Money, Money, Money - Friend or Foe

For every time we have a conversation on any topic it always end with her saying, "Only rich people... ." Whether we are talking about food, clothing, housing, having a pet, even sexual relationships for crying out loud, this lady always conclude that only rich people have it good.

Before executing my plan not to engage her in any conversation beyond the weather, I asked her whether she thought her words had any impact on her finances. Sure she would not understand the metaphysics of my question, I simply said, "Why do you always say money is short and basically only rich people can afford to be happy?"

"But is true, Miss Estrene!"

There was no point in telling her again how to pronounce my name or that she was

reinforcing her reality with the negative self-talk. I kept my silence ever since.

This is what most of us do, myself included. We unconsciously and repeatedly feel, think and talk our way down a dead end street where money has no way of reaching us. If you are anything like me, along the walk you stop in at every credit card company, every retail store that issues credit card and at your personal banker to top up your line of credit.

Money and people with money become the problem. Once you reach the end of the street and the credit options dry up and there is no turning back, "rich people" become the favourite whipping horse. You loudly or silently hate them. "They were born with gold spoons in their mouths," you say. Somehow it becomes their fault for you having mounting credit card debt. Nevermind that you signed up for the card but "those bastards jacked up the interest rates!"

The financial systems operating in our world are not equitable, plain and simple. The "rich people" own the banks and set the terms to make the highest profits.  We borrow from them at our own risk and possibly financial peril. A rapidly expanding group of paradigm shifters are expounding the need for a more life-giving financial system. Until and while that thought develops into practical banks that offer terms that truly support their clients' growth, we can and must make personal financial choices that radically change our relationship with money.

Here are six steps you can take to make the shift:

1. Check your limiting beliefs and negative self-talk about money.
2. Boldly take responsibility for where you are financially; stop blaming the world, the government, the barking dogs for your situation. 
3. Dream a new dream for your life, identify your passion, visualize yourself living the life you always wanted and write out a "backward plan" of how to get there. 
4. Get the advice and engage the services of not just a reputable financial advisor but one who shares your personal, optimistic view that "the best is yet to come."
5. Take the first, then second, then third baby steps toward your dream, always believing AND knowing succes is yours.
6. Live within your current means in the full knowledge that those means are continuously expanding. Be sure to watch for signs that will lead you to ideas to move one step further into your new life. Ignore anything and anyone who try to distract you.
7. Before getting out of bed each morning, give thanks for life and the gains you are making in that day living your best life.

My personal philosophy is never to suggest what I have neither tried, trying, proven or succeeded in doing.  These seven steps are very much part of my current journey. I will continue to share my progress and hope you will too. Send me a private message, post a comment here or on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/daughtersofsheba. You can also follow us on Twitter @DOSFoundation.

Together let us make money our best friend!

For additional resources, check out:

http://www.budbilanich.com/create-your-career-success-by-managing-your-negative-self-talk/
http://michaelhballard.ca
http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2013/10/08/how-im-changing-my-relationship-with-money/

Photo Source: downwardspiralintothevortex.com

Paradigm Shift

Paradigm shift - what it is and how it applies in our daily lives have been the focus of this week.

Source: http://blog.brewer-garrett.com

Starting with a working definition, the term paradigm shift was coined by Thomas Kuhn in 1962 in his book "The Structure of Scientific Revolution." He was of the view that "scientific advancement is not evolutionary, but rather is a 'series of peaceful interludes punctuated by intellectually violent revolutions', and in those revolutions 'one conceptual world view is replaced by another'.

Simplifying this definition, the authors at www.taketheleap.com explains: "Think of a Paradigm Shift as a change from one way of thinking to another. It's a revolution, a transformation, a sort of metamorphosis. It just does not happen, but rather it is driven by agents of change."

Why is an understanding of paradigm shift relevant to us?

You are an agent of change and as our world and lives change, it will be your choice to fully embrace your role. To choose otherwise, other change agents will effect the changes and you will be left to live with them.

Change begins with our thinking. A repeated thought, it is said, becomes a belief. Our beliefs literally dictate how we life our lives, the things we fear and those to which we are loyal.

So far this week, we have examined the gentle wind of change that is moving businesses, managers, supervisors, etc to adapt their business and management practices. As well, we have looked at the paradigm shift in how we relate intimately - in our marriages and long term relationships. Visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/daughtersofsheba and catch up on what you might have missed.

For the remainder of this week, we will cover the 'shifts' in parenting and race relations due to technological advancements and the emergence of an increasingly more compassionate world.

To keep abreast of our posts, reflections, commentaries and the views of others about them, please *Like* us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @DOSFoundation.

EVENT ALERT: We are in the process of putting together the First Gathering of DOS Foundation which is scheduled for December 2014 in Jamaica! Stay in touch as details will soon be released.

Be blessed and continue to be a blessing (a change agent) in your world. Namaste.