work done.
Money Connects Us
We are taught to compete for money. Yet it is clearly more effective to see money as something that connects us, rather than something that separates us. It is a symbol of appreciation for the value we add. This can be a powerful paradigm shift that can help you clarify how to create more wealth in your life. Seeing money as something that connects us with one another has significant implications personally, in business, socially and even geopolitically. Applying this principle to your life can help you improve the way you understand and use money. It can open you up to new possibilities by helping you see opportunities to add value in every area of your life.
Take a look at your own example. How does the money you receive from the value you add connect you to others? If you’ve started your own business, how does your new enterprise and your profits impact your community? If you work for a large corporation, how does the value you add impact the corporation’s bottom-line, and what impact does this have on the economy and eventually your salary? If you’re working in the home, how does your work support others who are then able to attract money? In raising children, how does your parenting shape your children, and how does this add value to society? How does what we teach children today increase their capacity to add value to others in exchange for money tomorrow? How does the money you spend shopping connect you to others? Why do you choose to reward one brand or product over another? What added value are you willing to exchange more of your money for? How could improving your financial situation impact others? How could your having financial problems impact others?
Do you see how money connects us all? We are all connected through the value we add to one another. If you wish to attract more money you will need to figure out how to increase or improve the focus of your own energy (physical, mental, creative, etc.) and create more value to add to others. This is a core dynamic in the spirit of innovation; it’s how we attract money. Your ability to use this concept can lead you to see and honor the true value, or the potential value, of your unique abilities. Unique abilities are simply the things you do best that provide the most value to others. Knowing what they are can help you stay focused on the best way to add value to others, and consequently attract more money with greater ease.
“It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
An Inspiring View of Money:
•Money is symbol of appreciation, a gesture of goodwill
•Taking care of your prosperity is paying attention to the energy reserves that you need to get work done, to fulfill your life purpose or calling
•Money flows to those who give more in use value than they give in cash value. Money flows based on the exchange of energy. If we give more value to others the natural flow is to attract more energy to us, in the form of money, vitality or some other form of energy.
Exercise - Money is Energy
Before you set out on your journey, it will be important that you clearly grasp what has drawn you to the adventure. What do you want your money to do for you? To bring this into focus we invite you to copy the sentence below into your Inspired Wealth Journal and fill in the blank as fully and specifically as you can. This will help you put aside your old ways for the new and exciting pathways of the Inspired Wealth Quest.
Since I see money as a form of energy (the ability to get work done), I want my money to_______________ for me.”
Some of our clients’ responses:
•I want my money to make my life easier - less work and stress for me.
•I want my money to protect those I love from the pain of financial hardship.
•I want my money to allow me to experience travel with the confidence that I can afford it.
•I want my money to enable me to say yes freely to projects that excite me.
•I want my money to facilitate a richer experience of life.
•I want my money to allow me to take more risks with greater safety in the direction of my dreams.
•I want my money to expand the human capital of each member of my family so we can all discover our potential.
Reflect on your own answer: do you want your money to help you move toward something or away from something? Are you creating or escaping? Is what you want your money to do for you sustainable, does it honor your whole being: body, mind and soul? Does it increase your capacity to add value to others?
Aileen:
When I work with clients on a financial plan, I help them create a “Money Filter.” This is a sentence, which clarifies what they want their money to do for them. For example, Samantha and Rick’s money filter was: “We want our money to enable us to have meaningful life experiences with confidence.” This statement became the filter through which their decisions about money passed. It was particularly eye opening for them to measure their spending in this way. Was what they were spending their family’s resources on bringing them more meaningful experiences and greater confidence? In many cases it was not. The money filter helped them focus on their intentions for money and was simple enough for them to do without much effort. They began testing all of their energy output through this filter and recognized that many of their activities were robbing them of the time and resources to pursue more meaningful experiences in life. More than that, the experiences that they were having were often undermined by the insecurity they felt by their weakening financial situation. This new awareness lead the couple to understand how important a strong financial foundation was to their ability to “have meaningful life experiences with confidence.” The result was that saving money became easier for Samantha and Rick, because they realized that feeling confident was more important to them than having “more.”
The Climber’s Voice:
“One day I realized I wanted to climb a mountain. This desire grew quietly, initially in the form of a faint whisper from a deep place within my soul. It sort of came out of the blue, but once I heard it, I knew it was a need to learn more about who I was and what I was made of: my heart, my character, my commitment. The decision to climb was pivotal in my life. I can only explain the feeling as a deep desire to feel fully alive. Intuitively, I knew that whatever it cost me in time, energy and money to listen to this voice, it was going to be far less than what I stood to gain. I knew that if I could do this one thing - I could do anything, and that this experience would increase my capacity to add value to everything I did after that.”
Now that you understand that money is energy, the remaining principles will teach you financial leadership from within: they will guide you in using money intentionally to create the life you desire.
Principle #2 The Truth Will Set You Free
✓In All Learning Knowing Where to Begin is Essential
✓Internal Integrity is an Opportunity
✓Learn the Truth About Your Money
To achieve your goals and dreams you will need to take a close look at your starting place. Without a truthful understanding of your financial foundation, you could set
