216 – August 4
“Hope is the feeling you have that the feeling you have isn’t permanent.”—Jean Kerr
Many people hunger for “The Big Fix.” This is the magical appearance of a large sum of money which will pay off all the past due bills, credit card debts, school loans, mortgages, etc., buy the new house, car, vacation home, and Rolex and still have enough left over to completely fund the retirement plan. It’s winning the lottery, closing the biggest client, inventing the newest electronic gizmo, writing the best-selling novel, getting the starring role in the hit movie, producing the mega-hit record, creating a billion-dollar Internet company. They don’t really need to budget, call their creditors and arrange payment plans, renegotiate the loans, move to a smaller house or sell the boat because “The Big Fix” will take care of everything.
Michael had been struggling on the fringes of the music industry for years, eking out a living. He had enthusiasm and energy and a great smile, but only made thirty thousand dollars per year. He resisted doing his budget for this amount, but clung to his high budget figure of fifty million. “That’s what I’ll be making when my band hits it big!” he declared. “That’s great,” I told him, “but you need to practice sound money management principles with what you are earning today before the Universe will trust you with fifty million dollars.”
(Continued on page 216 of The Wealthy Spirit due to my publisher’s request not to have the entire book available on the web)
Today’s Affirmation:
“More and more money is flowing more and more easily into my life.”
Are you, or anyone you know, struggling with feelings of overwhelm and anxiety because of money? It’s a safe bet the answer is, “Yes!” Normally I say finances and abundance issues are connected to self-esteem but at present there is such a major economic shift going on and for many people money stress is connected to having difficulty with the changing financial structure. People are feeling out-of-control and fearful.
This issue has become so prevalent that now MAD is getting known as the acronym for Money Anxiety Disorder. It’s reaching almost epidemic proportions with the current economic climate. According to a survey in October of the American Psychological Association, “80% of us find the recent financial crisis a significant cause of stress—up from 66% last April—and women are bearing the brunt of the worry.” Some of the symptoms of stress and Money Anxiety
* Pervasive sense of panic and fear or depression and futility
* Effecting health, putting you at higher risk for a host of ailments
* High blood pressure
* Heart disease
Some less serious side effects include sleeping disorders, an increase in all kinds of addictions, digestive problems and eating disorders, including weight loss and more frequently, weight gain. This anxiety is the result of uncertainty – not knowing what the future holds, and creating worst case scenarios in our minds. Then many create limiting beliefs in their mind and remain focused on all the doom and gloom around us. According to the Law of Attraction (LOA), this type of thinking results in self-fulfilling prophecies which keep attracting disastrous evidence to prove our emotional perceptions. Consequently, we end up spiraling rapidly downhill, eventually hitting the bottom.
So what does one do?
You can stop your own struggle and begin to rebuild. Your foundation for this is made up of your potential, strengths, abilities, and resourcefulness. Fear is the emotion you need to overcome. It takes an inner warrior, or the Feminine Warrior (as I call it), to empower yourself and turn your situation around. Even though worrisome and challenging, times like this can be your greatest asset. Often times of difficulty challenge us to be creative and think “outside the box,” which under more normal circumstances we would be less apt to do. Usually any major achievement, breakthrough or change is preceded by confusion and even overwhelm. Uncertainty is frequently the gateway for new ideas and creativity – so welcome them, even if they are not comfortable. History has shown that great wealth has been made during depressions by individuals who were willing to embrace the unknown, take a chance, and change. Imagine that you are one of those people.
STEPS TO COMBAT MONEY ANXIETY DISORDER
Science has proved exercise and meditation are two of the best ways to combat stress and anxiety. There are a number of processes I’ve already suggested in my article Stress Success Quickies, found on my website. The #1 Secret to combating Money Anxiety, and perhaps all anxiety, is breathing, deep, slow breaths. Deep breathing takes you from the Sympathetic Nervous System to the Parasympathetic Nervous System. This means you go from the fight/flight space to the warm, peaceful place.
Calming Breath – Begin with a 4-count breathing, in through the nose, out through the mouth. Later you can increase the length of each count, first to 5, then to 6, etc. Start with 5 breaths.
- Breathe in to the count of four
- Hold
- Breathe out
- Hold
Belly Breathing – In through the nose, out through the mouth
- Put a hand on your upper chest and belly, to keep the chest still.
- Breathe in, letting your belly blow up like a balloon.
- Breathe out.
- This one is the great for turning around all anxiety.
© Helaine Z. Harris, 2009
Helaine Z. Harris, MA, MFT, empowers heart-centered spiritualpreneurs to transform their business and the world. Because of what is happening with the economy and her clients, she is focusing on how to activate prosperity with heart energy. She is also is a psychotherapist, intuitive healer, business coach and founder of An Awakening Center™, which blends over 40 traditional and alternative psychotherapies. She has 30 years experience and is the author of Are You In Love with a Vampire? Healing the Relationship Drain Game. She specializes in empowerment, career creativity, anxiety/depression, trauma, and relationship. Contact her at www.hzharris.com