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I haven’t been in touch lately with you, my subscribers, except to notify you of the launching of my new book. You deserve an explanation. My son, Justin, was diagnosed with a terminal brain disease called Frontotemporal Degeneration in April of 2019. At the beginning of this year he declined rapidly, and he passed away in May. A link to his obituary. It has been hard to write about, talk about and live with, as you can imagine. Gradually working back into my book project was one of the ways I could spend my time where I was able to shift my attention to something other than my grief. I’d like to let you in on one of the ways I found to lighten and process the grief. Actually, there are many ways we receive help in crisis, from family, friends, support groups, books, spiritual teachers, chaplains and counselors to name some. This one practice anyone can implement anytime. Establish a ritual. Do it before any crisis. One thing that is certain; we all will have a crisis, or crises at some point. When you have a ritual that you are already practicing, you have something that gives you comfort and is nourishing, and for a small time, relieves you of pain. It may be devotion to your spiritual practices, but it may be something else. It ought to be an activity that takes you away from your normal thoughts, away from your chattering ego. Your ego is like a demanding child always wanting attention and control, full of judgements and self-pity. A ritual can invite your inner self, your higher consciousness, your soul, a connection to something much bigger than yourself, into your awareness. Peace is found there. The obvious ritual is prayer and/or meditation. But it could be reading poetry and sitting in contemplation of it. A ritual that encourages mindfulness. You could just focus on your senses, like sitting in nature listening to the sounds, feeling the air on your skin. Or create a ceremonial practice of a tea ritual, done with intention, purposeful with mindfulness. A walking meditation is lovely also, while reciting a mantra or prayers. Once you’ve decided on your ritual, do it every day in the same place and at the same time, if possible. You are creating a groove in your daily life which will invite a tranquil energy to fill you. Your physiology will become trained to shift into this perspective. You will look forward to it. It won’t be another to-do, it will be a break from your busy life, a rewarding time that will fill you with insight and inspiration. As Deepak Chopra says, if you are too busy for this, then you really need it! As you do this, while in a crisis, it may happen that emotions arise, and that is OK. Certainly. Allow them to flow up and out, wait until they dissipate, and return to your mantra. I embraced my meditation and prayer ritual with all my heart as I cared for myself in my grief, and still do. I wanted to share this with all of you, because I want you to have this skill for yourself, when you need it. I see so much suffering in others that could be helped by this practice. Here is my 13 minute recording on how and why to meditate just below my Hay House interview. Enjoy. I’m excited to share below the first Editorial Review for The Money Map! 5 STARS! And I feel a deep appreciation to all of you who have already bought this book. You’ve been giving me wonderful feedback. To Your Prosperity and Wellbeing, Kasey Claytor
THE MONEY MAP: A Spiritual Guide for Financial Success By Kasey J. Claytor ISBN: 978-0-692-89050-9 ASIN: B0CHG8ZBYM Osprey Publishing Rating: 5/5; Highly Recommended! “…”There is something magical about money—the way it appears and disappears, grows and shrinks, and, in a similar way of taming a hesitant wild horse, with calm assuredness and confidence, not only will you learn to control it, but you will find you can joyfully master it.” -Author Kasey J. Claytor Claytor offers insight on how one can change their thinking and behavior to allow the floodgates of abundance to open up, with solid advice for achieving undivided focus, intelligent poise, and a competent thought technique. She asserts that everyone can step outside of themselves and hold the point of view of the observer. If one is mindful and aware of their present moment, they can move toward much-needed peace and confidence, allowing the growth of new ideas and productivity. The route to monetary independence may appear too steep to ascend, but The Money Map will guide readers to the summit, one checkpoint at a time. This book’s eye-opening revelations about the mindsets of affluent people and its secrets to what they carry inwardly, earn it must-read status in the business resources category. The Money Map: A Spiritual Guide for Financial Success will provide readers with invaluable advice, standing beside such works as Spiral Dynamics by Dr. Don Edward Beck Ph. D., Map of the Scale of Consciousness by Dr. David Hawkins M.D. Ph. D., and Integral Psychology by Ken Wilbur. The Money Map will aid anyone in discovering the most beneficial path to financial success, regardless of their current situation….” |
AVAILABLE NOW ON AMAZON
The Art of Raising Your Money Consciousness
COMING THIS FALL!
