The Value Of Money

I saw a meme being promoted in social media the other day. It was written to promote a conservative political agenda, but as I looked at what was said it dawned on me that is was based on our current system of valuing money--a system I believe to be highly flawed. Regardless, it made me ask myself some hard questions.

The post read as follows:

• FASCISM: The government orders you to give the fruits of your labors to others. If you refuse, the government arrests you.
• COMMUNISM: The government takes the fruits of your labors and gives them to others. If you refuse, the government arrests you.
• SOCIALISM: The government politely takes the fruits of your labors and gives them to others. If you refuse, the government arrests you.
• DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM: At the request of 51% of the voters, the government politely takes the fruits of your labors and gives them to others. If you refuse, the government arrests you.

It was obviously written to make people angry that their value/energy/money is being forcibly taken and given to others who "don't deserve it." My question is, if our money became worthless tomorrow, how would we go about getting the goods and services we need? 

The most logical answer would be to barter. It would be easy for the actual producers of goods and services to get the resources they needed. Farmers, doctors, furniture makers, etc. would be in the clear. What about teachers, social workers, and garbage collectors? How would all that work? I believe the powers that be want us to think it would all end up in chaos and that a state of martial law would have to be proclaimed. I personally believe humans are much better than that.

At the present time, there are people who give value/energy every day that do not get paid for it in money. Many caregivers take care of their own children or an elderly parent with no energy given back for it in return. What about the starving artist, who has talent but requires people with loads of money to buy his work? Should he be forced to use his energy in a job field that does pay money but does not use his talents? What such circumstances say to me is that our value system has gotten seriously warped. Why are we not allowed to use our gifts and energy in meaningful ways--in ways that make our hearts sing with purpose?

When we limit the value of money/energy with society's current norms, we limit who we allow ourselves to BE. Most of us go through life running on a hamster wheel, working hard but going nowhere because our energy/value/money ends up in the hands of a relative few. It often takes real creativity to build yourself a niche where you can get paid to do something you love.

It is time to think differently about what money is and what earning it should mean (as opposed to what it means at present). When we solve this problem, it will no longer be about having our energy/value stolen from us. It will be a mutually beneficial giving and receiving that will bring peace and prosperity to all.

~CSE

On Finding Love

I was very broken when my first marriage ended. I invested everything I had in that relationship, and somehow it was still not enough. In the end I felt like a shell of my former self, empty and lifeless. It took several long months before I could appreciate my giving nature enough to realize that I deserved to receive as well. At that point I began looking for a relationship that was more worthy of me. It took over ten years to find it.

I made some interesting discoveries along the way. While I met and went out with a lot of people, there were only two besides my current husband that I really had any sort of relationship with. It took about two months with each of them before I realized they were not what I was looking for.

With my first husband, I felt like I knew him from the very first date (at this point I definitely believe I did know him before). We meshed from the beginning, and I felt extremely comfortable with him. At the time I thought being comfortable was a good thing--like that meant we were supposed to be together. What I now understand is that we were vibrating at a similar frequency, but that wasn't necessarily a good frequency for either one of us to be in or aspire to.

The first brief relationship I encountered during my days as a single mom began really well. He was intelligent and very handsome, successful and ambitious. He believed in working hard and playing hard. He had the money to treat me to dinner at nice restaurants and concerts, and we had fun together. This man had many of the characteristics I believed I wanted in a relationship. He was also proud and perfectionistic with very little sense of humor, and expected to be doted on. I never got around to introducing him to my kids because on some level I really didn't think he could handle them. It dawned on me after spending two months with him that he treated me much like my ex-husband had. When I realized that, I broke off the relationship.

The second relationship seemed a little more promising initially. He asked for my input, had a wonderful sense of humor and even was a good father to his own son. After a while though, I began catching him hiding important details (also something that had happened with my ex). Again, I realized the relationship was not where I needed it to be, so I broke things off.

I appreciate both men and the opportunities I had to explore these relationships. Even though they did not work out in the long run, both taught me things about myself I needed to know. Both taught me things I needed to look for in a healthy relationship. In those respects, these relationships helped heal some of what was broken in me, and I am truly and profoundly grateful.

My relationship with my current husband actually did not begin all that well. Before we began dating, I knew he was a kind and strong person that I admired. What I didn't anticipate was how strange it would feel to be treated well. Because I was not used to it, I initially pushed it away because it made me uncomfortable!!! Fortunately, I was able to analyze my discomfort enough to recognize what was causing it. I forced myself to live through the initial discomfort until I was used to being treated this way.

With everything I've learned, the most important is this: we receive the treatment we believe we deserve. If you find yourself being used and abused by others, understand there are underlying self esteem issues. At that point, it is important to look at yourself with new eyes. Focus on your good qualities and ask yourself if you are receiving back what you give out. When you begin to appreciate and understand your own value, so will everyone else.

Love is always out there for us if we are willing to step out and demand something more!

~CSE

Energy Exchange And The State Of BEing

I smiled as a kid. A lot. I was pretty happy, but I also knew the power of a smile. Smiles opened doors. A confident smile allowed me to walk in to any group or social situation and be accepted. There were also many occasions where I found I could pass along my smile to someone who was sad or in pain. My smile could make people feel better. Genuine smiles contain immense positive energy, and it was this energy I freely shared and accepted back from the people I shared them with.

My smiles were a form of energy exchange. There are many such exchanges we make with other people every day. We also exchange energy with animals, plants and even Mother Earth. Most of these energy exchanges we pay no attention to because we are not consciously aware of their value. However, there are many cases where it would be difficult to live without such exchanges.

Let me give an example. A cotton farmer plants his fields, nurtures the land and his crop and harvests this resource. The farmer expends his energy with this work and is rewarded back with a commodity he can then sell to a mill to make into threads and eventually into cloth and clothing. 

Our money system is a form of energy exchange. Typically we put in some sort of energy at a job (usually a thought process and/or physical labor) and we receive back cash we then use to pay our bills. The problem with this system is that it is highly limited. Only certain actions are considered worthy of money, and only under certain conditions. Much of the energy we put out into the world is never acknowledged--like my smiles--and never given a monetary value. 

It's silly to put a price on a smile, right?

The right smile can change the world! In my lifetime, I have managed to get smiles back from people who you would never believe had a smile in them! A smile can give hope, courage, joy, love, peace, acceptance. It can give another person that little something that helps them cope and move forward. In very real ways, smiles can give others much needed energy!

Sit back and think about all the things you do during the course of the day. Maybe you exchange a quick kiss with your wife or husband or child as you head to your job. Maybe you stop at the local coffee shop for a quick coffee and chat with the barista. Maybe you interact with coworkers in an effort to solve a problem that will propel the business further.  Maybe you make dinner for your family so you can spend a little time talking about their days. Did you share a smile or a laugh with someone? Did you do something to touch someone's heart? Did someone do something to touch your heart? How did you feel? How did other's feel?

Every day, we go about our lives without a thought to all the ways we give to others and receive from others in return. This energy we put out into the world is who we are--the very essence of BEing!!! Our BEing creates value in the world, and yet we don't get paid for most of it. We don't even get acknowledged for it!!!

Tell me. What is the worth of a smile? When we understand the answer to that question, the world will change in very profound and powerful ways! 

~CSE