Spirituality & Money

“What we really want to do is what we are really meant to do.
When we do what we are meant to do, money comes to us,
doors open for us, we feel useful, and the work we do feels like play to us.”
- Julia Cameron (author and filmmaker)

How is money spiritual?
If you're asking that question, then chances are, you've had some ideas about money in your life that weren't benefiting you. I know I did. I grew up in a religious household where giving money to the church was considered very spiritual, but having lots of money was a different story. If I had nickel for every time I heard "Blessed are the poor" during my years of Catholic school, I would have graduated high school a millionaire! My parents spoke with disdain of others who had lots of money as if the act of being wealthy meant they were automatically corrupt. If you've heard the phrase "Money is the root of all evil," then you know what I'm talking about.

Money is money. At present, it is the accepted form of currency for obtaining goods and services you need or desire. Awhile back, it was chickens and goats, today it's money. Maybe back then it was said that chickens were the root of all evil but I doubt it. I think the key is keeping your life in line with your values, and I don't believe if you do this that abundance of money is any different than abundance of love or health (and you usually don't see people criticized for having too much health or love). For instance, if I value friends and family, then having money allows me to focus on these things even more (e.g. staying home with the kids, flying to visit relatives, take family vacations, etc.) Winning the lotto would not make me suddenly think, "You know, I've always wanted to try being a meth addict and now I can do that. Yeah!" If you are stable in your values, then money is another way to foster growth and yes, I absolutely believe this can be quite spiritual. A great book on this top is Money and the Law of Attraction by Esther and Jerry Hicks.

There is a quote that says, "Don't tell me what your priorities are. Show me where you spend your money and I'll tell you what they are." I love this because it's true. I looked at what I bought today - lunch for my kids and airline tickets to take my son to visit my family - and felt really good about the purchases (despite the cost of flying these days). Okay, I also bought a Peppermint Patty just for me, but the quote is still true, because I do value chocolate!

You Get More When You Give More
As most of you know who follow the blog, I'm a huge believer in the law of attraction, which basically means that the life you have around you now is your own creation and it is created by the power of your thoughts. If you don't like how your life looks, then change your thinking and this applies to money too. For instance, people who always complain about debt and focus on how many bills they have tend to always have a reason to complain. "The rich get richer" is this same principle in the opposite direction. In my coaching practice, I've heard, "Well, of course I could do [insert desired goal] if only I had the money." NO! This is negative thinking and pushes you even further from your goal. If you take steps toward whatever your desired goal is (and that goal is in line with your personal values), the money will come.

This power of intention - the intention to manifest money - is amplified when you give it away. You are telling the universe that you have plenty and know you will receive more - and the universe responds to you. If you let it flow out, it flows back in. Conversely, if you hold onto money so tightly out of fear that no more will come, the universe responds to that as well and it won't come. I have friends of various religious beliefs who give to their churches and other friends who give to different charitable organizations, so again, do what is in line with your own values. I'm not saying to give more than you can - such as not paying your rent or mortgage in order to make a donation, but most people can do a small amount. Or give something valuable that isn't monetary such as clothes, furniture, etc. Give your old baby items to a mother that is just starting out, give your old computer to a school that needs it, etc. Give your time - time is one of the most valuable things there is. Volunteer. Get creative with being generous.

When my husband and I first finished graduate school with several hundred thousand dollars in student loans between us, he would watch me write my little $15 and $20 checks to charities and say, "What are you doing? Do you know how much we owe?" I would always remind him that we had food on the table and clothes in our closet and therefore had plenty. The checks we write are bigger now, but the underlying values are exactly the same. As the CFO of the household, I still have times when I feel like things are tight. When my son ended up needing new glasses last week, my first thought was, "oh great, $300, just what we need right now." I immediately caught myself having a negative thought and got online right then and there to donate money to one of my favorite charities. I told the universe that I had plenty. I then visualized random checks coming in the mail (another one of my intention experiments mentioned in a prior post), and told my husband to watch for them. This was Thursday and we have gotten 3 checks in the mail in the last 5 days (2 of them were completely random and 1 was expected at some point but we weren't sure exactly when it would come). Not huge checks - but still, checks that more than covered the eyeglasses!

So, try this: Write down your top 3 values (health, spirituality, family, career, travel, learning, etc.) Is the life you are currently living in line with those values? If not, reassess. If so, good for you. Practice telling the universe how grateful you are for all the abundance you have (in all areas, not just money) and watch the universe respond by giving you more. Until next time...