THE MONEY MAP
A Spiritual Guide for Financial Success
Finding success, happiness, and prosperity should be easier than ever given the proliferation of self-help books and coaching. Yet with countless people reading, studying, and attending workshops, many still find themselves just scraping by financially. It’s clearly time to find a fresh approach. Instead of looking outward for answers, I suggest a reset that combines both the spiritual and financial sides of life. Let’s raise your level of Money Consciousness. You can create incremental shifts forward, and even feel awe at the magical, unlimited universe that connects us all.
A consciousness-based approach to growth in any area includes incorporating aspects of the universe with a deeper understanding of the qualities of spirit and mind. It also includes having an awareness of the physical world with an eye toward how we perceive it from our ego to our shared humanity. And of course, you need to be open to guidance specifically as it relates to your financial life.
It is possible to become financially secure and confident. Financial topics needn’t be dry, complex, or esoteric. Our capacity for experiencing abundance is already woven into the fabric of our multi-dimensional lives.
Self-knowledge is key. It’s important to see where you are right now and you can do that by looking at yourself on three levels: spiritually, physically and financially.
Who Am I?
Spiritually – This is the greatest mystery. Just as it is essential to research investment strategies, different types of mortgages, and what kinds of cars to buy, it is also essential to research the nature of reality and how it works. What laws seem to govern life? Are there any rules at all?
More importantly, we can begin the research of who we really are—each one of us. Sages and scientists’ explorations and discoveries of the universe have shown us our inter-connectedness and our infinite, unlimited, multi-dimensional selves. Being reminded, or being shown for the first time, the great matrix of which everyone is a part is very uplifting, and inspires us to feel bigger than we might have before.
Soul evolution and quantum shifts in consciousness are possible through meditation, self-reflection, and self-inquiry. Investigate by continuing to ask, “Who am I?”.
Materially – Ask what has been created in your life and why? Just where do you want to be? What do you want from the physical world? Do you have opposing beliefs; for example, desiring prosperity but believing rich people are corrupt? Go out into the world with specific tasks to unmask some of these hidden beliefs. Could guilt or resentment be holding your prosperity back?
What do you truly, deep in your heart, want? Look at your family and other people in your life and society; what messages did you receive from them? What were your first messages about money? How does the world look, safe, scary, or chaotic? What are the default beliefs that form a basis for your experience? In looking at your goals think about what that goal represents, what is the essence of it? (Which is the real desire!)
Financially – What are your financial goals and how can you stretch your idea of numbers. How much is enough? What is the real purpose here? There are three types of people in relationship to money: the saver, the spender, and the controller. Each has attributes that are beneficial, and each type can be successful. The problems arise when one type becomes out of balance. Without balance and wellbeing, a saver may become a hoarder, a spender will go broke, and a controller won’t take any risk at all. Knowing which type you are can enable you to find your balance.
Finding success, happiness, and prosperity should be easier than ever given the proliferation of self-help books and coaching. Yet with countless people reading, studying, and attending workshops, many still find themselves just scraping by financially. It’s clearly time to find a fresh approach. Instead of looking outward for answers, I suggest a reset that combines both the spiritual and financial sides of life. Let’s raise your level of Money Consciousness. You can create incremental shifts forward, and even feel awe at the magical, unlimited universe that connects us all.
A consciousness-based approach to growth in any area includes incorporating aspects of the universe with a deeper understanding of the qualities of spirit and mind. It also includes having an awareness of the physical world with an eye toward how we perceive it from our ego to our shared humanity. And of course, you need to be open to guidance specifically as it relates to your financial life.
