Rethinking Money And Energy Exchange

As I reflect on money this morning, I realize how seriously warped my ideas about money are. It has nothing to do with greed or taking advantage of other people. Rather, my thoughts flow to memes I have incorporated into my being that limit the money and other blessings I allow to flow into my life. I realize I am my own worst energy block when it comes to receiving! 

The first meme that has created havoc in my life is the idea you have to put effort out in order to gain money. The meme in and of itself is not a bad concept. Life is about putting energy out and gaining it back in a never ending cycle. Energy exchange. That is the way it works. What is messed up is energy exchange as it relates to physical money. We have been taught that only certain actions are worthy of receiving money. The fact of the matter is, each and every one of us expends a good amount of energy doing things for other people, animals, the environment, etc. that we do not get paid for--often actions that are extremely valuable to life on planet Earth.

A good many problems in our world are the direct result of believing only certain occupations are worthy of receiving money for. If the energy you put out is not on the list of jobs that can earn income, you are considered lazy and good for nothing. Ironically, much of this can be the exact same energy output as what we actually do every day. For example, you get actual money for taking care of elderly people in the nursing home. However, take care of your elderly parent in your home fulltime and get nothing back in return (except the knowledge you are providing for someone you love). Is this right? Is this fair? Granted, it all needs to be done. My point here is, we expend positive energy and should receive positive energy back. We allow society to dictate what we can receive back. Blessings blocked!

Our beliefs about income earning jobs are also warped because we value certain jobs much more highly than other jobs. That's why workers at places like Walmart and McDonald's get paid minimum wage and high level managers at corporations get paid millions of dollars. The basic idea here is that "brain power" should be much more highly paid than manual labor. After all, anyone can do physical labor. Not everyone is intelligent. Right?

I'm going to call BS on this idea right now! We are all gifted in our own ways. If we are putting our energy out in the world in positive ways, shouldn't we expect to see it come back to us as a liveable wage? We need to become a people so conscious of our actions that we value the contributions each of us makes to society, even if those actions are currently deemed selfish--like taking care of an older parent or our children! We need to understand that taking care of our own families often has even greater value than taking care of people outside our families because we are also loving, valuing and honoring the ones we take care of! We need to understand that flipping burgers at a restaurant has value! We need to understand that collecting others' trash has value! Even a simple smile has the power to make another's day better! We need to be a people who understand what REAL value is!!!     

The next meme that has created problems for me is "Do no harm". While this, too, is largely a good meme, I am one of those people who takes it to the extreme. I want to be sure that the energy that comes back to me is good, untainted energy. I am very conscious of my actions towards others, animals and the planet. What creates problems for me here is my prejudgment of situations and potential outcomes. 

For example, in my part-time retail job, we are encouraged to have our customers apply for credit. For each person we get to apply, we get a couple extra dollars on our paychecks. I have very definite ideas about credit and indebtedness being the very institution that creates modern-day slaves. Consequently, I do not get all that many credit applications. I do, however, find it interesting how several of my young, high school aged coworkers get lots of credit applications. I attribute their success to the fact they do not prejudge the impact applying for credit is going to have on the other person's life.

What I usually fail to recognize when I prejudge a situation is that there are often consequences I do not anticipate. I do not know what others came here to learn! Maybe one of the lessons they signed up for was to face hardships when they got themselves into too much debt! The point is, when I fail to offer someone else a certain experience, I may not actually be helping them. I am also denying myself the blessings the situation may be able to bring me. 

Our world is seriously twisted in so many ways. We are here to help bring it back into balance. It is only by questioning the status quo that we can make the changes that benefit the whole. Money and energy exchange play such a huge role in our lives on planet Earth today. Isn't it time we rethought how it functions so that it is much more fair and balanced as well? By doing so, we have the potential to create a life of abundance and prosperity for all!

~CSE

The Choice

There comes a point in our lives when we all have to make a choice. That choice is to follow the way of the mind or the way of the heart. While neither choice is good or bad in and of itself, they involve two very different ways of functioning--two different ways of BEing. That said, the outcomes of both ways of existence are very different.

The way of the mind is living within your programming. You are born with specific genetic birth parents, which determines certain characteristics about you. You are then raised in a family or tribe that places you within certain parameters.. These parameters separate and divide us from each other and include things like culture, religion, country, gender, etc. As we grow up, we are taught the boundaries and limitations of each parameter, which shapes the way we think and act. Quite often, we learn to identify ourselves by these parameters. We also use those parameters to identify and classify others. While we function in the present, living through the mind can also encompass visiting the past and future as well. Many of us are quite happy living within these frameworks of separation.

The way of the heart is living through a natural and internal guidance system which is accessed through the heart. Instead of being shaped by outside forces, it gains wisdom and understanding by connecting to all things through an internal source. It is nonjudgmental, basing its choices on instruction coming directly from this heart connection where all wisdom and knowledge exists. The heart functions in the now, but is not dependent on time. Past, present, and future exist simultaneously within the heart, even while living in the moment. It is a very different way of thinking--a very different way of BEing. It is a state of living in flow. While we sometimes are able to exist within this space, for most of us the instances are rare.

