Thinking for Money Attitude

Think about money for a second.
Think about it for a second.
"
  "Money must be earned the hard way.
"
  "Money is hard to come by.
"
  "There is never enough money.
"
  "Rich people are greedy.
"


Take a moment to repeat any of these out loud and see how you feel.
However, have you found yourself in the past saying those exact things.
Get this! If someone is making those statements, they are pushing money out of their life.
If you said to a loved one, "I love you however I don't want you around", do you think they would stay around.
If someone is constantly bad mouthing money, why would money want to come in to their life?   As a professional speaker, author and public speaking coach, I have found that there are specific rules that apply to money.
If you want more money in your life, start applying these rules right now.
 

Look around you.
It is exchanged everyday all over the world.
Remember, the statement that everyone puts their pants on the same way.
Let go of any idea that a millionaire is different than you.
The only difference between a millionaire and a financially challenged person is that millionaires become masters as using their skills and talents.


Money is not bad.
Some people actually believe that money makes people greedy and I was one of them.
How many people have said "Money is the root of all evil" when the actual bible quote is "The love of money is the root of all evil.
Remember all the multi-millionaires and billionaires who are generous, kind, loving and caring.
They are smart entrepreneurs who know that in order to receive they must be willing to give first.


Do you give money joyfully, however when someone wants to give you something you push it away? Do you love to receive, however it is hard for you give generously to charity.
It is meant to be received gratefully and easily, and it is meant to be shared with others.
" And yes, it does.
Let more money in to your life and do it joyfully.


The simplest and easiest way to feel worthy is to keep a non-spendable $100 bill in your wallet.
Now I am kicking myself for waiting so long.
When you go to talk to the millionaire, you feel more confident and wealthier.
By the way, if you already have a $100 in your wallet, put $500 in your wallet.
 

Is your wallet looking a little low? Is putting a $100 bill in your wallet is absolutely out of the question because you just don't have a $100 right now.
You can say things like "I am a Money Magnet!"  "Money comes to me easily."
I know that it may sound a little hokey, however I can tell you from personal experience it works.


With this Rules of Money in your tool box, you can now feel confident that you can start to create Money, Money, and so much more than just Money in your life.
Get started today.

Does the Accumulation of Money Reduce Wealth

Some conversations demonize money, making it seem as though wanting to accumulate it is an evil sin, while others champion the notion of accumulating it, making it seem as though this pastime is humanity's sole purpose for existing.
There are many differing views as to what money is, how to or who can amass it, and whether it is right or wrong to do so.
It is a physical representation of value used for exchange in the marketplace.
Bartering (a economic exchange rooted in trading one set of items or services for another) was the means of exchange long ago, as the marketplace was far simpler, consisting of fewer products and services for sale, as well as fewer people in which to sell these products and services to.
However, as the numbers of buyers and sellers grew, it became more apparent that a more complex form of exchange would be needed.


Now, while you and I can read the worth of a dollar bill on its face, as a dollar, its true worth may not be that, as a currency's value is never stagnant, as all of the values of the different currencies' around the world are constantly fluctuating.
Therefore, as with other currencies around the world, America's dollar fluctuates based on the stability of the marketplaces it serves.
As the world moves closer to a global economy, each nation's currency will be more interconnected with one another, meaning that instabilities in markets outside of one's physical borders will have an ever increasing impact on one's currency.
However, the problem is that many of us put far too much emphasis on money as a tangible good, which often leads to unsuccessfully chasing an intangible

theory.
One cannot deny the necessity of money, being that it is the primary means of exchange around the world.
However, where we often begin to get ourselves into trouble is when we start to acquire some of the niceties such as big screen televisions, sports cars, or elaborate vacations.
Be clear that niceties or luxuries are not necessities, nevertheless many people often incorrectly lump the two together, causing them to relentlessly pursue money in what some would deem a sinful way.
Therefore, that determination rests in the eye of the beholder.


