We're all familiar with the song from "Cabaret." As much as we tell ourselves that it's "not about the money".... it usually is - whether it's not having enough, spending too much on credit, trying to make more, feeling guilty for having it, hording it and being stingy or looking down upon those that don't have it. We all have certain feelings about it.
I grew up squarely middle-class - there was always food on the table and I never had to worry about my next meal. The mentality was "take care of others." I was always bringing friends home for a meal. My mother grew up during the depression. She would occasionally talk about not having enough but was never graphic about it. Living through that time period taught her to save and be thrifty... sometimes a little too thrifty. We had a drawer of plastic bags - the bags you put produce in. She would rinse them out, air dry, then put them in the drawer for later use. They were used over and over until they fell apart. She had a jar of various buttons - all shapes, colors and sizes. I knew if I ever lost a button, all I had to do was look through the jar, find what best matched and walla!! Everything was saved because you never knew when you might need it - something I took to heart. Unfortunately it made me a bit of a pack rat and have issues to this day with letting go of things and thoughts.
I didn't think I had issues around money but it's become apparent that I do. Money came easily to me growing up. Very rarely did I ever have to look for a job - they tended to follow me. I can only think of four times in my life where I actually had to look for work. There was always enough money - not rich by any means but I could always put food on the table and pay my bills. But something happened over the years. My attitude toward money changed. My thoughts evolved from, "money is fun, it will come, don't worry about it" to "how am I going to afford that, there goes my savings, I'll just have to do without, I'm gonna have to find a way to cut back even more..." What happened over the years???
If you look at the Law of Attraction... I have brought every circumstance into my life - positive and negative. So what does that say about me? What have been my thoughts surrounding money? For years I was in a relationship with a person who's constant thoughts were, "we'll never have enough and we can't afford that." Those thoughts became my own. Why did I believe them? My reality confirmed the statement. That is what I attracted into my life. If there was one thing I was good at attracting was lack. Lack abounded everywhere... from my friends constantly talking about having no money, attracting more debt, working more hours to earn more money - only to have expenses increase correspondingly.
I worked for companies that told me "this is all I can pay you.... take it or leave it." So I took it thinking I should be lucky to have any income at all, I'll just have to get another job to supplement my income. With that way of thinking, I set up the circumstances with the belief that the only way I could make more money was to work two or three jobs or take work I hated simple to pay the bills. After all, isn't this what society tells us to do??? If you are responsible, you will work as many hours as it takes to make ends meet. I've spent the last twenty years working myself into the ground because that's what I was supposed to do. I can't do it anymore. I don't have the energy to work 50 - 60 hours a week.
So how does one change from a lackful environment to one of abundance? For as long as I can remember, I have been aware of the saying, "Do what you love and the money will follow." Judging by my current financial circumstances, it's apparent my mind doesn't truly believe that saying. The things I love to do end up costing me money rather than bringing it in. I look to those that have turned their lives around and are now living in abundance. The common advice is:
1. Change your way of thinking (duh... I think I know that one, LOL).
2. Be grateful and appreciative for what you have right now (don't I know it and boy am I ever!).
3. Believe that the money is coming (much harder for me these days).
4. Take inspired action (when inspired, I do.... but why do I get bored so quickly?).
5. Surround yourself with positive people (yes, Yes, YES! But what about those negative folks I love?).
6. Listen to that inner voice (thank you Neale Donald Walsh for the reminder).
7. Don't be afraid to take a risk (even if 'it' fails, you still learn something valuable).
8. Keep dreaming (it's what keeps us going!).
9. Do it with gusto (if not, why do it at all)!
10. LOVE!!
I'll keep you all posted!!
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