Let's talk about money for a minute. It's something that we are taught from a young age that we can't live without. It's something that we're taught to keep track of, spend wisely, only buy things you have money for, don't use credit cards, and so many other things. So, what happens when we don't have enough, or at least think we don't? We freak out!
I spent a very large part of my life tracking every penny I spent. I put Microsoft Money on my computer and sat down at the end of every day and input my spending for the day. My budget was tracked on there and my bills were tracked in there so that I knew exactly where every one of my hard-earned pennies was going. The fun part about this was when we were on a debt repayment plan and could watch the debt charts decreasing as the savings increased. The not-so-fun part about this was that I was spending at least 30 minutes of every day obsessing about money and worrying about where everything was going. It kept me from living my life the way I wanted to live it.
Oh my gosh, over the last couple years, I threw all of that out the window. I did everything the exact opposite of what they told me to do! You know what?? Who cares? I could beat myself up. I could moan and complain about how I don't have enough money to go get a pedicure or go out to lunch with a friend or whatever. Or I could just forget all that and find gratitude for the things I have. I have amazing friends who want to have lunch with me, and I have lunch with them when it's meant to happen, even if I'm only buying a $2 cup of soup while they buy lavish meals. I don't let things like this stop me from enjoying the camaraderie and love I feel when I'm surrounded by some of my favorite people.
At some point over the last five years, my therapist recommended I start a Gratitude Journal. It's not a new idea (Oprah does it!), but it is a life changer. The idea is to find at least three things throughout the day that you're grateful for. There are Facebook Pages devoted to this concept where you can login and share the things you're grateful for. There are accountability coaches who check in with you every day to make sure you've logged your gratitudes. At first, I was writing them down in an actual journal. In the last few months, I've actually started a text string now with my family, and pretty much every day, we list three things we're grateful for. It sometimes doesn't happen a few days in a row when we're very busy, but when we need it, it's there for us. The changes I can see in my outlook, and the group outlook is amazing after just a few days in a row of logging our gratitudes.
Along those same lines, a few years ago, I noticed that a work friend of mine was posting things she was thankful for every day during the month of November. It's such a neat practice leading up to Thanksgiving that I have adopted it, too! Taking those few minutes every day to just stop and feel sincere gratitude for something or someone amazing in my life (and isn't it all amazing??), brings me into my body, into a state of well-being, into a state of gratitude and really improves my outlook and my mood. This has been a game-changer for me, so I wanted to share it with you. This Thursday, when the turkey and stuffing are on the table, take a minute to look around and give thanks for the people sitting at your table. Maybe you can even take a minute to speak out loud the things you're grateful for in each of those people. And don't forget to give thanks to the Universe (I use this interchangeably with what you may call God, Jesus, Allah, Buddha, Yaweh) for bringing the abundance of food, people, and prosperity (whatever you're feeling grateful for) into your life.
And at this point, you've probably already forgotten about your lack (or the illusion that society has created). If not, don't give up yet! Since it's an illusion, all it takes is just another perspective, so here are some more helpful tools that I've collected over the last few years.
- "Need" implies lack. Just the words that we use can create situations in our lives. There have been studies that show that some words have higher frequencies that make us happy, and some have lower frequencies that make us heavy, sad or depressed. "Need" is one of those words that I'm working to eliminate from my vocabulary. If I catch myself using it, I'll stop and change my statement from "I need that shirt." to "I want that shirt." Am I really lacking that shirt? No. What would happen if I didn't have that shirt? Not much, really. So, I really do "want" that shirt, not "need" it. So, I find the beauty in the shirts that I already have, and I attract more of those into my life. This works for everything, shirts were just an easy example.
- This brings me to my next tool, The Law of Attraction. If you haven't heard of it yet, you can read about it here, but this is my take on it. Basically, what you focus on brings more of that into your life. So, what happens when you focus on the "lack" in your life? You'll bring more of that in. Which brings us full circle back to gratitude. What happens when you show gratitude for the things you already have in your life? You're going to bring more of that into your life.
- Which brings me to the next tool: affirmations. There are so many out there, but one that I'm using right now is, "I am now open to receive the loving gifts that the Universe brings to me and to everyone." I think this may have come from Doreen Virtue, but I don't remember exactly where it came into my life. I have a reminder set on my phone to sit with this affirmation every morning after my daily practice. There are so many others out there that I could share, but one will come to you that resonates with you. When you find it, sit with it. Love it. Let it help you.
- Another great tool is meditations and mantras. Meditation recently brought so many good things into my life. For me, it was the Kundalini Meditation for Prosperity II. It came into my life when I was at a low point financially, and it has already started to bring so much good into my life after just a week of practicing it. I can't wait to see what else it brings. (Something I want to point out here, though, is that the good comes in different ways for everyone. It might not be someone on the street handing you money, although that could totally happen. Let's not rule it out completely. For me, it is coming in ideas or offers for me to help others on their journey in exchange for funds. I am forming new relationships almost every day that are bringing in new opportunities, and for each of those relationships and opportunities, I am so very grateful!)
- Make way for more good to come into your life. Get rid of the clutter. I am reminded of this almost every day. My healer shared with me in one of my classes that we should remove 7 things from our home every day. At first, I thought there was no way I would be able to maintain that for an extended period of time, but even after the mass purges that happened last year when I sold my house, I am still able to maintain this. It is absolutely amazing how much stuff we bring into our homes every day. Go through your purse or wallet. I'd be willing to bet there are seven things in there that you could get rid of right now. You don't have to just donate it or throw it in the garbage. Sell it, have a garage sale or list it on Craigslist or Ebay. And then, just notice how much lighter you feel when it's gone. And then notice what good things come into your life in its place. (Just a little side note here, if there's something that makes you sad to get rid of, hold onto it for another minute. Ask yourself what it is about that thing that you're holding on to. There might be some emotions attached to it that you need to process before you can release it. This might be a good opportunity to ask for help in your releasing. If you need it, I'd be happy to refer you to someone. I have a network of people who can help!)
So, I'm going to wrap this up by making note of three things that I'm grateful for today.
- I'm grateful for the sun that shines even on cloudy days.
- I'm grateful for the Nashville Center for Alternative Therapies, and the healing opportunities, relationships and earning potential it has brought into my life and will continue to bring. (Check out their Indiegogo campaign here. You can get some great services and help fund the center at the same time!)
- I'm grateful for my family and friends who continue to support me through my awakening and have brought many blessings and lessons into my life.
Universe, thank you for providing everything I want when I want it. Thank you for the blessings you have bestowed upon me and the entire human race. I now open my arms to receiving the loving gifts that the Universe brings to me and to everyone.
Much love,
Emily Rose
P.S. I have secured an indoor space for RunYogaLove! Details will be posted on the Facebook page soon! I'll see you all this Saturday for a beautiful sunrise run/walk and yoga!
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