Are Some People Destined To Accumulate Money While Others Are Doomed To Simply Pursue It To No Avail?

This question plays right into the "woe is me" conversation that many people seem to have about the accumulation of money.
Money is based on a perceived value.
However, whether you accumulate money or simply chase it resides in your perceived self-worth.
If you were not born with a silver spoon in your mouth, then you have to shift your thinking in regards to your self-worth.
What do I mean by shift your thinking?

Every product or service bought or sold on the world market has a value that fluctuates based on what consumers are willing to pay for it.
This goes to show that everything is a commodity.
You must now ask yourself a couple of important questions to get yourself in the proper mindset if you want to accumulate money:

What talents or skills do I possess that can be of great value to others? What talents or skills could I learn that can be of great value to others? Am I willing to develop my talents and skills to the best of my abilities? Am I willing to wait until my talents and skills are honed before I put them on display? Am I willing to put myself out there to demonstrate my talents and skills to the public? Am I willing to demand that my talents and skills be compensated based on their value in the marketplace?

I hope you are beginning to get the picture.
The question is what do you bring to the table that is of great value to others? Many people don't realize that they are a commodity or don't want to acknowledge it.


Does this mean that individuals that don't realize, refuse to accept this fact, or develops themselves late are doomed to simply live a life pursuing money to no avail? Unfortunately, the answer is most likely yes.
The masses have the wrong mindset, because they are chasing money as though it is a tangible asset.
Just look at the numbers of individuals that have obtained riches through the lottery or inheritance only to squander it over time.
Wealth represents an accumulation of any and everything dear to an individual.
A key difference between wealth and money is that the accumulation of wealth implies that the person doing the accumulating has some level of wisdom, self-worth, and maturity, as it is often very difficult to accumulate items of wealth if one does not understand what, why, and how to gather and maintain items he/she values.
Money can really only provide greater power in the marketplace, but if you realize your self-worth (which is what wealth requires), you can accumulate and maintain the money as well as all of the other things that we spoke about in regards to wealth.
You are life itself, and from you everything manifests.
A final thought, money without the development of self is hollow, empty, fleeting, while development of self (inside of the realization of one's worth) breeds wealth for a lifetime.

Women - Creating Your Financial Freedom

This is the calculation of money you'll need down the road in order to live a very minimal, luxury-free life each month.
You can figure out how much dignity money you'll personally need by determining the smallest amount that it will cost you to live each month.
Don't include any frills.
If you own your house or apartment, your mortgage or maintenance is likely to be one of your major expenses; it is perhaps your single greatest expense.
For many women, eliminating mortgage debt is an essential step to achieving financial independence.
Depending on the current size and condition of your Money Machine, you may find that financial independence may arrive for you only after the mortgage is

paid, whether that date is five, ten, or more years from now.
It might be $1,000 a month or $10,000.
In any event, your dignity-money figure is the target level of income for the first stage of creating your financial freedom.
If you already have your dignity money, then you can feel at ease.
If you have yet to establish your dignity money, then it's time to begin working toward it.


How do you figure out how much your Money Machine needs in order to generate your dignity money? The calculation is simple.
This provides an estimate of how much money you'll need to invest in order to generate the appropriate monthly income.
That means your yearly expenses will total $48,000.
Why? At $4,000 a month, your yearly expenses will total $48,000.
This means that your Money Machine will need $480,000 in order to pay you an annual income at the rate of 10 percent per year, or $48,000.
If your minimal monthly expenses are $6,000, your Money Machine should contain $720,000: $6,000 times 12 is $72,000; adding a 0 brings it to $720,000.
Do your own calculation.
Inflation gradually shrinks your money's value.
Consequently, the amount in your Money Machine will have to be somewhat greater to compensate for the effects of inflation.
A high inflation rate, like the one we experienced in the 1970s, will have a strongly negative effect on the value of the money generated by your Money Machine.
The power of inflation grows significantly as time passes.
But if you expect to work for two or three more decades, inflation will make a noticeable difference.
That seems like a lot of money to feed to your Money Machine, and the thought of how to amass such an amount might be daunting.