It is possible to become financially secure and confident. Financial topics needn’t be dry, complex, or esoteric. Our capacity for experiencing abundance is already woven into the fabric of our multi-dimensional lives.
Self-knowledge is key. It’s important to see where you are right now and you can do that by looking at yourself on three levels: spiritually, physically and financially.
Who Am I?
Spiritually – This is the greatest mystery. Just as it is essential to research investment strategies, different types of mortgages, and what kinds of cars to buy, it is also essential to research the nature of reality and how it works. What laws seem to govern life? Are there any rules at all?
More importantly, we can begin the research of who we really are—each one of us. Sages and scientists’ explorations and discoveries of the universe have shown us our inter-connectedness and our infinite, unlimited, multi-dimensional selves. Being reminded, or being shown for the first time, the great matrix of which everyone is a part is very uplifting, and inspires us to feel bigger than we might have before.
Soul evolution and quantum shifts in consciousness are possible through meditation, self-reflection, and self-inquiry. Investigate by continuing to ask, “Who am I?”.
Materially – Ask what has been created in your life and why? Just where do you want to be? What do you want from the physical world? Do you have opposing beliefs; for example, desiring prosperity but believing rich people are corrupt? Go out into the world with specific tasks to unmask some of these hidden beliefs. Could guilt or resentment be holding your prosperity back?
What do you truly, deep in your heart, want? Look at your family and other people in your life and society; what messages did you receive from them? What were your first messages about money? How does the world look, safe, scary, or chaotic? What are the default beliefs that form a basis for your experience? In looking at your goals think about what that goal represents, what is the essence of it? (Which is the real desire!)
Financially – What are your financial goals and how can you stretch your idea of numbers. How much is enough? What is the real purpose here? There are three types of people in relationship to money: the saver, the spender, and the controller. Each has attributes that are beneficial, and each type can be successful. The problems arise when one type becomes out of balance. Without balance and wellbeing, a saver may become a hoarder, a spender will go broke, and a controller won’t take any risk at all. Knowing which type you are can enable you to find your balance.
Kasey Claytor’s Money Map Quiz can be found on her website, and her soon to be released book The Money Map, A Spiritual Guide to Financial Success, will be available on Amazon.
Civility
Courtesy, thoughtfulness and kindness go a very long way in our lives to reach our goals, from getting what we need from other people to our inner growth. These characteristics are valued in all the religious traditions I’ve read about; adored leaders use them, and hopefully our parents taught them.
I believe most people are kind and considerate when they are content. It is when our patience is strained, our stress level is high, and ‘our last nerve is plucked’ to quote a friend of mine, that our politeness can easily vacate our manner.
What I try to remember at these times is something I learned raising my sons and dealing with customers for the last 18 years. Make a conscious decision how you will react ahead of time. Letting the emotions dictate our behavior makes us lose validity. When we are angry because a product doesn’t work and we’re returning it, assume the merchant will correct the problem. If I stop to think, I realize the clerk probably wants to help. That gives me the calmness to explain my situation slowly, with the attitude that they want to help me when they understand the problem.
The same works with children. We can tell a child that she can’t go to the concert in a way that she is still respected, with the attitude that she will understand, even though she may not like it and be angry. For example, “I understand you really want to go to the concert, it sounds like fun. Our rules in this family are that you must reach 18 before you will be allowed to go without an adult. We made this rule to keep you safe because we love you so much.”
When someone is angry with us, it is even harder to maintain politeness yet it can be done. Make a decision not to react emotionally. Take the other persons side for a moment, listen without voicing your defense. If we listen long enough the other person may, just by being heard, feel so much better that he is willing to compromise. The release of his anger may help him see our side. We can then explain our side without attacking the other person. We can start the sentences with ‘I feel,’ or ‘I want’ instead of ‘You…..’
I am going to make it a priority in my work and private life to give each person the dignity all deserve. And treat my family with the respect that an honored guest would elicit of me. Of course, it isn’t easy. With stresses so high these days, it’s harder than ever, but at the same time more important than ever.
