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Go Big
Instead of lamenting your fate, create your world. Vilayat Inayat Khan
Do you spend your time fishing for anchovies while at the same time the hundred-pound tuna are running? What do you miss out on because you’re too busy thinking small? Isn’t it time for you to proclaim that you’re worth more than you’re getting compensated for? Aside from the wasted energy on small rewards, in the end small goals are harder to land than the bigger ones anyway. Small clients bring their small-mindedness to the table and attempt to impose their limitations on you. Abundance doesn’t show up by your being exhausted and overworked. No sir, it arrives when you’re in your power and expanding.
Take a look at where you are losing interest but are plugging on anyhow. Progression is a way your soul emerges in this world. If you keep tolerating what has become old and bothersome, your soul will catch your attention with a dynamic that may or may not be fun—but it will definitely get your attention. You might as well remain in the captain’s seat and go big with your creativity rather than have wild, unpredictable currents toss you around and strand you who knows where. What excites you about the potential for your world? What small fish do you need to throw back in order to land some of the big expressions of God!
Spiritual Contemplation: What are you doing just for money that is no longer soul-satisfying? Where are you being called to go big in life, but instead you’re listening to all the limiting thoughts as to why you shouldn’t? What activities keep you too occupied and tired to be available for the greater abundance of your life?
Affirmation: I am courageously aligning the progression of my soul’s emergence.
Sourceful Surge
When you see a new trail, or footprint that you do not know, follow it to the point of knowing. Grandmother of Charles Eastman, Santee Sioux
A brisk fall walk in the woods can leave your cheeks tingling from the cool air and everything brighter from all the fresh clean oxygen in your body and head—this is a great way to start a day with renewed energy. And although an invigorating jaunt through the pines is not always possible when you’re in the midst of the city with honking cars instead of Canadian geese honking in the sky, you can still find respite. When you feel the pressure of the demands of the day, you can face them by taking a few moments to go within.
No matter where you are, you can start your day with an inner jaunt through your inner kingdom. Take the time to close your eyes to connect with the abundant blessings within. When you touch that something which is greater than your own interests, there is a sourceful surge that refreshes, revitalizes, and uplifts. Holding sacred the space within, it gracefully imparts that which is needed to those who are responsive to its flow. The Divine Presence has the power to provide you with all you need if you can just remember to take that stroll.
Spiritual Contemplation: Notice how you feel, then take a walk outside today and check the difference after your stroll. Why don’t you do this every day? Notice how you feel, take some time to meditate, and then check the difference after your stroll through your inner kingdom. Why don’t you do this every day?
Affirmation: I do what it takes to honor my time to walk with God today!
The Monster Wasn’t So Big
One resolution I have made, and try always to keep, is this: To rise above little things. John Burroughs
Not too long ago, my electric garage door stopped working. The repair company found more parts broken than I even knew a garage door had. Springs, pulleys, and pole needed replacement and rails needed adjustment, all for a significant amount of financial exchange. It worked perfectly for a few months—then it didn’t. I’d press the remote only to have the door go up about a foot and come to a dead halt. I’d have to get out of the car, go inside, and press the opener on the wall to make it work. I did this for about a year because I’d lost the repair receipt and couldn’t call the company and complain. Finally I called another company.
This repairman took a look and said the springs from the first company were technically correct, but because my door was heavier than most it needed larger ones. I was beginning to feel like it was a bait and switch and went into the house to take a breather from my rising frustration. But then the technician discovered that actually his company had done the original work almost twelve months prior and he would replace the springs for free.
For almost a year I had put up with inconvenience and hassle because of small thinking on my part. This is the kind of thinking that creates issues in life. You avoid what’s before you as it becomes ever bigger in consciousness. Then when finally you deal with it, you find the monster wasn’t so big after all. It was only your petty thinking that blew it out of proportion.
Spiritual Contemplation: Where in your life do you have a petty annoyance you keep putting off? Wouldn’t you get a good laugh at yourself if you found out it wasn’t that big of a deal? Why don’t you go find out and make that call to the repair person today?
Affirmation: I now put my annoyances behind me!
Pay Attention
We know that whatever we pay attention to in our consciousness grows in our world of experience. This is how the Creative Process works. On the one hand, It takes the primary focus off our thoughts and feelings and uses this as the filter through which we see our lives. So if our filter is one of debt, lack, and never enough, then no matter how much we have, it won’t be enough. On the other hand, the Universal Law actually takes this sum total of our thoughts and feelings, and uses it as the mold from which it manifests our reality. So if our mold is one of “not enough,” that is what will we continually experience.
Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough. Oprah Winfrey
This Creative Process can just as easily be used for our benefit and abundance, however. If we consistently focus our thinking and feeling on having enough, then this is not only the filter through which we see life, it actually becomes the mold from which our lives are manifested.