Consider Rachel Levine, Lynn Attwood and Betty Scott as they envisioned their financial pictures.
Rachel earns $30,000 a year.
I was wrong.
Rachel and I chatted about the dignity-money concept, and she concluded that she and her husband would want to have $600,000 in their Money Machine.


Rachel enjoys museum work, and David enjoys his work, too.
That's about thirty-six years from today.
2 years.
It is likely Rachel's income will increase with raises, promotions, and career moves, and David's contracting business is expanding rapidly.
As the Levines eventually accumulate more cash to invest, their Money Machine will gain more steam.


Lynn Attwood said: 'To grow my own dignity money, I estimate that I will probably need to put $700,000 in my Money Machine.
To advance to the next step-to live more freely, to travel several times a year, and to entertain and frolic without guilt at some of her favorite stores-in other words, to maintain her present lifestyle-she will have to have more cash invested in her Money Machine - in excess of $1 million.
The important thing to note is that creating the Money Machine begins with securing your financial necessities and then moving on.


Betty Scott figures she'll need less dignity money than Lynn does.
Betty grasps the principle of spending less than you earn and investing the difference and is prepared to do exactly that.
That means her Money Machine will have to contain $420,000 to establish her dignity money.
That means you have to really shave those credit cards," I reminded her.
The benefits of securing income from your Money Machine are pretty obvious.

Money - Manifesting

Spiritual Wealth is the stuff that your dreams of manifesting Money are made of, and when you understand the Law of Attraction you'll begin to have money appear in your life, somewhat slowly at first but then progressively faster and faster, as with anything that one practices.


You have heard it said, "The rich get richer while the poor get poorer.
But the only conspiracy here is the failure by our society to understand and transmit the Law of Attraction.
Those relatively few wealthy people who do not understand what Money is or understand the Law of Attraction are doomed to lose what they have, too.
Money is Energy that is exchanged by you so that you can manifest in your life those things which you don't have the time or resources of either material or talent to make for yourself.


You have heard it cautioned that Money cannot buy happiness.
Now, it's true that Money IN AND OF ITSELF is NOT joy or happiness, or in fact even useful.
"Unemployed" Money is a dead thing.


Money that is in a savings account or similar vessel is being used for a mixture of investing and consuming.
But Money that is just sitting around doing nothing--stored in a piggy bank, with no definite plans for it--is a dead thing.
Dead Money can be revitalized with right action and thought, but Money that is gone is gone.
It is typically this latter case for the vast majority of people.
Next, fall in love with Money; get over the idea that loving Money is the root of all evil--it is the LACK of Money that is the root of all evil (When the bible says that loving Money is the root of all evil, this is actually a poor translation of words rightly saying that it is evil to be a Scrooge).
Greed is simply wanting more and more of a good or pleasurable thing for yourself.
It is avarice, not greed, which is evil.
Feel this wealth flowing through your life and attracting more wealth into your life; make a list of all the things you will buy and do when the Money is in your bank account.
Lastly, as the Money comes in, remember to save or invest more than you spend, to remain organized and disciplined in your endeavors, and to give away at least 10% of your income to charity or in similar acts of generosity, to keep the current flowing.

Winning Money Management Skills on How to Develop

The life stories and habits of the wealthy doesn't support the popular believe that the more you earn, the rosier your life will become.
What about great boxers whose fortunes has suddenly nose-dived?  Hollywood celebrities of yesteryear are currently living in abject penury as a result of lack of money management skills.

Your money habits will determine your financial future.
You will continue to experience long term lack and financial short comings as long as you remain unlearned in the skills of profitable money management.
His book spoke much about what you should do with the money you earn during your working years.


