Financial Freedom: Gratitude is the Secret Ingredient in the Recipe for Success! Part 2 of 5 Series

Gratitude is the #1 – and most readily available – ingredient in the recipe for Success!  It is the biggest investment we can make in hoping to reap the dividends of life!

If you can think, speak or write – you can be grateful!  Gratitude is like the baking powder in most baking recipes.  It is the easiest and best way to make any form of bread, pastry or dessert rise and EXPAND and become bigger than its original size.  Hence, gratitude in its purest form – being truly thankful for the things that already exist in our lives – even if it’s the last dollar we have – is the most effective ingredient in the recipe for expansion of our success!

For example: 

If we have a job; appreciate it even more for all those right now looking for work.

If we have our health; rejoice in it for all those who do not.

If we have food on the table each day; give thanks before we eat it  and remember all those who are hungry.

If we have a friend, tell them regularly how grateful we are that they are in our lives – for all of the people who are alone in this world.

My father used to say to me, “when you feel down, never look up – look down.  There is surely someone who has less than you and would be glad to be in your shoes.”

There are many activities we can do today to help us to feel more grateful about our lives; and you know the wonderful thing about being grateful?  It helps us to feel so much better about our lives and often can lift us out of our blue mood – and this expansion of feeling and vibrational energy – not action – is what attracts more and more wonderful things.  Like attracts like.  When we send out gratitude vibrations, there is an energy that vibrates at a level that automatically brings more things for which to be grateful.

What are some Gratitude Attitude Activities?

I saw this on the Facebook page “Feel Good” and thought it was a wonderful idea:

# 1.

#2.  Gratitude Journal:   Each day in your journal or you can purchase “Simple Abundance Gratitude Journal” by Sara Ban Breathnach which actually has each day already prepared for you to write the top 5 things for which you are grateful.  If not, then grab a piece of paper and begin writing today either when you wake up or when you go to bed about the 5 things you are grateful for that day.   Sara’s website:  http://www.simpleabundance.com/gratitude_journal.html

3.  Gratitude Affirmations: These are from my Blog # 3 “Gratitude Brings Changes in Attitude” for more reflection and information about gratitude.

Some simple gratitude affirmations are:

I am thankful for being me.

I am thankful for my loving pets.

I am thankful for the abundance I already have in my life.

I am thankful for the meal I had tonight.a

I am grateful for the job I have.

One thing that is very important if we are attempting to manifest new or better things in our lives, in terms of love, friendships, places to live, a car, or just about anything we desire, we must never grumble or be negative about what we already have.

A sure way to make sure that the Universe never provides us with a new car is to grumble about the one we have or complain about the home we have now, if we are searching for a new place to live.  We must find the beauty in what we possess now and begin to sit calmly in that attitude of gratitude.  

Gratitude is the one ingredient, if you decide to include it in your recipe for life and success, that requires you to really not do much else in terms of action in your life to bring about change.  If you begin to express gratitude and an opportunity comes your way, by all means, take action.  However, one does not need to strive, force or plow one’s way to success.  Gratitude, just like baking powder, will cause the expansion of what we already have to rise and become something bigger and grander! 

4.  Looking for Beauty:  Today, either while you drive to work, at work or in your home or community, make it your mission to look around and see the beauty in something and take a minute to be thankful for it.  It may be the beauty in the sunrise, a picture, a poster, a person, yourself in the mirror, a mother holding the hand of a child, or a flock of birds overhead.  Then make it a daily habit to see as much beauty in the world as possible.  Elizabeth Taylor‘s mother, while she was pregnant with Elizabeth made a habit of looking at beautiful things each and every day and often would gaze at lavender Violas and always claimed that was why Elizabeth was born with eyes the colour of lavender (bluish purple).

5.  Watch Gratitude Videos:  There are many gratitude videos on the internet – while some include affirmations of being grateful and then include manifesting statements, I chose one that simply had reminders of why it is important to be grateful in our lives – even in the times of setbacks.  It is easy to be grateful when things are good and when we are manifesting what we desire – true growth in life, however, requires us to feel this way even when nothing seems to be happening.  Maintaining gratitude will help us to sustain our faith in these times.

6.  Reflection:  At the end of each day, while you lay in bed, reflect on and choose ONE thing that you are most thankful for during the day and say “thank you, thank you, thank you” before you close your eyes for that ONE thing.  You will most likely awaken to a new day with many more things for which to be thankful.  How?  Because the Universe hears your gratitude and responds by expanding it while you sleep! 