Spiritual Contemplation: What do you pay attention everyday —enough or not enough? How is that manifesting in your life?
Affirmation: I have enough because the Universe is an abundant place. I know this is true for myself and for each and every person.
Programing for Abundance
The key to abundance is meeting limited circumstances with unlimited thoughts. Marianne Williamson
It’s valuable to stop mistaking your stories for the truth. The physical realm is the printout of your awareness. It’s no different from writing a letter on your laptop, hitting print, and having the printer reproduce what’s on your screen. If you notice a mistake, correcting the printout isn’t enough—you’ve got to change what’s on the computer. Similarly, if there’s something you don’t like being printed out in your world, it’s not about rearranging the players in your life but rather you must reprogram yourself. Your experience of abundance with ease and flow is defined by your programming more than by outer circumstances.
Constricting circumstances that aren’t deleted from your programming will strangle your intuition and inspiration for re-creation. Live by intent rather than default. You are more than a creature of conditions—you are a creator of conditions. Life is biased towards life. Whatever is life-affirming gets Life’s flow. It’s right to have your needs easily fulfilled and live in the affluent flow of abundance where your soul’s yearnings are joyously and spontaneously met. The nice thing about your physical printout is that it’s a direct demonstration of whether or not you’ve got your programming correct.
Spiritual Contemplation: Take a look at your life’s printout. It there anything appearing in your life that feels wrong? Take your focus off attempting to shift things around in your outer world and correct the programming that is producing them in the first place.
Affirmation: I am the conscious creator of all in my life and I program for abundant good!
Discipline Is a Form of Freedom
Self-discipline is a form of freedom. Freedom from laziness and lethargy, freedom from the expectations and demands of others, freedom from weakness and fear—and doubt. Self-discipline allows a pitcher to feel his individuality, his inner strength, his talent. He is master of, rather than a slave to, his thoughts and emotions. H. A. Dorfman
There is such a paradox in the notion of discipline and freedom. In our instant gratification society, we chafe under the idea of disciplining ourselves. We think, somehow, that it means lack or limitation or deprivation. So we buy everything and anything we want, when we want it, thinking that this means we are “being abundant.” The problem is that going into debt or using a credit card when we don’t have the money to pay for something is living in an abundant future, not an abundant present. The result is that buying on credit creates debt in our present.
This burden of debt actually limits our feeling of abundance. Being disciplined with our money is good stewardship by using our resources wisely once they are in our hands. This does not mean that we limit what is coming in, through all the many channels and ways the Universe supports us. It does mean we are thoughtful about it once we have it, not from fear, but from care. This creates a powerful opportunity for spiritual practice and spiritual discipline. The paradox is that the result of this discipline is true financial freedom! Now everything that comes in is available to use in the way we choose, not obligated to mountains of debt.
Spiritual Contemplation: Do you feel financially free or burdened by debt? What causes you to go into debt?
Affirmation: I live a free and abundant life! I am open to all the ways abundance flows into my life! I am a good steward over what I have. I am debt free!
Poverty and Spirituality
To explore poverty and spirituality Ernest Holmes writes in The Science of Mind that “the word ‘poverty’ usually conveys to our minds the idea of a money shortage, but actually the word means the lack of any good thing. Poverty is the very antithesis of abundance, and abundance of good is necessary to human happiness. It is only as we experience good that God is expressed through us. The more completely we realize good—in all of its manifold expressions of health, wealth, and happiness—the more completely do we express God; that is, the more does God become personified through us.”
Both prosperity and poverty are states of mind. If we desire to erase the thought of poverty we must go back to the thought of prosperity, an affirmation of the allness of Good, the source of which is God. Ernest Holmes
Do you believe that poverty and spirituality are the way it should be? Too many of us as we become immersed in a spiritual path unconsciously take a “vow of poverty.” Embedded in our cultural consciousness is this notion that you can’t be rich and spiritual. Yet the Master Teacher reminds us that we are to have life and “have it more abundantly.” Expressing our life in whatever form it takes is the way in which Spirit operates in the world. Being poor simply limits the Divine Expression. Vow to live from the Abundance of the Universe, to demonstrate prosperity in your life, and to share it every chance you get!
Spiritual Contemplation: Do you believe that to be spiritual you have to be poor or turn your back on material enjoyment? What would be your “Vow of Prosperity” instead?
Affirmation: I vow to receive, manage, and share my wealth as a joyous expression of Spirit’s abundance!