At some point in life we encounter situations that make us question all those values we have been taught within the framework of the mind. These are choice points. They are experiences where you can BEcome something different than what you have always known. They usually occur when something out of the ordinary happens--job loss, death, illness, etc.--although they can happen at less pivotal times as well. The point is, you have come to a place in your life where you are jolted into the realization that your mind programming does not fit the situation comfortably. Most of us are so ingrained with our mind programs that we continue to look for (and find) solutions that come from that way of thinking. Understand that we when find solutions by thinking with the mind, the problem will eventually come back. It may come back in slightly different form, but it always comes back.

The choice is about making the transition from living through the mind to living through the heart. It is not an easy transition as, for most of us, it means letting go of what we think we know. Still, the more we can learn to think and act from the heart, the more we will begin to make decisions based on what is good for the collective instead of our separate selves. We are able to find our place in flow. We are empowered to live in abundance and blessing. We become examples to show others the way.

~CSE

     

Where Does Creativity Come From?

Often, we look around at the successful people in the world and wonder where they came up with the ideas that have brought them abundance. The entrepreneur, the artist, the healer, etc. all seem to blessed with the inner know-how that brings accomplishment into their lives. What is the difference between those who are successful and those who are not? One word: heart!

What most people see as creativity is actually the unseen connection prosperous people have to their hearts! Knowingly or unknowingly, these people are tuned in to what makes them happy and how they can use their gifts and talents to make them even more happy. They spend a great deal of time in their hearts exploring various ways they can use their gifts and talents to enrich themselves and the world. This is creativity at it's best!!! When you are in your heart, the ideas you can connect to are virtually limitless.

Now that you know this, how can you get into your heart in order to tap into this creativity? Here's a list of things you can do to help get started.

How To Increase Creativity

1. Meditate daily! Take time every day to get into your heart and allow yourself to explore who you are and where your particular gifts, talents and callings reside. As you become increasingly familiar with yourself, ideas should begin to flow.
2. Look at the world through the eyes of a child! Children are curious and like to explore what they don't understand. As an added bonus, everything is interesting and exciting no matter how many times it happens. As adults, we can become so jaded by those everyday experiences we tune them out and miss information in the process. Allow yourself to see what is possible in everyday situations. You might just see something new that can be worked with!
3. Get out of your rut! Creativity requires doing things in new ways! Change up the way you drive to work. Take up a new hobby you think you might enjoy. Explore a new recipe. Learn to change the oil in your car. Any activity that allows you to see life from a new angle can assist you in getting those creative juices flowing!
4. Be willing to take risks! Part of creativity is doing something in new or unusual ways. Yes, there is always the possibility of failure, but failing and making mistakes are not bad things. They're learning things. Keep going! It took Thomas Edison over 1000 tries before he created a successful light bulb! Ask yourself what the world would be like if he had stopped at 999?
5. Ask for divine help! There are times in life when we all feel a bit stuck. Ask your angels to guide you to the right place or send someone into your life that will make it clear what direction you need to focus on. They will usually give you sign after sign after sign (coincidences you might call them) until you figure out that this is the clue you have been waiting for.

Creativity is not limited to the lucky and intelligent few. We all have the ability to create positive change in our lives. Allow yourself to connect within to unleash the creative power in you!

~CSE

Don't Settle!!!

I was very happy as a young child. I smiled a lot. I made friends easily. I was usually the one who came up with the game plan for what the group did. Life was good as I followed my heart and the blessings flowed.

As I got older, doubt crept in. People I loved and looked up to "put me in my place". It was not up to me to be in charge. My ideas were not the only ones that were good. While such ideas were true, they also made me feel bad about the choices I made. I stopped following my heart, no longer believing in myself. There were times I was still happy, but only occasionally.

The lowest point in my life was when I divorced. At that time, my life was not my own and had not been my own for a long time. I was a dedicated wife and mother who did everything for everyone else except me. By the time my husband left I felt totally empty and used up, a shell of my former self. It took me over ten years to build myself back up to the point I felt I was once again worthy to receive.  

Most of our problems in life stem from not loving ourselves enough to accept the love and other blessings we truly deserve! We are often broken and abused, and somehow we are convinced it is because something inside us is unworthy. This is a lie!!!

We are all beautiful, powerful and infinite beings!!! At no time are we unworthy to receive the abundance and blessings the Universe wants to bestow on us. What stops us is we ourselves!!! We are our own worst enemies.

Don't settle for second best!!! Allow yourself to follow your dreams and your heart!!! Be open to the blessings the Universe has in store for you!!! Be bold enough to ask for them!!! You are worth it!!!

~CSE