Next Post:  Financial Freedom:  The next ingredient is breathing! 

Money: How to Make it Serve You! Part 4 of 5 Series

We Receive What we Invest in, in our Lives!

We can only receive what we can allow ourselves to receive and this is completely proportionate to what we believe, think, feel and how we act towards what it is we want to attract.

If we want to attract more money to our lives; we must first learn how to water and nurture that area, which usually requires some form of transformation or resetting our minds regarding money!

How is our mental blueprint formed?

We need to think of our minds as computers – highly advanced computers – that are programmed from the time of our conception to think, believe and ultimately make choices and take actions, based on those thoughts and beliefs. 

Essentially, our money blueprint (Ecker) is based on the program we’ve received in the past from parents, authority figures, teachers, media, culture, religious leaders, etc regarding our thoughts and attitudes towards money.  Their ways of thinking about money, became ours.

The following outline is my summary of what Harvey T. Ecker lectures about in his 6 part series on our Money Blueprint; here are the ways in which we have been programmed to think about money:

Verbal:  Phrases and messages  we heard when we were young, such as:  “Money is the root of all evil!” “You can’t be rich and spiritual” “Money can’t buy happiness!”  “We can’t afford it!”

Modeling:  What we saw when we were young –  what model or example did our parents establish for us?  Was money a source of joy or bitter arguments?  What happens to us when we see our parents or people we respect act towards money?  “Monkey see, monkey do!”  Ecker says, “humans aren’t far behind.”  We either model what our parents taught us through their example or we do the exact opposite because we are angry or in opposition to being like our parents.

Specific Incidents:  What did we experience (emotional charges)  around money, success and rich people?  We validate what we are taught in our adult lives.  For example, if we witnessed examples of conflict over money, conflict regarding money will ultimately show up in our lives.  Perhaps, we watched our parents receive money only to have it taken or lost in the form of an emergency in the family or something in the house needed to be repaired.  We grow up believing that money will go out as quickly as it comes in and we will continue to create or attract scenarios where this exact phenomenon keeps happening to us. 

How do we reset our Money Thermostat?

Ecker uses the comparison between our mental blueprint about money and a thermostat.  If the thermostat is set to maintain the house at 72 degrees  and someone comes and opens a window and lets the cold air in – no matter what, the thermostat will kick-in and drive the temperature back up to 72 degrees.  If we set the thermostat in the summer to keep us cool and it becomes very hot outside, the thermostat or central air will again kick-in to bring the temperature down and maintain it at what we have programmed it.

Ecker says this is exactly the same with our mental thermostat regarding many issues – particularly our thoughts about what we “need” in order to be comfortable or happy.  If we grew up poor or middle class, we were most likely programmed that just getting by or being able to pay our bills with some left over for entertainment is “living comfortably” and guess what?  That’s all our thermostat will ever allow us to be – comfortable, but not wealthy and not abundant.  Hence, we need to reset our internal thermostat.

How do we do this?

First we must understand that we are made up of four elements:  Spiritual, Mental, Emotional,  and Physical and whatever is going on in the M. E. and S. will manifest itself in the Physical realm.

Beliefs (Spiritual) = Thoughts (Mental) = Feelings (Emotional) = Our Actions and Our Results

Before we can begin to change our Money Thermostat, we must first learn how rich people think.  Here are some basic rules, Ecker outlines that we must follow before we do anything else:

1.  Stop judging rich people – give up the beliefs that “rich people are greedy or selfish” and simply observe and begin to appreciate how they think.  Replace our old programming with new statements:

Rich people are Cheap                   = Rich people are generous

It takes money to make money    = It takes creativity to make money

I’m too old to make a change        = I am able to learn new skills

I can’t be rich and nice                   = I am rich and a nice person

2.  Give up the victim stance and take full responsibility for our own financial situation (stop blaming the economy, others, high interest rates, our parents, etc.)

3.  Take Ownership over our lives and financial situation:  “I create my life!” vs. “life happens to me!”

4.  Stop justifying that we don’t need money, can just get by, just want to be comfortable or that money isn’t that important.

