Money, Money, Money

This week Spirit has been very insistent that we talk about money, money, money! So many people these days seem to be having “issues” with money – not enough money, working too hard for the money they make, not able to hold onto the money they have. Almost daily we

hear on mainstream media about how everything is becoming unaffordable to so many - the rising costs of goods, rising interest rates, rising housing costs, rising education and health care costs, etc. Those rising costs compounded by the job reductions or job losses experienced by some during the recent pandemic, are part of a harsh reality many people are facing. The Bank of Canada Governor described rising interest rates as “painful” but “worth it”. (Source: Global News) Those who are struggling to make ends meet can definitely identify with the “painful” descriptor but may fail to see how it is “worth it”. We also hear about large groups of workers taking labour action to be paid more money – writers, actors, long shoremen, government workers. Some select few, however, may not be “feeling the pinch” and may be quietly and happily benefitting from increased interest rates. Where are you on the money spectrum? Are you having “money issues” or are is money not a concern? Do you dream about having more money and how you would spend it or do you have more than you need? Do you experience conflict, within yourself or with others, regarding how you should spend your money? How much of your daily life is consumed by money?

Across continents money is a predominant figure in so many lives. In third world countries the lack of money is experienced in every moment of the day through the lack of the basic necessities of life – hunger and discomfort, pain, or premature death. Emotional and physical suffering is commonplace. In first world countries, money is also a predominant factor but in a different way. From childhood through to adulthood a huge part of our social structure is built around ensuring you “have enough money”. Children are to be taught very early “the value of money.” They may need to earn an allowance or earn enough funds to buy a special toy. Sometimes they will hear “we don’t have enough money” or “that costs too much” in response to their request for a special item or outing. I have to say I heard those phrases a lot when I was young and even more unfortunately, I repeated them to my own children when they were

young. What I could have done was have a discussion with the child about why they wanted the item or experience, respect, and value that, then make a plan with them as to how we could have the experience or acquire the item they wanted. That way, they would have been part of the solution and perhaps learned more quickly how to see solutions outside of money. Sometimes the discussion may have helped them to see that really was not what they even wanted. What are your memories from childhood about money? Did you save precious coins in a piggy bank until you could make a special purchase?

One of the major premises around going to school is so that your education will support you having employment so you can “earn a living”, to survive and/or thrive. As an adult the pressure is to secure employment to be able “to support yourself.” What about adolescence? Did you stress over grades in school worried that in the end you would not be qualified for “the right job”? Or was money not an issue? We also just had a holiday weekend in Canada celebrating Labour Day, which has been a statutory holiday in this country since 1894. The day was originally celebrated to promote working-class solidarity. Early on, the day gave unions a forum to voice their demands which most often included wage increases. (Source: The Canadian Encyclopedia) Even the concept of a union sets us up for a negative money reality. If we need a union to advocate for us to have more money, then we must believe that we won’t have enough money to start with!

Money has been around for centuries as a form of exchange and then also became a measure of worth. It has had many forms from shells and beads to the coins, paper, and digital signature we have today. Money has also been used to control individuals and even populations. For example, if individual workers do not comply with employer requirements, even if they seem unreasonable or breach human rights, the employee can lose their income and everything that is supported by that. Individuals in relationships who “hold the money” may have control over the lives of the other people in the relationships/household using that money to provide or not provide even basic necessities for those people. In many relationships money is perceived as a measure of how much someone is loved. The perception is that someone loves someone if they give them money and the amount of money equates to the amount of love. Tithe systems used by some institutions are also a requirement to maintain status in that system and the benefits that accompany that status.

Both the individuals and institutions can be perceived as using money to control a large aspect of the individual’s life. Unfortunately, our social structure has accepted that role for money and we have given it that power. Spirit wants us to remember that only we truly have control over our lives and we have freedom of choice. The choice may be difficult or scary to make the choice to leave or make changes with a place of employment, a relationship, or membership in an institution but we can take back control of our lives and make that choice. The more of us who say “no”, make difficult but positive choices for ourselves and others, and do not give money, or more accurately, those with money, control over us, the more freedom we will experience and the more money will flow for us. Do you feel you are controlled by money? Are you ready to be free?

