Message from Joan
I think that many people are feeling the energetic effects of
the chaos that now prevails on the planet. There are times,
when it seems trivial to focus on individual problems and money
worries when people are fighting for their lives in so many
parts of the world.
Because we live in a dualistic reality, good and bad always
coexist. It might seem to those of us who yearn for peace and
security that the bad is overcoming the good and that peace is
a far-off dream.
But as the chaos intensifies, and I believe it will, and it
seems like the ego drives of our leaders are leading us into
more and more danger, each of us has the choice to find a place
of peace within ourselves and to stay focused on our individual
purpose and how we can grow and prosper together.
The chaos can only diminish if a majority of the people on our
planet are willing to let go of fear, anger, intolerance, and
need for retribution. We are the bearers of peace if we can let
go of our ego needs and selfish cravings, because those are
what lies at the base of the current chaos.
The good side of the chaos is that it allows for the breaking
up of old patterns and the establishing of a new way of living.
All we need to do is hold tight and learn to love ourselves and
those who come into our lives.
The message was clear oh so many years ago and it still applies
today--love is the healer.
Check out the Love Yourself Exercises at
http://prosperityplace.com/articles/love_urself.html
Joan
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Article:
Using Money As a Spiritual Practice
Does the idea of using money as a spiritual practice seem odd
to you? It probably does if you hold the belief that it isn't
spiritual to be concerned about money. Or perhaps you believe
that money, or the desire for money, is the root of all evil.
The fact is that money is a very powerful force that we have
to deal with on a daily basis. How we deal with it can be the
cornerstone of a deep spiritual practice.
Money, by itself, has no energy or meaning. It is just pieces
of paper or metal coins. But money is never used by itself. It
has to pass between two people or entities. When it does, it
takes on a lot of energy and meaning.
>>What Qualifies as a Spiritual Practice.
Before we continue, I'd like to define what I think qualifies
as a spiritual practice.
For me, a spiritual practice is an activity or state of being
that allows me to travel into deeper dimensions of myself and
understand who or what I am. A spiritual practice helps me
gain a deeper understanding of the nature of reality and what
my place is in the total scheme of things.
Meditation is a traditional spiritual practice, as are prayer,
fasting, quiet retreats, silence, giving service to others,
chanting, various forms of yoga, etc. You might qualify these
as internal activities.
Money and activities surrounding money, on the other hand, are
usually considered an external force. We talk about worldly
goods and activities as opposed to spiritual values when we
think about money. Except when we talk about charity and
giving money away. Then dealing with money takes on a
spiritual quality.
>>Money on Your Mind
Most people I talk to think about money often and have deep
feelings that the thought of money generates. People plan,
worry, fret, panic and scheme about money. They long for, pray
for, and wish for money. Money is often seen as the solution
to
a wide variety of problems and a ticket to freedom.
If you think a lot about money and have strong money feelings,
then why not take your money thoughts and feelings and let
them work for you in a positive way that will lead you on a
path to self-knowledge and inner development.
You can use money and how you deal with it to help you
understand the laws of creation and to help you become a
co-creator with the Universal Force.
Here are some suggestions for using money as a spiritual
practice.
1. Pay attention to your money feelings and thoughts.
Because money is a symbol of energy passing between two
people, it is a symbol of the energy of relationship. How you
deal with money is how you deal with your relationship with
yourself and others. Examining your money feelings and seeing
how they represent your relationship with yourself can be
quite revealing.
Whenever you use money or deal with finances become aware of
your thoughts and feelings. Pay attention to what is going on
inside of you and don't push the thoughts and feelings away.
If there is discomfort, stay with the feeling and ask yourself
what you are feeling about yourself.
2. Tune into a greater reality via market and financial
indicators.
Stock market fluctuations and other financial indicators are a
way of tuning into the emotions of the population of a country
and even the world. The ups and downs of the market are a
reflection of the emotional state of a country. Learn about
the environment in which you function by tuning into the
markets.
If you involve yourself in the stock market, you can begin to
understand yourself as a member of a larger reality. Your
actions and emotions can affect the whole, just as each of the
other parts of the whole can affect you.
Use the markets to tune into the flow of money energy on the
planet. You will begin to understand, on a deep level, the
creative force that money provides.
3. Use money as a creative force.
No matter how much, or how little, money you have, you can put
it to good use both for yourself and others. By using money
consciously and with great awareness and always looking for
direction from your inner guidance -- whatever form that
takes -- you can use money creatively. If you do use it
consciously and with awareness, that in itself, is part of a
spiritual practice.
4. Give money away.
Giving money away provides many opportunities for spiritual
growth. Sharing what you have with others allows you to
examine your values, your beliefs about what is possible and
your levels of faith. It will help you understand how you set
boundaries and how you choose to contribute to the community
of which you are a part.
5. Use money to measure how you value yourself.
When you truly love, accept, appreciate, acknowledge and value
yourself, when you are willing to take care of yourself and
support yourself on every level, when you love yourself enough
to forgive others and let go of old hurts, then you will have
a free flow of money and the sense of freedom it can bring.
For specific instructions that will help you follow up on
all of these suggestions, read Build Your Money Muscles:
Nine Simple Exercises for Improving Your Relationship with
Money.
http://ProsperityPlace.com/bymm/