5.  What we focus on, EXPANDS, therefore focus on what’s RIGHT in our lives – not’s what wrong!

6.  Immediately, stop complaining!   Complaining = garbage magnet!

All change begins with Awareness and with new thinking comes new results!

Changing your blue print about money:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeNAGoFSqno

Next Post:  Learn how to love and appreciate money!  Part 5 of 5 Series

Money: How to Make it Serve You! Part 3 of 5 Series

In What Area is Money Serving You?  In What Area is it Not?

Many of us struggle with money – or lack of it – now and then.  However, we do not necessarily struggle in all areas.  This is an important detail of which to take note.  For example, perhaps we are always lucky to land the right job at the right time; but we seem to always have an issue with having enough to pay our bills.  Perhaps, we are blessed when it comes to people paying for our dinners or other things we need; but we often have breakdowns with our car or other maintenance issues.  Maybe it’s that we are extremely lucky in winning money; but the next day, we have an accident and there goes the whole lot we’ve just won.

Why does this happen?

There is a reason why, in some financial areas we seem to thrive and in others, we are barely surviving.  The discrepancy between these areas is where lies our personal growth; and ultimately, our financial growth.  Our success is dependent on getting these areas healed and in order. 

For example, if money often seems to come to us easily; but then a few days later, our car breaks down and it just happens to be exactly or close to the amount we have just “luckily” received, chances are we have a subconscious, core belief that we either do not deserve the blessing we have been given or we do not truly believe that we are lucky or fortunate or that our luck will last.

We may be in a perpetual struggle between two conflicting beliefs because our father was always stating that he had the “luck of the Irish”, but we perpetually heard our mother say, “Oh, I just can’t get a break!”

We are often fed many misleading and negative ideas regarding money and finances and sometimes we’ve heard so many conflicting beliefs, we continue to create them in our adult lives. I don’t know about you, but this can be very tiring and frustrating! 

How do we break free of these beliefs once and for all? 

Sometimes, it is as simple as recognizing them, writing them down and saying to ourselves that we no longer need these beliefs and they no longer serve us.  At other times, if they are deep-seated beliefs or there is a great deal of emotion attached to them; it may require that we seek outside help from a psycho-therapist, spiritual healer, hypnotist or any other professional that can help us get to the bottom of these core beliefs.  The other very effective technique that can release triggers and blockages is E.F.T: Emotional Freedom Tapping Technique (please refer to my series on E.F.T on my right sidebar of my blog for more information regarding it). 

Mediation is a key strategy at getting to our core beliefs, because it is in this meditative state between full consciousness and semi-sleep that we can send messages to our subconscious successfully.  Here are some key strategies to try within a meditative state:

1.  As I have mentioned in my other posts regarding this money series, watching and listening to subliminal training videos can be very helpful to begin our journey to financial freedom.

How to Think Like a Millionaire:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXPIVsDLRAM

2.  Harv T Ecker is another expert on changing our money blueprint or mindset by thinking like the rich, instead of from a poverty mentality:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeNAGoFSqno

3.  Focusing on an item that is symbolic of financial freedom can also be very helpful. I have a picture of the type of car I am intending to own in the next few months and it happens to be a car that represents for me that I am in a very lucrative financial position.  I imagine driving this particular car into my family’s driveway, right down to taking my dog cage out of the car and seeing my family coming out and greeting me to have a look at my new car.  I currently enjoy and treasure the car I am driving, but I often imagine I am driving my new car when I am behind the wheel of my current one; I even imagine how much higher I will sit in the driver’s seat.

4.  Visualizing Exercises:  These are exercises regarding forgiveness and letting go of our parents’ beliefs about money and wealth, which can be very effective.  I have visualized conversations with my parents; they are asking me for forgiveness for teaching me their limited views regarding money; and I am forgiving them and accepting from them a wonderful gift that they are happy to bestow upon me, allowing me to be physically and financially free from their home and moving towards my financially free lifestyle.

5.  The key is to meditate on or visualize things that actually bring us into a state of feeling associated with owning or having wealth.  For example, when I imagine driving my new vehicle, I can actually feel the excitement and the joy of the experience.  If repeating affirmations about being a proud owner – (I am not limiting the Universe as to how it wants to bring me this car – or speaking over myself that I have to earn the money for it) – of this vehicle registers on a scale from 1-10 at about a 6, then actually visualizing driving it and feeling the emotions attached to the experience, puts us at a level of 9-10.  This higher level is what will cause our subconscious and the Universe to respond more effectively to our request or desire.