Being in the Flow
Affluence is about being in the flow. Fear creates constriction and contraction. Fear will be neutralized when you turn and face it, and see it for what it is. Courage allows you to face your fear and walk through it. Remember that you are supported, guided, and surrounded by the strength and wisdom of the Loving Power of Life Itself. Everything you need is at hand. Eric Butterworth
Love and fear simply cannot live in the same place at the same time. Fear is nothing more than negative faith, which is faith that something bad will happen. Recognizing that Love is present, that the Power and Wisdom of Spirit are always available, and that nothing is too big for God, this awareness casts out fear. Love is the faith that something good will happen.
Living in Abundance is more about where you are coming from than what material goods you have. Step into the abundant flow of the Universe and realize that your good is at hand. Trust Spirit to support you, and then notice all the many unexpected ways you are supported, guided, lifted, and loved. Do not let your fear stop you from moving in the direction of your abundance!
Spiritual Contemplation: Where am I allowing fear to stop the flow of abundance?
Affirmation: I do not let fear stop the flow of my Abundance. I allow love to open all the channels for the flow of abundance in my life!
Yom Kippur
Questions for Yom Kippur –
Who can say, “I have purified my heart, I am free of sin?” There is no man on earth so righteous that he never sins! Cast away the evil you have done and get yourself a new heart and a new spirit. Proverbs 20:9
Yom Kippur is the most important holy day of the Jewish year. It’s the Day of Atonement when one atones for the mistakes of the past year. On Yom Kippur, it is said that the judgment is entered and sealed in God’s book; therefore this is the last day to show in our heart the reconciliation between us and God. It’s a day spent in prayer getting as close to Spirit as humanly possible. Imagine if we worked to heal transgressions, mistakes, and inappropriate expressions the moment we recognized them instead of waiting for a future resolution? What would our world look like if we spent time daily having closeness to our higher Power?
Yom Kippur is a strong reminder to clean up our blunders and accept apologies that others offer us. What’s more important—a vendetta kind of consciousness whose angst eats away and consumes our energy and inner real estate, or a clean space for the Divine to show up with new blessings to add to our expanding abundant good? The power of atonement is profound and life changing. Let it live in us all our days.
Spiritual Contemplation: What do I need to heal in me that’s creating a distance from God, thus keeping me from being a clearer expression of the Divine?
Affirmation: I make amends. I joyfully forgive. Because God and I are one!
The Affluent Flow of Life
The biggest human temptation is to settle for too little. Thomas Merton
The key to receiving is being alert and available. Practice being a conduit for flow. How are you with what you have? Do you question how long your good is going to last before it runs out or the other shoe drops? What you want is a consciousness of believing this is just the beginning. This manifestation of good is a seed of the greater yet to be, for as you plant your good, more good grows for you. Let your actions reflect your level of trust in the ever-expanding universal good. If you withhold and pull your good out of circulation, its value diminishes. If you agonize about protecting what you’ve accumulated, you are not free. Abundance is freedom.
You want to be in the flow which is endless and everlasting. When you comprehend this, your anxiety simply dissolves. The joy of living is not in embracing what you have, but what you enjoy, and aliveness comes from being in the flow. What good is it to be so tight that you shut yourself off from what’s fresh and vibrant? Let go of all resistance—loosen that grip, relax, and surrender to the affluent flow of Life. Make yourself available to the divine currency that ever replenishes itself as you.
Spiritual Contemplation: Do you find yourself holding tight with concern of losing something, when what you really desire is the endless replenishment of your good? Try doing some seed planting of your good by giving some of what you value to someone else.
Affirmation: I am now in the affluent flow of life!
Your Abundance Robs No One!
The kingdom of God is at hand. The riches, power, glory and might of this kingdom are yours today. You do not rob others by entering into the fullness of your kingdom of joy, your kingdom of abundance. But you must recognize that all people belong to the same kingdom. You merely claim for yourself what you want the Divine Spirit to do for everyone. Ernest Holmes
Contemplating our abundance, we may realize that we have an unconscious belief that it’s more spiritual to be poor than wealthy. We might also believe there is only so much good to go around, and if we have all that we desire, somehow we are robbing others of their good. We know that in the physical universe things do, in fact, run out. But in the reality of the Infinite nothing can ever run out—there is always enough abundance, in whatever forms are available to us today, to fulfill each and every one of our needs and our inner desire to express a fulfilling life!
So go ahead, claim your good! Wake up and announce that you are heir to the Kingdom, and child of the Infinite Presence, deserving of all the Life, Joy, Freedom and Abundance you can imagine. Then know that this is true for each and every person on the planet. Let’s claim it for everyone today!
Spiritual Contemplation: When do you hold back, thinking you have to take from others in order to have your abundance? How often do you realize that everyone deserves and can have all the good you desire for yourself?
Affirmation: I claim enough abundance for myself and for each and every person, right now, today! I know my good does not take away from anyone else. There is enough of Spirit to support and supply all of creation!