Value and Control It

The very first skill you must acquire is to value the money you earn.
That seed could germinate and grow several money trees that will yield durable fruits in the future.
Recently an analysis was done in the United States to know the actual value of a dollar several years ago as compared with its current value at the New

York exchange. 
The money was put in instruments that overgrew inflation over the years.


Strive to know more about your personal account.
Have a record of your personal finance in a durable book.
I quickly bought a hard cover ledger book where I record my money spending habits to keep track of how my income is being spent over the years.
I feel a kind of confidence and measure of power of that knowledge which has helped me to acquire financial discipline.


Anything you spend your money on without the prospect of making more money is a liability.
They know how to do this very well.
Your savings should be a tangible percentage of your salary.


One thing you must however work against is to allow your savings to be eaten up by inflation.
Keeping devalued money is not worth the effort.
The left over should be channeled to the next money management habit.
Some out -rightly avoid it for fear of losing their hard earned money and yet what they did not know is lacking is the right information on how to be smart investors.
Some who invested put their monies on enterprise that will keep them enslaved after retirement.


Robbert Kiyosaki an American financial expert spoke extensively on the 7 levels of investors that I will share with you briefly to further sensitize and empower you to put your financial destiny in your hands.
They either spend everything they make or spend more than they make.
Unfortunately this zero level is where about 50% of the adult population would be categorized.
Often they even invest with borrowed money.
They live their financial lives with their head in the sand like an ostrich hoping and praying that everything will work out.
For the most part, they are not conscious about money and their spending habits.
The money is in a lower risk, low return vehicle such as a money market checking account, savings account or certificate of deposit.

Believe in paying in cash, they like the security of money in the bank.
This level of investor is aware of the need to invest.
They make up what we call the middle class.
They are actively involved in their own investment decisions.


If you are not yet a long-term investor, get yourself there as fast as you can.
Get control of your spending habits.
Live within your means and then increase your means.
They are focused, not usually diversified.
They are well educated in the world of investing and actively seek new information.
In America, less than one person in a hundred is a true capitalist.
It is the capitalist that provide the money that create the jobs, the business, and the goods that make a country prosper.
Paul Gattys etc.
Read it over and over again to know where you belong and how you can improve on your money habits.
This is the entrepreneurial side of money.
Everyone will need to create multiple streams of income in the future.
The crave for downsizing and re-engineering or reform  globally by government and private establishments necessitate that you retrain yourself and acquire more money making, marketable skills.
You must learn the skills of being your own boss, even if you are working for a solid corporation and plan on retiring there.


You can make money from what you are good at.
Do what you love and the money will follow.
Keeping it is another.


You must learn how to get your homes, cars and business entities out of sight through corporations, trusts and family partnerships to build a financial fortress around your assets.
Make sure they do not fall prey to greedy relations who went to reap where they did not sow.
Remember the story of Harvard University which was rated the best in the world.
You multiply what you have now through giving.
It is better to give than to receive.
Pay your tithe regularly and consistently.
Remember that the ultimate purpose of having money is to help others.

How to Find Success in Money Matters

I believed that those who had money had either inherited it or got it dishonestly.
There had to be rich and there had to be poor, so if I wasn't one of the rich, then what was I? Poor.
All my needs were provided for as a child, but I remember so many days of my mother worrying about someone going to call and shut off our power or our phone.
Besides that, I had read the scriptures-it would be harder for the rich man to go through the eye of the needle than to get into Heaven.
If that were the case, I chose Heaven.
So how did I change that way of thinking? How did I go from a poor mentality to one of wealth and abundance? It all began with a seminar I went to with my husband where I learned some great concepts about money.
It is the LOVE of money that is.
I spent my whole life thinking in scarcity, believing that there was just not enough to go around.
If you imagine a pie with a slice coming out-you are picturing scarcity thinking.
But if you imagine a pie, then draw a ring around the outside of the pie making it a bigger pie, then you cut a slice, you have just learned abundance.
Gaining this new insight and understanding in how I was thinking about money, I began to change my mind set and to focus more on the abundance around me.


