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.)

Let’s make this year count!

We know we won’t attract, fulfill, and experience great success by sitting at home staring at our devices. But do you also know opportunity is knocking? Are you listening?
 
            We often make excuses. Too busy, I have plenty of time to explore that path, business or project down the road. Or, ‘when I have more confidence, feel more self-worth, develop more knowledge’, etc. etc.
 
            There isn’t any other way of doing it, as far as I know, but to begin. Just begin. Today. One step, then another.
 
One thing we’ve done, I fear, to the younger generation, is to mistakenly believe that we can raise them in such a way that they will feel good about themselves, have self-worth, and forge their own way courageously in the world when they grow up.
 
Photo by Joseph Gonzales on Unsplash
 
            But self-worth is earned from accomplishments. You see, when we go through struggles to succeed, when we push out into the world with our bright ideas, creations and productivity, we earn the feelings it generates. When we fail, we can feel proud for trying and proud for picking ourselves up and starting over.
 
            No one can give you confidence or feelings of self-worth. It is all up to you.
 
So, write that list of goals. Find others who have accomplished what you want and emulate them. Embrace those scary feelings as a sign this is really a big and exciting deal! And you can move through them.
 
I’m looking forward to all that we will explore together this year. 

For Our Suffering

For those of you who are burdened under the weight of the great amount of suffering in the world:

            I know; we can’t move through the day without being bombarded with terrible news from all corners of the globe. And how do we find peace and love in a world like this?

            Know this. It has always been so. Those who know history know the great suffering throughout time. Before recorded time, there was suffering.

            Our world is a dense, heavy world, but it also holds immense beauty. One can sense the divine surrounding us, if one is attuned to it.

            Yes, it can be difficult. We have so many distractions. We find ourselves suffering along with those, humans and animals, experiencing tragedies. Our sadness, our grief, our horror is understandable.

            But then, how does this help; our posting bad news, our talking about it, our sharing our fear of a future where things continue to erode and continuing to fall into despair?

            I can remember the great fear in the 1970s when scientists said we were going into an ice age, and gas was limited, and we had long gas lines at the pump. We were told not to put up Christmas lights to save electricity. And then in the late 70s early 80s, interest rates on mortgages went so high, up to 16%, hardly anyone could buy a home. The ozone was deteriorating and we were all going to burn up. Then the wars.

            My suggestion is to look at your life, your days and all the good in them, then process your sadness and do what you can. Do your part to inspire others. Open your eyes to all the humans who are helping, who are awake and know what the world needs, and support them. They’ve always been around. Change usually happens slowly, but I’ve seen big leaps lately.

            So, feel for the suffering of others, but limit the time staying in that state of mind. Staying there does nothing productive.

Live the kind of life you can admire.