(I actually wrote this for our local newspaper back in the 1990s for Civility Week. It’s needed even more now. Let’s start a kind-demic!)
Photo by Ditto Bowo on Unsplash
Once Again
Once again, a horrific school shooting and everyone in the media is clambering to blame ‘the others’, lamenting along with their positions, angering one side or the other. We, ultimately, are all at fault.
Our culture has a sickness to put it simply. It out-pictures in the vulnerable among us. Those lost souls with so much lack of meaning in their lives, that they act out in the worst ways to relieve their pain.
And we allow this to happen. It is a spiritual crisis.
Children are growing up in a sea of violence, meanness, incivility, and lack of respect. Problems are cast off as someone else’s responsibility. Every issue is torn into opposing camps throwing endless barbs.
The government cannot fix the sickness in our society.
We, the people have to mature, take responsibility, admit we have a crisis of meaning with no solutions. The next evolution of our species must be in our consciousness. And all of us need to work together and use all the solutions. It starts with kindness, care, and understanding.
Rut Thinking
Much of our thinking is habitual, stemming from our beliefs and assumptions. I call this rut thinking. Years ago, I had a client who, after losing her husband, had to re-learn to drive, since for years after they retired, he always drove. Therefore, in her mind, driving had become a dangerous and treacherous feat, the worst of which was turning left onto a two-way road, crossing the oncoming traffic—so she refused to do that. For the rest of her life, she only went where she could turn right, making a small or a large circle back home. She only went to stores and businesses that fell on this pattern. I called her once to ask her if she could come down to the office and she explained that was impossible because she would have to make a left turn. Not only was her accessible world limited, but her thinking was in the same rut as her driving. Believing left turns were impossible for her limited her experience.
In this same way, we each limit our experience with thinking that is based on the belief that we can’t. But that, again, is only in our heads, (ego)
because we are really not restricted. Our inner-selves are waiting for us to fully express our abundant, joyful nature, and we easily will when we learn to transcend the ego. The paradox is that we operate through the ego to rid ourselves of its grip on our reality!
Your thoughts are most often manifested from your patterns of beliefs and attitudes. We are all familiar with this idea, yet one of our core beliefs could be that this is very difficult to change! You can learn additional tools to replace old thinking with new thoughts in harmony with health, happiness, and abundance.
So, the first step is to become aware of those thoughts that lead to lack. You are glorious, incredible, beautiful, vibrant, miraculous, clever and genius! All those things that are not you are labeled by your ego, which so convincingly rambles on and on in your mind telling you what you must do to become nicer, stronger, better looking, more successful, richer, smarter, etc. All of these qualities are yours already.
Magic, Miracles and Bewilderment
We need imagination, a sense of magic, and belief in more than we can see.
In my twenties I read The Autobiography of a Yogi by Parmahansa Yogananda. In this autobiography he wrote about a woman living in South America, a homemaker, who exuded the scent of roses. Parmahansa searched for saints of all kinds, from all traditions, everywhere, and he decided to visit her after hearing her story. He, among many others, arrived at her humble home and sure enough, the beautiful fragrance of roses was present where ever this gentle woman went.
That story, among several that he wrote about, stuck with me, as I have always been drawn to evidence of the divine, stories of saints, and spiritual quests. That book was one of the pivotal books in my young life.
Fast forward to my forties, my husband and I were in his parent’s living room in the middle of winter in Indiana. It was such a nice change to me, a Florida girl, to be where snow blanketed the ground with snowflakes gently dancing through the crisp air. I had fallen in love with my in-laws as soon as I met them. I felt a special bond with my father-in-law, in part because he was such a loving and funny man, and in part because of his deep devotion to his faith. It is innate in human nature to search for meaning, and it often becomes a passion to seek God in whatever form we follow. His faith filled him with love and goodness, so of course I was attracted to that.
We were sitting in the family room, the parents in their lounge chairs, with my husband, Bill on one end of the couch and I on the other end, closest to the TV. I was gazing out the sliding glass doors at the snow when Pop got up and went to the cabinet full of old VHS tapes by the TV and pulled out a worn tape box that is literally falling apart from use. His hands had handled the cardboard so much the seams were splitting open.
