Up-date: Money

I Thought I would up-date everyone on what has been happening since I first blogged about focusing on the appreciation of money.

In 2007 I wrote about how Steve Pavlina had inspired me to create focus areas for the year instead of New Years resolutions. As a result, the following has come to me by staying focused and being positive. You can read about it here.

• April of 2007 I started working through a temporary service.
• September of 2007 I was hired as a permanent employee making more per hour than I ever had before (with no prior experience in this job field).
• Unexpected money flowing into ours lives (some in nice chunks).
• April 2008 - work is picking up for our company and my husband will be handling a huge project that will require less travel time.
  

The interesting thing is that I never planned to work for another company - but I do recognized that this is where I am suppose to be at the moment.

Something else that has recently come to me in one of my "a-ha" moments is accepting that fact that it is good to "receive". It is good and very good. More to come on this subject later.

Focus - Staying Positive

Since January 2007 I have steadily been working on my 3 focus areas. The questions I asked myself was "How am I going to stay focused?" and "Where would be the best place to start?" I figured the best place to start would be to stay positive; I needed to have a more positive out look on my life as it is now. I needed a more focused, more thankful, more appreciative view of what I already had. So for the first few months this is what I have been working on the most...

Staying Positive

This can be very challenging - particularly when it comes to finances. Finances seem to be a "In your face" type of situation. What I mean by "in your face" is that just about everything we want or need has to do with the all mighty dollar. And everyone seems to want you to give them their share; which is fine - when you're not feeling stressed about money. So how can I/we get to our "happy place"?

I've always been a pretty positive sort of person, always looking for the good in situations and people - but I wanted something that would focus my attention more. I thought...

• "What is positive?" Positive equals good.
• "What does good mean?" Good means appreciating or being happy.
• "How can I focus more on being happy/appreciative?" Write it down.

Hmm, what a interesting thought.

So I got myself a notebook and wrote on the front cover, "Appreciation". I've dedicated the book only to writing about what I am thankful for. On the top of the first page I wrote, "What do I appreciate today?", "What am I thankful for?" I write everything and anything that comes to my mind - people, places, things; I write about it all!

At this time I do most of my appreciation in the mornings because this is when I have the most quiet time - I sit up in bed with my cup of coffee ( this is one of those things I appreciate) and write. However, you can do this any time during the day that you can spend about 15-20 minutes without any major interruptions.

In the beginning I wrote everyday. Sometimes I ended up with a very long list and other days it may have been just a few items. The point is, that I made it a point to create a habit of being thankful everyday. I was focusing my attention. If I wasn't writing, I was reading what I had already wrote.

Here are some of the benefits that I have noticed:

• Increase in ability to focus
• Increased happiness (everyone wants to be happy!)
• Appreciation brings more of the same into your life (Law of Attraction)

I have had some very good results from focusing my attention and being thankful in this way. Unexpected cash flow (into, not out of, my life), my writing has increased, and my request for a stronger connection spiritually has also improved.

You probably have areas in your own life that you would like to improve; write them down. Then focus your attention by appreciating everything and anything you can think of. The focus is in the writing and the ability to stay positive.

Playing with Angels

Tonight was a blast. Pete and I bowl on Tuesdays with my parents. On the drive to the alley I started this habit of imaging Angels on the vehicles, it’s quite fun. We all have guardian angels that watch us and help to protect us. They never leave us, so it only seems appropriate to imagine them driving along side of us and over us.

Well tonight was the second Tuesday in a row that I did this and I focused a bit more on our car (by the way I was not driving). I pictured two angels lying on top of the car facing the same direction we were going. Most of the time you think of these protectors as being quite serious; but the on this occasion one of the angels opened his mouth and allowed the wind to create ripples throughout his face, it was a really funny picture. Next I imagined an angel riding on top of the car like it was a skate board easily weaving in and out of traffic. I was getting these wonderful little goose bumps through my body. I felt as if they were playing with me.

It’s so great to know that we can have this sort of connection to Heaven…and all we need is a little imagination. Try it. But not while your in the drivers seat.

The Season of Giving....and Presents!

It's that time of year again - Christmas, the season of giving.....and presents!