Even when we hold “enough money,” or what we perceive to be enough, what to do with that

money may cause conflict in our lives. The conflict may be within ourselves when we can’t decide how to best use the money. Different social pressures may collide with our values or long held beliefs making decisions difficult. The conflict may be with others who have ideas that are different than our own on what to do with the money that we hold. These types of conflict can cause huge stress for individuals. Do you experience conflict regarding money?

It is important to remember that money is also energy as is everything in our reality. Energy flows so in relation to money, as with all things, we need to release it to allow more to come in. That is why sometimes it feels like the money has just “slipped through your fingers” or you may encounter the frustration of “I just can’t seem to hold onto my money”. That is because you are not meant to. If we hold onto money, it stops the flow and we are stopping more from coming to us. When we are trying to hold onto money it is because we are worried or don’t believe that more will come. When we change our beliefs and release the worry, we will not have the need to hold onto money because we will know more will come to replace what we are letting go of. By letting go, we are creating space for more to come in. Do you hold onto money or do you let it flow freely?

So much of “supporting ourselves” and the money we earn to do that is tied to the concept of our self worth. Do you ever wonder if you don’t have that new house or car or outfit, that it is because deep down in your subconscious you don’t think you are worth having those things? Does your belief about your worth impede the flow of money in your life? Does it dictate what you should or should not do with the money you have? For many of us there is a very real belief system regarding lack of self worth buried so deep that we don’t even know it exists. Its origin can be from childhood but it may go further back to past lives. The origin doesn’t really matter though. The key is realizing that we have that belief pattern and then to change it. “Change it?” you say. “But how?” That is precisely the question. How do you change a belief pattern?

Changing a deep rooted belief takes determination, action, support, and time. The first step as I mentioned, is recognizing that the belief exists and how it is impacting your life experiences. Then write it down. It helps to journal about those experiences to see the common thread, the belief. As you begin to see the cause and effect, change your thinking about those experiences and belief. Reframe negative experiences to see the lessons in them and express gratitude for that. Rewrite the experience and the belief into a positive perspective.

Here is an example… Jane was extremely upset when she was notified that she was not the successful candidate for the job she had applied for. She cried for several hours and spent a sleepless night worrying about how she was going to replace her vehicle that had just broken down beyond repair. She needed it for her current work in regional sales as she travelled to many different cities to see her accounts and generate sales. She was borrowing a friend’s car for the next month while they were on vacation but after that she would be stuck. The next day she felt even worse. She “just knew” she would never be able to afford a new car and so would lose her job. Then she would have to move out of her apartment and move across the country back in with her parents in a small rural town that she hated. She could not see herself getting a job there. As her mind continued on with the negative spiral of thoughts, she became more and more depressed. “You’re stupid and useless,” she told herself, You will never get a good job. They probably didn’t even finish reading your resume before they rejected you,” she told herself. “Besides,” she continued to herself, “you don’t deserve a new car.”

Where is Jane’s experience and thinking taking her? What is her underlying belief? Her self talk reflects an underlying belief of low self worth. When she began to journal her thoughts and feelings about her experience and worries, she realized that her lack of self worth also had her believing she would not get the job she had applied for. She also started to see a pattern in other parts of her life – missing out on social events with family, not having the long term relationship she wanted, and repeated “money issues.” Jane had read about how our beliefs and thoughts create our reality so she decided to take control of her life and change her reality into the one she wanted. The first, she thanked the Universe for her experience about the job – it was what woke her up to the patterns in her life. Next, she tackled her underlying belief of not being worthy. She started by making a list of all the great and beautiful qualities she had that made her a worthy human being. She remembered hearing

somewhere that she was a child of the Divine and that Source loved her and wanted her to have joy in her life. “If Source thinks I am worthy then who am I to argue!” she thought. She posted affirmations of worthiness around her apartment as reminders and set her alarm for three times throughout the day to take a moment to remind herself how worthy she was. She added to those affirmations that she was worthy of acquiring a higher paying job within the month but left the details of the how up to Spirit. She was determined that the Universe would support her.