Then he began telling us this tape was special—this one was about a woman in South America whose presence gave off the smell of roses where ever she went—and people came from all over the world to see her and see if it was true; to be near her and breathe in that heavenly scent.
The four of us watched with interest, especially me, as I was remembering the trip that the yogi had taken to see her too.
Near the end, I began to smell roses! The scent was so strong I searched the room to see if there was a bouquet of roses near us. But no, there were no roses. Then I told the others that I smelled roses! Tentatively, I asked if anyone else smelled them. I wondered if they would believe me. Pop jumped and up walked over to me and sat down. Then Mom did too. No one else could smell it. I, of course, was disappointed, and soon it was gone for me too. But it was one of those experiences that I made sure to note in my memory. It had meaning to me. But I wasn’t sure what the meaning was.
A few years later we got the call that Pop had passed away. We’d recently been on a trip up to Indiana to see him, knowing his time was near, so this wasn’t unexpected.
We made arrangements to fly up for the funeral later in the week. The next morning, as I was driving to my office to tie up some things before the trip, I reminisced about my father-in-law and how much I would miss him. As the tears formed in my eyes the air in the car changed. It felt warmer and softer and then the scent came. The scent of roses permeated the interior of my car! It was so strong I could barely catch my breath. I was stunned, and so filled with love at the same time. The tears just fell and I knew without a doubt it was Pop. How marvelous and magical! Pop knew that I would know immediately it was him, with his message of love.
My experience was bewildering and wonderous. Even in the normal every day, there are wonderous things happening around us. We need to stop and notice. Turn off the chatter in your mind, turn off your devices, feel deeply the presence of those around you. Be still. Life is full of wonder.
After I wrote this, on the same day, synchronistically, a friend gave me a rose.
A Prosperity Project for January!
Many people find me and my site because they’ve googled money quizzes or money health, or something along the order of improving their financial life. I realize this and yet find myself going back to wellbeing over and over again. I have to pull myself back from that because I understand how important this is to people.
People think having lots of money will solve their problems; it will ease stress, make their lives more attractive, and make them happier.
A healthy approach to money is imperative to making peace with the subject of money. It is the feelings of lack, the wishing, the grasping, the neediness that makes us suffer. Not our bank account balance. After all, most of us will eat today and tomorrow. Most of us have a dry, warm place to sleep. Therefore, the angst and despair over the idea of not having enough is where our suffering originates.
Some of the happiest people in the world have very little in the way of possessions and luxuries. It isn’t money that creates happiness and wellbeing.
The grasping and angst could be just what is wrong.
Or:
Avoiding learning about money
Holding a belief money is really hard to attain
Thinking wealthy people must be shady
Or, we don’t deserve it
Etc.
We all know these concepts.
But what about this. Money is just a game. Some people know how to play the game better than others. They don’t take it so seriously. It could be their hobby. Challenging themselves to up their game to find a better paying job, or have a hobby that enables them to sell a product or a service, saving the extra cash.
It can feel like a game to see how much can be put away each month in a savings or investment account.
It feels like a game to figure out what kind of trip you really want to go on and make a vision board about it, save toward it, and revisit imagining it often.
It feels like a game creating crafts around your vision, like the ‘Fun Account’ check book cover project below. I drew places I wanted to visit and words like, “unlimited” on it.
What are other ways you can make creating money playful? Asking the question will begin the movement of change.
Our project for this January:
One of my checkbooks is a money market account that I designated “FUN”. I deposit money in it for home items, massages, trips, etc. FUN stuff!
I looked at the checkbook cover that I had marked in white paint with the fading name, Fun Trust and I thought, “Why isn’t all of the checkbooks labeled something ‘fun’? And so, it began!
I bought some paints and went to work.