Accepting Your Abundance
The mold of your acceptance is the measure of your experience. Ernest Holmes.
All you need is already available in consciousness from the very fabric of Being. There is enough and more than enough already! I remember the first time I heard this—my whole being leapt in agreement. Something within me knew that this was true. As I began working with this idea, I began demonstrating new and better relationships, financial prosperity, and joy in my life. And then all of a sudden I realized that it began to feel almost “too” good. I noticed that part of me was walking around waiting for the other shoe to drop, for something to go wrong. Really, could it be this good? It was stunning for me to realize that I believed I could experience only so much joy and love and prosperity before I worried that it was more than I deserved or could possibly have.
Learning to accept all my good was a powerful practice. It was easy for me to see that others could, even should, have wonderful, joyful, prosperous lives but somehow I left myself out. So I began working on simply accepting my good. Every time something wonderful came about or I felt a deep rush of gratitude, I would affirm “I accept my good!”
Spiritual Contemplation: Are you having trouble accepting your good? When and how do you wait for the other shoe to drop?
Affirmation: I accept my good! I accept my good! I accept my good!
Receive Your Good
Whatever we are waiting for—peace of mind, contentment, grace, the inner awareness of simple abundance—it will surely come to us, but only when we are ready to receive it with an open and grateful heart. Sarah Ban Breathnach
Where did we get idea that it’s spiritual to be poor? Some people say, “How can I feel good about having money when others have so little?” Really? What good can you do anyone by being broke? Who can you assist by being poor and just another mouth to feed? Not being able to support yourself doesn’t feel good because it isn’t good. Isn’t it a greater blessing to be a masterful manifester of wealth, someone who can help those who are struggling and can give a gift that makes a difference?
We’ve all heard that it’s better to give than receive, but if you don’t have anything to give, that’s a moot point. Giving and receiving are both valuable and necessary, for if you’re not receiving you can’t be giving. Forget the concept that it’s more spiritual to be poor. God is an abundant Life and we live in a rich universe that is forever seeking to flow through us. So get on with being able to receive your good. The world awaits your contributions of the heart.
Spiritual contemplation: How have you denied someone the gift of being able to give to you? How did it make you feel when you attempted to give to someone and they turned down your offer? When have you seen the joy in someone’s face when they gave you a gift?
Affirmation: I am a good receiver! I joyfully receive my good!
Simple Indulgence
The problem with people who have no vices is that generally you can be pretty sure they’re going to have some pretty annoying virtues. Elizabeth Taylor
Do you feel guilty about a midafternoon rendezvous with a novel, followed by a nap? Do your e-mail and to-do list whine when you take a moment to recharge? Can you swing from hyperactive to luxuriating without concern that the universe will fall apart without you? When was the last time you took a midday stroll and put all demands on hold just to go and recharge? Exercise is important for your body, but so is a pause from “doing-ness.” Let go of what you are attempting to make happen for a while. It may just be what creates the opening for the magic of life to happen.
You lose much value in your life if you deplete your sense of freedom. Whether it’s in your world or your head, what have you allowed to chain you to a work ethic that denies you your right to move around as a free person? What underlying beliefs keep you from enjoying simple moments of pleasure in your life? Close your eyes, open your ears, and let God in. You just might find yourself strolling along the beach in the middle of the week smiling from ear to ear as you reconnect with a dear friend you haven’t been with for way too long because your plate’s been full. How could this time-out be anything but a divine blessing to you?
Spiritual Contemplation: Find a simple indulgence and enjoy it.
Affirmation: I say yes to that which nurtures my soul.
Freedom to Dream
Are you living from your freedom to dream? A few years ago I went on a three-month sabbatical in Europe, traipsing around my favorite places and exploring new ones in five different countries. When I first decided to go I wondered how I was going to pay for the whole thing. I was anxious about saving money and how I could go as cheaply as possible. Then I remembered that I live in an abundant universe and Spirit supports my creative dreams. I got up my courage to ask for the money to support my dream of a sabbatical in Europe, and I received so much support that I was able to go where I wanted and do what I wanted without having to worry about money. That is freedom!
If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. Henry David Thoreau
Do you give yourself the freedom to dream? We are free to live the life of our dreams. Money is one of the things that give us freedom. Financial freedom allows us to do more than just pay our bills—it allows us to imagine the life of our dreams and contribute in meaningful ways while expressing our joy and love. Financial freedom comes from knowing that we are completely supported by the infinite blessings of abundance surrounding us right now.
Spiritual Contemplation: What are you not doing, what dream aren’t you following because you don’t believe you have the money to do it? How might you begin if you knew the Abundant universe supported you? Use your freedom to dream to expand your life.
Affirmation: I have the financial freedom to follow my dreams! Spirit supports me in every way!