Another name for money is currency.
That denotes FLOW.
Think about water for a minute.
We need it to survive and thrive.
As long as it is moving , there is life.
To dam water up and stop the flow will cause the water to become stagnant and toxic.
As water flows down its path, it brings life to all it touches.
If water is dipped from the stagnant pond and used, it creates the opposite of the fresh water-life will stop.
Water comes from God.
It doesn't really belong to anyone.
More water is constantly being created.
Money is a source of life.
Some people have large amounts like raging waters, some have a mere trickle.
Having a little reservoir of money is good as long as you keep it flowing.
Some people get their self esteem by how much money they have accumulated, but for what? What will they do with it? What good is a store of money when you die? Flowing money sustains life.
Everywhere your money goes, it creates beauty and growth.
Money given with the wrong intentions is like dipping from a pool of stagnant toxic water.
It is all His.
He has provided it for us to do good with.
We can all have money.


This concept of the flow of money has changed my life in regards to my thoughts of money.
He expects me to take good care of all I have and to share with others-to feed the hungry, clothe the naked.
He expects us to increase what we have been given and then return it to Him for an accounting.
He expects us to be successful.
When He talks of laying up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, He means that we should place as priority our families, our friends, and all the good we can do in the world as our treasures.
Those are not the real treasures.
Money is simply the current, the flow that keeps life moving.


In the story, Illusions, by Richard Bach, he tells of a village of creatures that live along the bottom of a great crystal river.
Each creature clung tightly to the twigs and rocks on the river bottom.
Finally one creature, bored from clinging, decided it was tired of clinging and let go trusting the current to know where it was going.
But the one didn't pay attention to them and let go anyway.
It was bruised and hurt no more.
We can let go and let God carry us in the current, blessing our lives and the lives of others.
If paying a bill, I am grateful for the power and water I use.
When buying gas, I am grateful that I can pay $4 (or whatever the amount) so I don't have to walk the 20 miles that the $4 will take me.
With my husband in the construction industry, we have felt the pangs of the economy.
There is money out there, but fear is causing people to hold onto their money.
Now each time I purchase something, I feel so good knowing I am creating flow.
That is what currency and flow are all about.
That is the real secret to success and prosperity.

Money and Young Kids

The dilemma of whether or not to explain to kids about money, bills and finances grows as the kids develop and have more requests and greater needs.
Just like many other life skills that we find necessary in adulthood, money management is also neglected while lots of energy is wasted on high levels of math.
Are you ready to make sure it is your kid?

Handling money is something we all need long before we leave home.
So if you wonder when it is the right time to learn about money, my answer is: the minute your kid can count to 10.
It is, after all, your way of getting the things you want in life.
Tell them about how people used to trade with their neighbours: "I will give you apples and you will give me carrots".
This evolved when they came to the market to trade for the things they wanted.
Explain to your young kid that money was a great thing that happened to us because we can buy whatever we want and not just what our neighbours grow.
Stick to at least once a week, because young kids' perception of time is not fully developed and 7 days seems to them like a very long time.
Others think that it is a good way to teach kids that money does not just fall from the sky and that we need to work for it.


Whatever you choose, stick to your schedule and always, always hold a ceremony of giving your kids their money.
You can always reward them for things they do for themselves.

Being nice to a sibling, doing their homework without being told, taking a shower by themselves, waiting patiently when mum or dad are on the phone.


Pocket money rules

When you choose to give pocket money as a reward, remember that the rules must be understood by everyone involved.
If your child can read, make a list of the chores (and/or emotional stretches) with their matching reward amount.
Having an understanding will prevent bargaining and allow both parents to handle the situation in the same way.
Think about this before you start teaching your kid about money.
Whatever you decide is good, as long as you have a good explanation for yourself and you stick to it.
Any piggy bank that does not allow the kids to take the money out is a cruel thing for your kid.
Money is not there to keep.