Everyone looks forward to opening their gifts. We've been eyeing them, shaking them, debating if we should peek at them. The excitement is growing as we get closer and closer to the day we can rip into them!

Stop! Don't touch that present yet!
Excuse me, I've been waiting long enough!

I know, but I would like you to wait for one moment.
Alright, what is it?

Before you open your presents I would like you to humor me for a minute by taking a moment to use your imagination.
My imagination?! What on earth for?

Just listen to me for a second and close your eyes.
Ok, but this better be good.

Alright then. Think of the person you are receiving the gift from and picture him/her in your head.
Ok, I'm picturing.

Now imagine this person driving to the store. They get out of the car and walk into the store; in their hand is a list of people that they are buying gifts for. Your name is on the list. Do you see your name?
Yes, I see it.

This person is wandering the store thinking about you and trying to figure out what to get for you. Do you see them looking?
Yes.

After some time of looking, and some frustration, they pick something that they think you might like. They buy it and take it home. They pick out the wrapping paper, and with care, wrap it up and place the tag on the gift with your name on it. Do you see them wrapping your gift? Do you see the time, the effort and the thought that they put into finding you this gift?
They did put a lot of time into it.

Now, I have one last question to ask you. Please think very carefully before you answer.

What do you appreciate more - the gift, or the person who gave it to you?

Your answer here:__________

The Law of Appreciation - Money

The last few months I've been reading a lot about appreciation or being thankful. What I've come to realize is that appreciation goes hand in hand with the Law of Attraction. Basically the Law of Attraction means positive will attract positive and negative will attract negative. Everyone practices this law even if you don't realize it. So the appreciation aspect I'm speaking of is to attract more of the positive and less negative into our lives.

I'm sure everyone can remember a time when someone (probably mom or dad) said "you should be thankful for that food on your plate. There are a lot of starving people that would love to have what you are eating." Because we were so young, we really didn't understand - we didn't put 2 and 2 together. Even as I grew up I still had a problem understanding the reason I should be thankful or appreciative of anything.

If I only knew then, what I know now. But I didn't. Thank goodness it's never too late to start.

So now you're saying "Well this doesn't apply to me. I'm very thankful for everything in my life. I appreciate everything."

My reply would be, "So - you appreciated the guy that cut you off in traffic today?" Ah, that was different you say. I think there was a point made.

One way to figure out if there are any areas in your life that you are not appreciating is to ask yourself a question. In what area(s) of your life are you experiencing lack? There are many areas to choose from that could be lacking in our lives. Here are just a few of them: relationships (this one could be a blog in itself), food, housing, friends, you name it and it may be possible that the cause of lack is really the lack of appreciating it. I'm sure one subject that we have all had our difficulties with is the lack of money.

Here is a recent example from my own life.

My husband and I own a painting business and work mainly with the new construction homes. This industry has been very slow this year and we have been just squeaking by with enough cash to cover our monthly expenses. The bills get paid, the gas tanks get filled, the food is bought - that's pretty much it. Not a lot of extra cash floating around our house to have any fun with let alone save any of it. Gee, I wonder if anyone else can relate to this scenario.

Well it came to my attention through all of the reading I've been doing, that to break this cycle of lack in my life I needed to start appreciating ALL of the money that comes to me. I just love those "a-ha" moments (someone turned on the light).

Here's what happened when I started to practice appreciating money:

While cleaning and organizing our bedroom I was coming across a few pennies, nickles and dimes. Every time I found one I would say "thank you" or "woo-hoo, a penny!" (with a smile on my face). I cleaned, organized and appreciated for 3 days (yes, it took 3 days to clean our bedroom, this also seems to be our catch-all room).

Within 2 days my husband received a call about a job that they wanted done as soon as possible. The day after this job was completed he received another call and had another job. Woo-hoo!!

I know, some of you are probably saying that it must be that the industry is picking up or that we were just lucky. You have the right to think anything you want to. And so do I. In my own opinion I believe the key to having and attracting more of anything into our lives is in the appreciation of everything. We need to start paying attention to the little things.

I'll be sure to keep you posted on my appreciation process.
I'm thankful for my pennies, are you?