Money has always been a problem for me and I’ll do anything to avoid dealing with it. So I was mortified when Slade from ‘Shift Your Spirits’ tagged me to respond to his latest assignment as follows.
“Here’s Your Assignment:
I want to hear about YOUR Money Makeover.
Read
about Morgana’s
Exercise and consider the following in your story:
Who’s the Old Money?
Who’s the New Money?
What’s THE one thing — the overarching Message —
your New Money advises you to do to invite Meaningful Abundance into your life?
Writing it down will help you to manifest the change you wish to see.”
Just how could he do this to me? Reading his articles had been the initial inspiration for the setting up of ‘Be the change – tread the Path’ and here he is throwing this barrier in my personal path. How dare he make me face up to the ‘dark side’, you’d think he was promoting Personal Development wouldn’t you!!!!
Well that’s EXACTLY what he is doing and very astutely too. You can always trust Slade to open up those proverbial cracks in your pseudo suit of armour and throw in an irritation of Light. I really do feel in writing this that the time has come to face up to my greatest spectre and boy can you see how much I’m trying to write about ANYTHING but the ‘subject that shall not show its face’.
I’ve always felt that in the past I would have been one of those guys who lived up a pole thinking all day. Others would have dealt with the more mundane things in life and I would have happily let them! It’s a real shame that this wasn’t offered to me by the Careers Officer as I would have accepted immediately.
So no more avoiding the inevitable, here I go, I’ve been well and truly cornered. Time to face up to MONEY!
Who’s the Old Money?
I’ve always pictured Money as a sneaky, scruffy, mischievous, spoil-sport who has decided that its mission in life is ‘to make things difficult for me’. It dogs my every step as I attempt to better myself and the world around me.
It lurks around every corner just waiting for the chance to slip the comedy banana-skin under my foot and then slinks back into the shadows giggling with self important glee when I stumble.
It is the cloud that comes with every silver-lining, the mat that is pulled from under your feet when you arrive at the door of happiness, the penance for daring to hope or dream and the Judas at my celebration banquet.
Money to me has always been an opponent, never a friend. It has never come along when my morale has been low and said “here let me shoulder your burden, sit down, rest awhile – the drinks are on me!”
My Money has always been the one who gets a ‘quick dig in’ when I’ve been knocked to the ground, I can see him now in my minds eye with that scornful sneer drawing back his foot for another kick in the guts.
Never quite the archetypal bully, too much of a coward for that. Not wanting to take the limelight but preferring to feed off another’s misery and pain. Gathering up the shards of a shattered aspiration that too easily slipped through the fingers. Fingers that are too clumsy to reach for the stars and not used to getting that close to touching the rainbow.
But I can see now that it is not Money who is the Opponent but myself – I don’t see myself as being anything of real worth. Never took the time before to see the good that I am, the potential I have realised and the change I am being.
I have never realised that I am a commodity before. My very being is a marketable service that is the best I have to offer. My transferable skill is myself, my and my true potential waiting straining to be unleashed.
Who’s the New Money?
The new Money is me. I am the source of all my dreams and aspirations and I hold it in my hands to make them real. Every choice I make affects my future, every second a myriad of potential paths patiently waiting to be chosen and their secrets unveiled.
I am the Magician in the world of Tarot - Skilful, self-confident, a powerful magus with the infinite as a halo floating above my head. Raising my wand to heaven, pointing my finger to Earth, I call on all powers; magically, before me, all the possibilities laid out, all the directions I can take.
The cool, airy Sword of intellect and communication, the fiery Wand of spirituality and ambition, the overflowing Chalice of Love and emotions, the solid Pentacle of work, possessions and body. With these tools, I can create anything, make anything of his life.
I must grab myself by the shoulders and give myself a good hard shake. Clear out the cobwebs and don’t be ashamed to sell myself. I deserve it – I am a great Father, I help others, I am kind, I care about the World, I have morals, I have good manners, I am thoughtful, I love, I praise, I protect, I nurture and most of all I try.
And while I do these things I WILL attract abundance into my life. I will attract MONEY into my life – there I’ve said it!
What’s THE one thing — the overarching Message — your New Money advises you to do to invite Meaningful Abundance into your life?
Having gone through the above process it is clear now that all this time I have been using Money as a mirror to restrict myself. I must embrace the Magician and in doing so embrace myself.
Many times I have read or been told that to make any progress I must learn to accept myself first, and in many areas of my life this has been a process that has been clearly laid out. But I have never thought of applying this to the material aspects of my life – until now.
Many thanks to Slade for making me face up to my fears and gleaming light from a place that until now seemed to only contain more shadows.
This process has been worthwhile to me and an essential stage in my journey. Therefore I would like to take this opportunity to lead others to the trough of enlightenment, let’s see if they choose to drink!
Just a quick reminder to you all - you need to link back to Slade's original tag at Your Meaningful Money Makeover in your article.
‘Tag – You’re it’
‘Tag – You’re it’
Take care and thanks for sharing this part of my journey with me. If you’ve enjoyed it why not help me get started by leaving a donation.
(I would never have DREAMED of adding that before).
Damian
(I would never have DREAMED of adding that before).
Damian
3 comments:
Hi Damian
Great post! It's been really interesting to see how everyone has tackled Slade's challenge. Facing money demons is really tough, isn't it?
You know, I think a lot of people who are spiritual, thoughtful, and morally sensitive get this misguided idea that having and enjoying abundance is somehow shameful. One of the first realizations to make - after recognizing one's own value, of course - is that there is nothing wrong with wanting abundance in life.
Love the piggy-bank photo!
AE
AE,
Thanks for dropping by - I see from your response to the 'tag' that you too had that initial 'what has Slade done to me' reaction.
I really like the way you developed your article which in many ways mirrored my own.
Excellent site btw - take care.
Damian
Wonderful!
It seems that you had a Puck for a buckmaster - the elemental trickster some call the Coyote.
Now, the trick is to start responding to your interactions with Money as if He/You is a new source.
I like Morgana's original question: "How does it change you to see Money as an expression - a gift - from someone who LOVES you instead of an enemy?"
Think of Bank Statements as love letters. The return address is no longer the evil trickster - tear into those Messages from Abundance as the friend you look forward to hearing from.
Your Friends don't always have good news for you, but you VALUE what they have to say in a completely different way. Darkness cannot survive the light of attention and consciousness.
Once you stop avoiding and ignoring, the relationship becomes truly new. I'm glad you've found Money to be You, because most people - parents especially - have an easier time feeling worthy of giving to someone else.
So, if you slip, if you find yourself wanting to deny, avoid, ignore - picture one of your kids saying they need to talk to you about something important. How do you respond to that communication, even when you think there's a challenge coming?
You immediately react - it becomes a priority. Someone you care about needs you.
Now, Money has a chance to be a member of your family, not a stray shut out in the cold.
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