Because money is energy, it also responds to our thoughts. Again, as with all things, the thoughts we put out there that are rooted in our belief systems, and the emotions attached to them, create our reality. Jane realized that if she believed she “will never have enough money for the car” and she repeatedly told herself and others that, then she would never have enough money for that car. She knew that the Universe hears our thoughts and words and complies by creating that reality for us. Positive language was also another thing Jane had read about as being important to changing underlying beliefs and your experiences. She began to acknowledge all the negative phrases in her world about money – “money is the root of all evil”, “money doesn’t grow on trees” indicating its scarcity for her, and her frequent complaint that “money is the bane of my existence.” She changed her thoughts and language about money to positive ones such as “I always have enough money to meet my needs and more!” She even started writing “thank you for the money” on every bill she paid. She also started to invite the Universe to “show me the money!”

Jane not only was changing her belief system about herself but she was growing her trust in Spirit. She knew that “the Universe had her back.” She began to pray and talk to her Angels and Guides. Even if she did not “hear” answers, she knew they were listening. She also solicited support from friend’s and family. Once she could see it in herself and articulate to them that she was worth a higher paying job, they could see it in her as well. They encouraged her and supported her determination. No one suggested other options such as doing her sales job remotely or finding a backyard mechanic who might be able to coax a few more miles out of her broken car.

With time, and repetition, Jane’s new way of thinking and her beliefs about herself started to shift and felt more “normal” to her. The negative self talk and doubt that initially tried to creep in disappeared. She started to feel it with all her heart that she was worthy of more money. She believed it and she “just knew” she would have the money she needed to get her new vehicle. She started picturing herself driving it feeling like the proud owner and not like someone who was wishful of having something out of her reach. Then one day, it happened. She was between appointments when her cell phone rang. It was a competitor company to hers. They were looking for a regional salesperson and wondered if she was interested. Jane’s heart started to race as she listened to their offer of a salary almost double her current one and a better expenses reimbursement. She couldn’t believe what was happening and for just a moment self doubt started to creep in with the thought of “this is too good to be true.” With her newfound self discipline, she quickly pushed that thought from her mind and replaced it with

“Of course this is true. This is what I have been working towards and I deserve it!” So instead of questioning their motive, Jane asked a few more informed questions and accepted the job offer. She would start the following Monday which was the same day that she needed to return her friend’s car but she wasn’t worried about transportation. The new job included a company car to use for business and pleasure as long as she was employed there, and as the icing on the cake was that it was the same car, she had been seeing herself in! From that day forward, Jane refused to worry about money. Her newfound belief in her own worth and that money would always come to her created that reality for her.

What about you? Do you have a story like Jane’s? Have you come through the other side of the money woes? If you are stuck in them, can you take steps like Jane did to resolve them?

1. Recognize the issue.

2. See the patterns.

3. Identify the underlying belief.

4. Change the belief by taking determined action using reframing your thoughts, using gratitude, affirmations, and positive language.

5. Use your supports – friends, family, your Spirit team.

6. Allow yourself time for change, practice patience and gratitude for even the smallest step in the direction you want to go.

7. Know that you are there when you feel the shift in your heart and your reality and celebrate!

Here is one last thought about money… if we can change our reality about the flow of money in our lives, can we change it for others, for all of humanity? What would the world be like without money? What if we all believed in our own worth and that of others as equally valuable children of the Divine? What if we all had control of what happens in our lives and no one else had that control? What if what everyone owned, produced, and acquired was shared amongst our fellow human beings? What if we shared and supported each other motivated by love and good will instead of using money to control? Can you imagine the

beautiful stress free world without the worry, competition, and divisiveness money can and does bring into our world? Let’s take a step forward in a positive direction and realize money is only a tool for us to use. It does not dictate our worth or who we are. We do that with our beliefs, thoughts, and actions. So, I challenge you to take a journey like Jane’s. Examine your belief system, change your thoughts and actions, maintain control over your own life, let the money flow to you, and share. Make a change. You are worth it!

Lots of love and hugs,

Marilyn

Resources

If you would like to learn more about allowing money to flow in your life, here are a few resources I have found helpful:

Books:

Raise Your Vibration by Kyle Gray

Intuitive Counselling and Angel Card Readings

If you have the need for a helping hand to deal with issues with time, I am offering intuitive counselling and angel card readings online or in person (in Calgary).

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