I’d like to share this idea with you, so you can create your own special checkbook cover. It’s invaluable in creating a positive experience with saving and spending. You could write your favorite quotes, prosperity messages like debt reducing affirmations, growth of assets, expanding, building and abundance!
(And, of course, when paying those bills, fill yourself with gratitude.)
ALAILABLE NOW ON AMAZON!
As a financial planner and advisor, Kasey has assisted people with their estate planning for well over 30 years, explaining how our possessions and financial assets can pass easily to our loved ones and charities, but what about our intangibles? Our knowledge? What is in our hearts? When she learned of this, she found it so intriguing she decided not only would she put down her own most cherished beliefs and insights, but would also make this available to everyone by creating a workbook; a gentle guide to go through the process of creating one’s own spiritual legacy.
The act of writing it benefits the author—you—too. The writing of an ethical will can bind you more to your heritage, understanding more of your own cultural history, and define your ethical and spiritual values. Thus, you create an intangible, but very meaningful, legacy. Through the project you may begin to understand how your life made a difference, and can continue to do so through your efforts in the Ethical or Spiritual Will workbook, (name it what you want).
Here is an excerpt from the introduction:
What if you had the writings of your great or great-great grandparents? Writing you could read, keep and share about what they believed, what they learned from life, and what life was like for them? Information that they found important and personally wanted their heirs to know, a sort of love letter to their living decedents and those not yet born. Wouldn’t that be exciting? To glimpse into their mind and heart? To get a feel for who they were intimately?
Now, what about you? All that you have gone through, all that you have learned, your successes, failures, losses and triumphs, your hard-earned wisdom and deeply held beliefs, can be captured and passed down as a spiritual or ethical will. What a treasure it would be!
There is an old tradition in the Jewish faith called tzevaot, and today it has become thought of as a letter from the grave, (though some were given while the person was alive too). When I learned of this, I found it so intriguing I decided not only would I put down my most cherished beliefs and insights, but I would also make this available to everyone by creating a workbook; a gentle guide to go through the process of creating one’s own spiritual legacy.
What is an Ethical or Spiritual Will?
Some news~
Kasey has been working on a pet project that you just might be interested in! She’s writing a workbook that is a guide to making your own spiritual or ethical will. It’s a fascinating topic.
As a financial planner and advisor, Kasey has assisted people with their estate planning for well over 30 years, explaining how our possessions and financial assets can pass easily to our loved ones and charities, but what about our intangibles? Our knowledge? What is in our hearts? When she learned of this, she found it so intriguing she decided not only would she put down her own most cherished beliefs and insights, but would also make this available to everyone by creating a workbook; a gentle guide to go through the process of creating one’s own spiritual legacy.
The act of writing it benefits the author—you—too. The writing of an ethical will can bind you more to your heritage, understanding more of your own cultural history, and define your ethical and spiritual values. Thus, you create an intangible, but very meaningful, legacy. Through the project you may begin to understand how your life made a difference, and can continue to do so through your efforts in the Ethical or Spiritual Will workbook, (name it what you want).
Here is an excerpt from the introduction:
What if you had the writings of your great or great-great grandparents? Writing you could read, keep and share about what they believed, what they learned from life, and what life was like for them? Information that they found important and personally wanted their heirs to know, a sort of love letter to their living decedents and those not yet born. Wouldn’t that be exciting? To glimpse into their mind and heart? To get a feel for who they were intimately?
Now, what about you? All that you have gone through, all that you have learned, your successes, failures, losses and triumphs, your hard-earned wisdom and deeply held beliefs, can be captured and passed down as a spiritual or ethical will. What a treasure it would be!
There is an old tradition in the Jewish faith called tzevaot, and today it has become thought of as a letter from the grave, (though some were given while the person was alive too). When I learned of this, I found it so intriguing I decided not only would I put down my most cherished beliefs and insights, but I would also make this available to everyone by creating a workbook; a gentle guide to go through the process of creating one’s own spiritual legacy.
We will keep you posted on when it will be available, hopefully by October.
Photo by Christian Bowen on Unsplash
