Part of harnessing the energy of money is to use it to to fuel our dreams. All of us want to be recognize for our potential and to be able to share our God given gifts to the world. So far we learned a little bit about how our past has formed our relationship with money. Because of this influence, we may at this time be living a life that is less than ideal. Many of us are pretending to be someone, many of us fear who are, and few of us have learned who we really are. Dr. Nemeth talks about who we are inside and our transition from one state to another.
Who We Pretend We Are
What are you pretending when it comes to money?
Are you hiding how successful you are so that others aren't envious of you, so that they don't treat your differently?
Are you saying you are successful even though you are in debt?
Who We Fear We Are
What have you done that you have not faced regarding money?
What money related incidents would you want to forget?
What money related incidents don't make you proud of yourself?
Why do you believe you deserve what you have now?
Who We Really Are
What do you value?
What gives you joy?
"the discomfort associated with your fears are the the result of actions that do not reflect your own self and being"
Principle 2 is a two part theme. First, we delve into our Standards of Integrity. Second, our Life's Intentions. For this post, we will focus on the Standards of Integrity. Life's Intentions will be covered here. When we talk about our Standards of Integrity we talk about a quality or a trait that we value in ourselves and that we want to cultivate and share with the world. This can be loyalty, strength, honesty, intelligence, goodness, etc. Sometimes, we are so quick to see this in other people, but not in ourselves. We admire this because inside ourselves is the possibility that it also exists that is why we are able to recognize it in others and we have a connection to it. Integrity is what makes you whole and complete. Don't fear it. It is your original condition before the influences of the world got to you. There is a book by Don Miguel Ruiz called "The Four Agreements" that also discusses this. "Thousands of agreements you have made with yourself, with other people, with your dream life, with God, with society, with your parents, spouse, etc. The most important agreement is the one your make with yourself." Frustration, anxiety, discomfort can be signals that we are not living according to our Standards of Integrity. Stop pretending.
Money is not bad. Money is a very powerful source as long as it is used in the right way. This is where your Standards of Integrity come into play. If you don't believe in the good in yourself and the good that you are trying to achieve with your money, then you will never have the right relationship with money. Money can fuel dreams, it can buy an education, it can take you to new places, it can introduce you to new cultures and sometimes it can even buy you time to allow you to focus on your Life's Intentions. Money is not just about acquiring stuff and things. Money is an energy that can propel you to new heights. Money is an energy that can work for you instead of you working for the money.
Think about your Standards. If you have Standards in the people that you date, in the things that you buy, in the places that you go, then why not have a set of Standards for yourself. As long as you abide by your Standards you will never feel like you have to hide, cheat or forgo. When you recognize your Standards, you will also start recognizing things in your life that don't fit that Standard and this means focusing the energy of your money into what matters. It may mean cancelling cable so that you can focus your time on something else. It may mean ending your weekend shopping sprees on small things to save money on a larger purchase. It may mean finally paying that debt off so that you can sleep well at night knowing you don't owe anyone anything. Raise Your Standards.
I knew I wasn't living within my Standards of Integrity when I started amassing credit card debt living a lifestyle that deep down wasn't me. Yet I spent money going out, buying things I didn't need, paying high rent. Pretending to have money to impress people I didn't even know. It was a rough road to clarity. You can read more about what triggered my change in the first post of this series.
To read other post regarding "The Energy of Money," click here.
Action Item
Duration: 40 Minutes (undisturbed)
Materials: Pen and 4 Pages of Your Journal
Action:
On the first page on the left side, write down people you admire: family, school teachers, religious, friends, doctors, sports figures, world leaders, people in the arts & entertainment, biblical figures, mythological character, real or fictional characters, etc.
After you complete this list, review your list and on the right side of the name, record the quality or trait your admire. Go to the next person on the list. If that person shares the same qualities as the person before , place a tally check mark on that quality. If it's a new quality, write it next to that person. Complete until you are finished with the last person on your list.
Now use a separate, blank page. Review the qualities and traits. Read the quality or trait out loud. Does it warm your heart even for a moment? Do you like being in the presence of people who have this quality? If so, write down that quality. You will end up with a list of quality and traits that you have a strong connection to because they reside within you. Now, take that list one more time (doesn't matter how many items you have) and write it on the first page of your journal or on the inside cover. At the top, write "These are my Standards of Integrity. I know these are mine because I see them in others." Review these standards often. Look and see how you are demonstrating them. If you are not demonstrating them, take some action to demonstrate them to people close to you.
Once you know and live your Standards of Integrity, it will be easier to take action as it relates to money. You won't be questioning yourself because you know deep inside what you are suppose to be doing.
Disclaimer
I am expanding on the ideas from the book "The Energy of Money" by Maria Nemeth, Ph. D. I will be quoting specific areas in the book that I find valuable and meaningful. For additional references, please check out the book or check out the following sites: http://theenergyofmoney.net and http://marianemeth.com