Money

In my spiritual study at the Black Lodge I have become the point (sort of like a director) of the Finance Task Force. No small job, this. It has given me occasion to contemplate the whole idea of money and to examine my limiting beliefs on the subject.

To begin with, what is money? I mean really. . .we make such a kerfuffle about it. . .and what IS it. . .beyond just some paper with pictures of dead people on it (or living people in some cultures).

Perhaps at it‘s core, I see money as a way of exchanging energy. I work and get money. I exchange it for goods and services. Sometimes people GIVE me money, or I find it or am awarded it somehow. Everything is energy. So, money is a handy way of exchanging energy and it means we don‘t have to hassle a whole bunch about what our agreements are and such. That‘s handy, right? So how come money is such a problem?

However you slice it, money is a relatively simple thing. It really is. And, oh my goodness, what a mess we make of it. We‘ve allowed it to “stand in” for all kinds of things–like security and self-worth. We have it mean that some people are more valuable than others or more successful than others. How could money possibly the sole (and soul) measure of a human‘s value or success? And yet in a culture that places a premium on earning, owning, and having, it‘s a natural conclusion. As I think about it, it seems that so much of the myth of separateness is bound up in our ideas and beliefs about money.

That‘s not money‘s fault. I don‘t think there is a thing in the world wrong with money. It‘s what we have money MEAN and what we make up about it that is deeply flawed. Even the more New Age idea of abundance is somewhat out of balance. More than enough. Why does anyone need MORE than enough?? I‘m not talking about barely enough. . .holding on by your fingernails enough. I‘m talking about sufficient. Enough. Just the right amount.

The amazing and incredible Lynne Twist outlines the concept of sufficiency in her life changing book “The Soul of Money”. If you haven‘t read it, you absolutely must. You can get it on Amazon for $12.98 or used for five bucks. Do it now!

Back to money, I do understand that it‘s important to plan ahead. Squirrels and lots of other animals store food for the winter. . .for the time ahead when there will not be enough food. Come a cold winter, sad is the squirrel who has failed to do this. That said, when was the last time you saw a squirrel worrying about his portfolio? Or wondering what he or she would do in retirement?

We can learn lots from observing the natural world and that‘s the great thing about nature. Nature plans ahead. . .and JUST ahead. A squirrel puts up food for the NEXT winter. . .knowing that Spring will come and that there will be food again. No, that‘s not right. I think a squirrel puts up as much food as he or she can. However, the food will go bad by Winter after NEXT. I‘m after something here that I can‘t quite get my hands around. Can you help me?

For now, I want to say that our limiting beliefs hold the myth of separateness in place. And it may be that the whole of our infrastructure has to crumble for that deadly, life diminishing illusion to shrivel and die. So be it.

Whatever opens, whatever the unfolding story of life has in mind, the WHOLE is well served by each of us examining our limiting beliefs about money. Here are some of mine. What are yours?

I have a limiting belief that my inherent, instinctual trust in the goodness of life is misguided. That I will be caught up short. That I‘m being a fool. Unwise. Naive. Others have been wise and prudent and I‘ll be sorry that I did not plan more for. . .for a rainy day????? Dunno. . .something.

This one runs me still from time to time. . .there is a voice in me, my mother probably, that I must shoulder my “share” of the load. God forbid I should shirk my responsibilities or be caught malingering. Or “coast”. Nope. No coasting for us Kimseys. We are a proud and hard working lot!

There‘s nothing wrong with hard work. Actually I LIKE to work hard. . .I like it quite a lot. I‘m one of those who loves a challenge and sweat on my brow. However this limiting belief robs me even of that pleasure because I feel I must work HARD. Here‘s the insidious part. How hard? Harder than everyone else? Harder than the person next to me? Well, the belief is somewhat vague on these particulars, leaving me like a gerbil on a wheel, running in circles without any hope of completion or knowing that I can stop now because I‘ve done enough.

Makes me smile to think of this silly belief. It lives in such an “either or” universe as opposed to a “yes and” universe. . and yet it does dominate me from time to time.

I still can‘t QUITE make the link between desire and fulfillment. And does “having” relate? How? What is it to attain what I desire? Are the two things related? Not? Maybe not a limiting belief, just an area of confusion.

There are more. And that‘s enough for now. I‘d love to hear some of yours. I‘d love to open up this conversation about money so that light can get it.
KKH