Less is sometimes more

Young kids find it hard to understand that a $1 coin is worth more than 20 coins of 5 cents each.
Therefore, always use the smallest coins to give them money, to give them the feeling they have plenty of money.
When they do understand this, start exchanging single cents for 10 cents, 10 cents for 25 or 50 cents and 50 cents for dollars, etc.
When a young kid takes a wallet with them for shopping, this is the greatest lesson about money management.
Always show them the options, "This costs this many coins, the other thing you want costs that many coins", and teach them to choose.


Loans

If you go with your kid somewhere and they did not bring their wallet, use the opportunity to teach them about lending and let them borrow some money until you get home.
If they have their wallet with them, but not enough money and they ask for a loan, make sure they understand what this means.
Just like in real life, teach them that things that require loans also require more time to think about.


Savings

The first time your young kids ask you for a loan, be happy, because now you can teach them about savings.
Teach them to always put 10% of their money aside.
This is the money you keep for something big or special that you want later.
Saving is a good lesson in waiting, something that is hard for young kids, because their perception of time is not fully formed.
Having a healthy attitude towards money is important to help your kid grow with skills that school is not going to give them.
If you think they are too young to know about money, remember that one day they will have to pay for your nursing home.

Does Money Really Matter

There's a subtle yet distinct sense of foreboding that often lurks beneath money -- when money really matters.
It's at such times that money really matters, and it's during these squeezes that money matters can be personally addressed at deeper levels.
Money money money -- always sunny in the rich man's world'?.



Yes money does matter in life -- there is no denying the essentially of money as a commodity for living.
And money matters do not take precedence over matters of life and death, health matters, human relationships, and other personal issues.
And the irony is that the more something matters, the more unbalanced we become, and the more things like money tend to elude us.
Being primarily a form of energy, money needs to be seen first and foremost as a means of exchanging energy with another person, (or group of people).
Maybe you're familiar with the device -- it's an electricity meter box that has a slot for a plastic key that you take to a local shop, pay money (any amount you wish), receive an equivalent potential charge of electricity, take it home and slot it in the key meter.
The system overcomes the need for emptying coin meters, along with the possibility that they might be broken into, the money stolen, or the device tampered with.
When you take the empty key to be charged, is it money you bring home in it? Or is it maybe actually charged with electricity? (Heaven help us if it is!) Or is it rather mere potential? I say 'mere' -- and yet 'potential' and 'actual' are one and the same thing when time is taken out of the equation.


If we were to take the whole thing a step further backwards in time, at some point you exchanged services (or goods you owned) for the money you took to the shop.


And somewhere in the middle of all this we have the 'money' itself - MONEY as a commodity, (or is it just our illusion of money?).


So let's ask this: How different is money from the key? Both just provide a means whereby energy is transferred from one place to another.
Where is the money kept? Where is money coming from -- where going to? What IS money?

We might ask regarding our electricity: What part does the key play in our getting household electricity and being able to use it? How important is the key?

Well the key is definitely something we do not want to lose; we'd want to look after it, especially when we bring it home charged up, as it now represents a certain amount of our hard earned cash.
The key matters -- but is not the whole picture.
Yes it matters -- but it isn't the whole picture.
Without each particular part nothing would work.
Having the electricity in our home is what the whole exercise is really about.
Just like in the days when merchandise was exchanged for other merchandise, money was as yet unheard-of.
Viewed as such it will never be allowed to take on any kind of extra significance -- an importance that could be likely to make money matters worse for us!

How to Teach Kid Healthy Attitude Towards Money

I'm not just talking about the basics such as where it comes from and what it's worth.


I've tried to write down a few of the ideas that I think might be helpful to other parents who are trying to teach healthy attitudes toward money to their children.


Every time I heard "daddy, stay home, I don't want you to go to work today" it was an opportunity for me to say "I have to go to work to make some money to buy you food and pay for the house and get you treats".

