant after school. During the summer months, I worked two jobs and was able to purchase a car by the time I was 17. The freedom that money gave me motivated me to earn more. Upon graduation from high school, I began working as a travel agent. I thought I had hit the mother-lode and within a few months, I moved away from home and began creating what I thought would be the perfect life.
It wasn't long before reality hit and my love-hate relationship with money began. It seemed that no matter how hard I tried, I never had enough money to do the things I really wanted to do. Every dime went to pay bills and I was becoming quite annoyed.
At nineteen years of age, I wanted to play, not pay and things began to spin out of control. By the time I was twenty-one, I had fifteen credit cards and each was maxed out. While I had all the material things that credit cards could buy, I was in big trouble. Thirty thousand dollars in debt trouble!
The phone was constantly ringing and creditors were threatening to take my precious commodities. When the transmission went out in my car, I couldn't afford to get it fixed. My credit was such a mess I couldn't get a loan for a bicycle, let alone a car. By 23, my finances were in complete shambles. Out of shear desperation, I filed bankruptcy and moved back home. This turn of events left me feeling as if I were a complete failure.
Even with all the evidence in front of me, I could not believe what a financial mess I had created. I came up with a million excuses as to why I had to have that designer dress with matching shoes and purse. I could easily explain my outrageous expenses for monthly salon visits and trips to the spa. After all, I had a job where image was everything and it was important to always look my best.
My mother is the queen of dollar stretching. She did her best to help me unravel the money web I had created. We spent hours creating a master "get out of debt" plan. She shared her joy of clipping coupons, scouring sale ads and even talked me into designing my own clothes. While the process of debt elimination was painful, it provided an opportunity to create priceless memories with mom.
Four years later, I ventured out on my own and this time I was certain I possessed all the skills to get it right. I moved into an efficiency apartment. I became a fanatic about turning off lights when they weren't needed. Consignment shops and thrift stores were now my shopping paradise. I cooked every meal at home and spent countless hours at the sewing machine. I opened a savings account and faithfully deposited funds every week. I was confident that I would never be indebted or financially broke again.
On the day of my 31st birthday, I purchased a brand new home. It was one of the proudest moments of my life. The day I moved in, I knew I had finally made it. Unfortunately, the feeling didn't last for long. Six months after moving into the home, I began experiencing flu-like symptoms. Within a matter of months, my health had deteriorated so much I could no longer work. The savings account I had worked so hard to acquire was dwindling at the speed of light.
It took three years to receive a diagnosis. During the process of determining my illness, I had once again lost nearly everything that I believed was important to me. The only thing I had left was my home and I seriously questioned my ability to hold onto it.
It was in my hour of darkness that I began looking into alternative therapies. Little did I know that seeking solutions to my health problems would lead me to solving my money problems. Before my illness, I had no concept of the spirituality of money. Money was money. It was something I needed to pay for food, shelter and clothing. It allowed me to take vacations and indulge in spa treatments.
The only thing I knew about money was that I had a hard time holding onto it. In my quest to improve my health, I began seeing a massage therapist, who was also a reiki practitioner. She introduced me to spiritual practices I never knew existed. Practices that involved using my mind to control my thoughts. It was during this time, I was exposed to the philosophy of "Prosperity Consciousness".
The first time she told me I was responsible for everything that was happening in my life, including my disease and lack of money, I was mad. Really, really mad and highly insulted. How could I possibly be responsible for the disease that had stripped me down to nothing? The disease was the root of my financial problems, not ME!
Because I was desperate to get well, I continued working with her. I half-heartedly listened to her financial advice and thought her Prosperity Consciousness theory was completely out in left field. She sent me home with prosperity books and meditation videos. I'd throw them on the coffee table and spend the rest of my evening wondering how I was going to dig out of my financial mess.
After two months of working with her, my health began to significantly improve. I had been using her mediation tapes to visualize my health improving and, although difficult, I had to admit there was some truth to what she had been telling me.
Six months later, I was able to return to work full-time. It was at this time she asked if I would be interested in becoming attuned to reiki. I figured I had nothing to lose, so I allowed her to perform the ceremony. After leaving her office that day I didn't give much thought to what had happened. I went on about my life as usual until I received a phone call telling me I had won a 00 shopping spree.
I couldn't help but wonder if the reiki attunement had something to do with this wonderful change of luck, so I called my spiritual friend. I distinctly remember how nonchalant she was about it. "Of course, the reiki had something to do with it, but YOU are the real reason this event occurred", she stated. When I asked how I could possibly be responsible for winning a contest, she asked me one simple question - "When you entered the contest, did you believe you would win?"
Actually, I did believe I would win. I had even cut pictures out of the company's catalog. I knew exactly what I was going to purchase with that money. As she explained how I set things into motion by believing and then accepting that I would win, the light bulb turned on in my head. I was beginning to understand Prosperity Consciousness.
Prosperity Consciousness is a term which describes our personal beliefs about prosperity. It's based on the Law of Attraction, which simply states you will attract what you focus on. Prosperity Consciousness teaches us to make an active decision and expect that prosperity is ours, right now. It involves using visualization techniques and affirmations to manifest whatever we desire into our lives.
Prosperity means different things to different people. For one person, it could mean having an abundance of money, for another it could mean owning property. Someone else might see prosperity as being able to travel whenever they desire. Another may see it as being able to stay home with their children.
Manifestation exercises involve being able to determine exactly what you want and eliminating thoughts which prevent you from obtaining it. It's important to understand what your definition of prosperity is before you embark on manifestation exercises. When we can clearly focus on our actual needs and wants, prosperity work becomes much simpler.
For instance, if we want a new car, we visualize the make, model, color and features. Perhaps we visit a dealership and take the car for a test drive. We smell it, touch it and feel the vibration of the road as we grip the wheel. In essence, we bring all of our senses into the manifestation of the car. When people focus only on manifesting money, they limit the abundance that the universe can provide.
Abundance is much more than money. It is also physical gifts such as good health, knowledge, strength and athletic skills. The greatest abundance of all is knowing others who can and will help you reach your goals as you help them reach theirs.
Many people experience challenges with money because of their personal beliefs. You may have heard that "Money is the root of all evil". This statement is incorrect and really states "for the lust after money that is the root of all evil".
In loose translation, the message that was intended to be received is this: When money is intentionally withheld from those who need it, when it is used to cause harm to others, when it becomes more important than love, family, and spirituality, it's a problem. No one ever says: "It is bad to have more love, more time, more space in my life". In fact, people are always seeking more love, take time for granted, and occupy space without even noticing it. Yet these same people say "give me less money" because they believe it is "evil" and will prevent them from "being a good person". Nothing could be further from the truth.
Money is neither good nor evil. It is simply energy, and the energy of money can be used positively or negatively. If you find it challenging to think about money as energy, think about electricity. Electricity can be used to generate light, cook meals and regulate the temperature of our home, or it can be used to electrocute people. Yet, very few of us carry around judgments about electricity. When we need some, we just plug into it. Most of us take electricity for granted and trust in the abundant availability of it. This is the same kind of trust we need to adopt in our belief about money. All you need to do is plug in, believe in the abundance, then stand back and watch it flow into your life.
As I worked through my "lack" issues, I discovered many wonderful things that helped me attract abundance into my life. I read books, listened to tapes, incorporated meditation and visualization techniques and surrounded myself with beautiful art that symbolized abundance.
There are many techniques for Prosperity Consciousness. Some will work better for you than others. With practice, you'll be able to determine which mental "tricks" are most effective for you. One thing is for certain - healing our personal attitudes about money may be the most important contribution we can make to ourselves, our world and to the universe.
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