Check Out Tony Robbins “How to Breakthrough”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pc4rWleclXs

Next Post:  How to Create a New Blueprint for Our Money Consciousness. Part 4 of 5 Series.

Prosperity: Obstacles to Success – How to Overcome Them! Part 2 of 5 Series

Money, does in fact, grow on trees!

What obstacles get in the way of us manifesting the things we desire most in life?

In reality, only ourselves and our limited thoughts and beliefs can get in the way of us manifesting the things we desire.

Some of the obstacles are:

1.  Undeserving Belief:  We do not always believe we deserve what it is we are asking.

The only solution is to convince our psyches or our subconscious that we DO deserve these things.

How do we do that?

We simply form an affirmation that suggests it and begin to repeat it to ourselves daily and as often as possible.  At first, we do not always believe the affirmation.  This is why we have to say it repeatedly.  The areas where we already believe positive things are usually areas where we are having success.

It is necessary to repeat affirmations regarding areas that we are not having success because we are literally re-programming our neuro-pathways – our brain – to think and ultimately feel differently about our finances, love and health.  This ultimately brings about different and more positive results.  If we wish to accelerate this process, we can do mirror work, which can be very difficult at first but is highly productive.

What is mirror work?

We repeat affirmations to ourselves in the mirror.

Why is this effective?

It’s effective because we are faced with our true selves – our inner child if you will – who is the part of us who has the limiting beliefs.  Often as children we were told by our parents limiting statements regarding prosperity and money, such as “money doesn’t grow on trees, you know!”.

In regards to mirror work, you may want to begin with saying, “I love you _______” to yourself as many times as possible. It is even more effective when you use your first name.   If this is too difficult for you as we often do not truly love ourselves at the core, you could back up to where you are comfortable and say, “I am willing and open to loving you ________”.

After we begin to love ourselves, we can then progress to affirmations in the mirror that say,

” _________, you deserve to have the love, job, prosperity, dream house, and body you desire.”  Over time this will re-program our consciousness to believe these things and in time will bring about these manifestations we have been desiring.

2.  Discomfort:  We feel the discomfort of the last 500 metres and give up and throw away the paper or tape recorder with our affirmations on it (yes, I’ve done this!). 

This goes back to #1 in that we often meet obstacles or blocks in areas for a reason.  We want to blame circumstances or say that we “have no luck” or “this is the story of my life”.  These are the things that we absolutely have to refuse to say to ourselves.  Instead, we have to look within.

Everything that is going on in our lives, good and bad (remember bad is only a perspective) is a reflection of our inner-selves and beliefs.

For example, most people who have money issues have inherited long-standing beliefs about money.  They have received messages in their childhood, usually from their parents but not always, regarding money such as the aforementioned, “money doesn’t grow on trees“, or “money is the root of all evil.”  If we believe this, how is money or the energy around it suppose to respond to us?  It will avoid us like the plague.  If we said to a friend or partner, “you are the root of all evil” how long do we think this person would be attracted to us or want to stick around in our lives?

There are many limiting beliefs regarding finances.  Again, if you want to identify what is blocking you from prosperity or abundance in your life, simply look in the mirror and say, “My biggest fear about money is __________________” and notice what comes up.  Write it down and as much as you might resist it or not want to deal with it or face it, you must.  If we do not deal with our fears or limiting beliefs in areas of our lives, we will never be free to accept and receive the very things we desire.

3.  Indecisiveness:  We change our minds as to what we want, thinking that this will bring about “something” close to what we want.

An example of this, is vacillating between what we truly want and what we are willing to settle for.  For example, in a time when I was renting my house I had tenants that did not pay their rent for six months.  In awaiting their eviction, I vacillated between re-renting or selling my home many times.  Once they were finally evicted and I had my house back, I worked very diligently to clean it, paint it and put it back into the condition in which I had it before my renters took it over.  I was still undecided about whether I wanted to rent it again or sell it.  I had it on the market to sell for almost three months at that point, with no interest.  Well, no wonder.

