I love money!

What do you feel when you read that title?  Does it make you think I am a greedy person?  That all I want in life is material things?  Neither actually.  Let me set the stage…

Step One:  Understanding my Relationship With Money

It wasn’t long ago that if I were to hear someone express their love of money that way, I would see a greedy, materialistic person.  But my thinking shifted after attending some classes about “manifesting,” which means bringing something tangible into your life through attraction, belief, positive thoughts and energy.  I discovered that I needed to unlearn the negative relationship I had with money.

You’ve probably heard that what you put out into the Universe, through your thoughts and actions, is what comes back to you.  The law of attraction says that what you think about all day is what you manifest more of.  Going back to my childhood, I realized that I had been living out of a scarcity mentality – by focusing on scarcity, I was getting back more of the same.  

When I was young, we did not have much money.  We lived on a budget.  My mother was good at planning, sticking within our means so that there was always food on the table.  We even took vacations, but I remember the constant refrain of “Be careful, money doesn’t grow on trees” or “We don’t have money for that.” 

This made me constantly afraid of losing money.  What if I made a wrong choice and bought something I didn’t need, but found I couldn’t return it?  Money did not feel safe with me.  I was always afraid of not having enough instead of thinking of the abundance I did have and could visualize as surrounding me.  If money did not feel love from me why would it come to me?  I had to re-write this relationship, and I did.  Now it goes something like this…

MONEY LOVES ME AND I LOVE MONEY!

I HAVE A GRACEFUL, LOVING RELATIONSHIP WITH MONEY, 

MONEY IS SAFE WITH ME.

I MAKE WISE CHOICES THAT INVEST IN MY FAMILY 

AND MY PRESENT AND FUTURE LIFE.

I INVEST IN MYSELF TO BE IN SERVICE TO OTHERS,

 TO SHARE MY GIFTS TO THE WORLD, 

TO GUIDE THEM TO REACH THEIR GOALS AND REALIZE THEIR FULL POTENTIAL.

I VOTE WITH MY DOLLARS TO COMPANIES WHOSE VALUES I BELIEVE IN.   

I GIVE FREELY TO MY COMMUNITY AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT HELP 

THE COMMUNITY AND OUR ENVIRONMENT BE HEALTHIER.

THE UNIVERSE IS THE SOURCE OF MY FINANCIAL ABUNDANCE 

AND GIVES TO ME 

GRACEFULLY AND IN ABUNDANCE.

Step Two: Creating a Safe “Money Home”

This began with cleaning out my wallet, getting rid of old cards, especially gift cards that had no balance, and placing bills in their correct place.  Basically, this means creating a nice home for your money where it feels safe, loved, and appreciated.    If your wallet is falling apart, replace it with one that you really love.  I had been contemplating a new wallet for quite a while, but it wasn’t manifesting… that is, until my boyfriend surprised me one day with just the perfect one.  Coincidence?  I think not!  

I keep this in my wallet as a reminder.

Step Three: Cleaning and Renaming your Bank Accounts

Every year around tax time, when I am already going through my bank and credit statements, I like to see where my money is going.  If I’m paying for old subscriptions or memberships that I no longer use, for example, I cancel them.  I examine my spending and ask, “Is that really necessary, is it bringing me to my goals?”  Also, I have given names to my checking and savings accounts. I have named my checking “My Luscious Lifestyle” and my savings account (formerly Abundance Overflow), now “My First Castle,” to align with my intentions of buying my first house.  My son’s savings is “Prince’s Gold.” Let it be creative and fun!

Step Four: Cleaning Out From Under the Clutter

I seriously try to de-clutter twice a year. I have manifested so much abundance in my life that I have an overflow.  I love it!  Currently, I have so many clothes that I can’t decide what to wear and it causes me stress. Some of the pieces are not enhancing who I am, don’t fit me well, or are just plain unflattering.  I am in the process of sending them to ThredUp where they will be sold or donated.  

Additionally, I signed up for their stylist program where you pay for a stylist to pick out clothes and they send you a box. My first box was simply amazing and added some key pieces to my new wardrobe. Every time I de-clutter I attract more things into my life.

Step Five: Going Deep Within

I am a huge fan of guided meditations for manifestation. Many people are not, maintaining an attitude of, “Well, I’ll believe it when I see it.”  I, on the other hand, am able to see it because I believe it.  By turning inward and connecting with my subconscious mind, I am able to re-program my thoughts and beliefs about money.  Everything we create, or manifest, begins with a thought, that deeply held intention.      

Take a few minutes every day to just be… to not do anything for 10 minutes, to just sit with your thoughts, let them come and go.  Maybe go outside and just stare at the grass.  See what you see. Breathe. When you quiet your mind and allow your subconsciousness “speak” to you, you open yourself to see things in a new light. 

A new practice that I tried a couple years ago in the abundance class was tapping. Tapping meditation is a form of meditation which involves tapping specific points on the body, focusing on the head and the face, in a sequence.  This form of meditation involves the body's energy meridian points, like acupuncture and acupressure.  I recommend finding a tapping meditation on YouTube to follow. By creating good vibes, you will attract the abundance. 

Step Six: A Token 

Find something in your home that will remind you of your new relationship with money, or even purchase some crystals. I have a piece of citrine. Citrine attracts wealth, prosperity, and success. It is believed to raise your self-esteem and self-confidence.  My bestie, Tabitha of Moon Wolf Jewels, is the crystal queen who recommends the perfect stone to match my intentions. I like to do an intention meditation where I hold the stone or token close and set my intention with the stone. My intention is that I want $60,000 in My First Castle account in 3 months. Then I write a mantra on a piece of paper. I put both of these in my wallet. 

Citrine

Citrine attracts wealth, prosperity and success. It imparts joy, wonder, delight and enthusiasm. Raises self-esteem and self-confidence. Stimulates the brain, strengthening the intellect.

Step Seven: Be Grateful

Every time you receive a check, money in your account, a new business opportunity, a gift from anywhere, say thank you out loud. Thank the Universe. Every time you pay a bill say aloud, “Thank you for giving me the means to pay this bill.”  Just like your feelings, just like water, money flows in and out. Change that relationship with money. Say it aloud “I LOVE money!” 

Lastly, set your intentions and let them go, knowing that the Universe will provide. Pay attention to the little things that happen, but don’t stress.  Even the things that look and feel like obstacles have something to teach us. Have faith that you will be provided for. All the things that happen are there for a reason, bringing you closer to your intention.

Step Eight: Give Generously and Often

Underlying the infinite power of the Universe to provide all you need, want, and intend for your abundant life is the notion of giving, of regularly asking, “How may I be of service?”  This applies not only to money, but to all that is good – forgiveness, empathy, understanding, and love.  When you fill yourself with these and work on ridding yourself of fear, judgment, greed, animosity, you will find yourself radiating the goodness.  The more this becomes the light that surrounds you, the less you will feel the need to struggle, to chase after it – instead, all that is good will find you.  

In closing for now, remember that all these steps are within your reach, but be patient; it is a process.  As with all the “attitude adjustments” we try out over the course of our lives, some require work, some don’t turn out to be a good fit, and some just happen inexplicably and wonderfully.  So, be open, be curious, meditate, and inevitably, the Universe will lift you up and take you to those places you dared to imagine…