I was sending mixed messages to the Universe as to what I truly wanted.  Single focus is very important in allowing ourselves to receive the things we want.  Once I saw my house restored to its original beauty I knew that I could not bear to rent it again only to have to restore it again.  I decided to sell.  I made up my mind.  Interestingly, during the first few days after I made my decision to sell, I had people come to view it during Open Houses and some mentioned that if I did not sell it they would be interested in renting it.  Curiously, I was open to that for a brief moment in time; mostly because meeting these people, I realized that there were responsible people out there that wanted to rent and would pay their bills.  However, these people were simply symbolic of that part of me that doubted I would sell it and thought, “Maybe I should rent it just in case I don’t sell it”.

What did I truly want at my core?  To sell it, to move on and bless someone else with it, while I re-focused my money somewhere else rather than continuing to pay its mortgage and utilities.  At that point, I firmly made up my mind to sell it.  I was determined.  I was single focused on one goal:  To sell my house and bless someone else with it in the meantime.

4.  Settling for Second Best:  We settle for less than what we want, not having enough faith to believe we can and will get exactly what we ask for. 

Which leads me to a very important point: If there are people in your life who negate what you think, believe or aspire to – these people do not share your positive energy and will most definitely create if not in your life, then in your own consciousness a seed of doubt which inevitably, despite our best efforts can lead to a full-fledged weed within our minds.  Avoid people like this.  Obviously people mean well and want to give you advice.  However, while humans cannot open certain doors that the Universe can; humans too can keep doors shut with their own minds that the Universe cannot open. Be wary of the company you keep and the thoughts that you entertain!

5.  Being the Victim:  We are stuck in negative patterns.

Even though we might say three affirmations a day for prosperity, we continue the rest of day thinking or speaking negative thoughts that negate the very positive ones we have worked on.  For example, we might affirm in the mirror that “we are in abundance and prosperity is coming to us from many different sources.”  Later that same day, however, we repeat negative phrases such as, “I can’t afford to go out for lunch” or “I have so much debt” or “I’ll never be able to afford that new car”.  Even insisting on shopping all of the time at discount or used stores sends a message to the Universe that we are in poverty and need to accept second-hand things.  There is nothing wrong with shopping at these places (I do it all of the time) as we may find a great treasure.

The problem exists when we only shop at such places and refuse to buy ourselves anything new or expensive.  Another obstacle lies not in our words but our actions.  For example, if we steal anything there is a strong message to the Universe that we cannot afford to buy things.  If we borrow or use the copier at work for personal items, it sends the same message.  We must live a life of the utmost integrity to send the utmost positive messages to the Universe that we can afford and believe we deserve the very best.  In the next blog I write about manifesting love and the obstacles in which we create for ourselves in that area.

Related Articles & Videos:

How to Attract Money:  http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/Oliver2.html

Subliminal Conscious training to Attract Money: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dlw97AQyswc

Next Post:  Prosperity:  How to be Single Focused on What you Want! Part 3 of 5

Manifesting Our Desires: Affirmations and Visualizations – Part 3 of Top 10 Series

How do we do this?  We begin with our words and then match our vibrational energy – how we feel about the words and their overall message or meaning – to them.  For example words such as joy, pleasure, fun, happiness, wealth have a much higher vibrational energy than words such as sadness, fine, okay, bad, depressed, debt.  Essentially, we create our lives and the things in it by sending out certain vibrational words and thoughts.  This is why it is SO important not just to say your affirmations but to feel and visualize you feeling the joy of success, or having the job or relationship you want.

Success & Prosperity

“Everything I touch is a success.”

“I am one with the Universe and it amazes me everyday with its generousity, love and support.”

“I am one with the Universe and this connection brings me fulfillment and abundance.”

“I am blessed beyond my fondest dreams.”

“I am in the flow of abundance.”

“Money, prosperity and wealthy flows to me every single day!”

“Money is attracted to me from every different direction.”

Relationships & Love

“I am in harmony in all of my relationships.”

“I am fulfilled in a loving relationship.”

Health & Well Being

“I am 100 % healthy on a molecular, cellular structure.”

“My face and body reflect the youthful child within me!”

“I love my body and am healthy, fit and feel great.”

“I am healthy and happy at 130 pounds.”

“I have lots of energy and exercise 3 times a week!”

Send as many of these types of vibrational messages out today as you can – they are like a boomerang and will bring back to you the things you desire…but remember to appreciate the bud and soon, the flower will grow and blossom!

I chose the picture below because it is me doing my first book reading at Chapters and that is definitely something that I envisioned happening since I was a little girl!