But just equating work with money isn't always enough.
I remember one day when my daughter was approaching her 5th birthday, she was very sad and said that she didn't wan't to have a birthday.
Finally she said "I just don't want to grow up because I'll have to go to work and I don't know what to do at work.
Because my wife and I do a lot of our work at desks in offices, it was very hard to see what we actually did.


This message can be imparted in so many "teachable moments" every day.
This kind of universal exposure to the vast variety of occupations gave our kids the confidence that they would certainly be able to grow up and find something they loved to do in order to make money.
We don't give out allowances, but we've started to reward specific jobs around the house with small amounts of money.
What Money is worth - The only way to teach kids what money is worth is by havin them earn it and spend it.

I like the concept of money as energy.
They can then give that money to someone else who put theri energy into something.
I tell my kids about the farmers that grew the carrots and point out that we have to give them money for their hard work.

Saving - When I was young the discount stores we still called "Five and Dime" because you could supposedly get things for that amount of money.
We'll go in with a dollar and we'll go around looking for things that cost less than a dollar.

But inevitably there will be something they want that costs more than what they have and this is when you get to teach them about saving.


I make sure to try and take the kids with me to the bank as often as I can, and I try to go inside to an actual person when I have the time (and if my bank doesn't charge me for it).
Taking them on deposit trips is more important than just taking them to the ATM to withdraw money.

Charity - Almost as soon as my kids figured out that money could buy nice things at shops, they began to clamor for us to give them money.


Unfortunately though, we are surrounded in our city by plenty of people in need and we make an effort to teach our children about charity in response to this.
Whenever we have leftover food from a restaurant, we will make an effort to find someone on the street to give it to.

There are countless ways of teaching kids about charity, and not all of them involve direct interaction with people who may have drug problems or psychoses.


Poor - Which brings me directly into the discussion of Rich and Poor.
Firstly, it isn't all about money and secondly, it's all relative.
I break it down into simpler terms for my kids by saying that it's all about how you feel and how much you want things.
The easiest way to have everything you want, is to want everything you have.
Your attitude toward your situation is really what determines whether your rich or poor, no matter how much or how little money you have.
My daughter asked the fellow if she could pet his dog and while she patted the dog on the head she said to the man "Are you poor?".

And on the other side of the equation, I've seen some very well off people feel poor because they can't afford to travel in first class on the airplane, but on the same plane other people are feeling rich simply because they got on.
I frequently tell my children that no matter how much or how little money we have, there will always be someone who has more money, and someone who has less and you can't focus on other people.
The most important thing we can teach our children whether we have a lot or a little, is to appreciate what we do have and continue to improve our own situation by working hard, and improve the situation of others by helping where we can.
Discretion and Modesty - The last thing I have tried to teach our kids is that money matters should be private matters.
They also know how easy it is to feel sorry for those who don't have as much.

If we tell people how much money we ourselves have, other people will automatically compare what they have to what we have and nothing good can come of it.


Ultimately, what you teach your children about money should relect kindness, generosity and appreciation for the abundance of life and I believe you can teach these things about money whether you have a lot or a little, and frankly, in these uncertain economic times, these lessons are more important than ever.

You, Money and Spirituality

Money represents energy and energy fulfills things through beliefs, values and actions.
 Since we are physical beings made of the earth, we are drawn to things of the earth.
 When there is tension, there is dynamism along with the opportunity to make decision that can shape and reshape our lives.
 But why then do some people find themselves constantly in debt while other people hoard their money?

FOUR PERSONALITY PATTERNS

Personality patterns can provide a format for developing self-awareness of how we use our energy.
 After the exercise, we counted what we had and the person who had the most pieces of paper money won.
 Here's what I did.


While performing my services, one participant offered to be my manager.
 I was doing what I naturally enjoyed doing and he was doing what he naturally enjoyed doing which was marketing.
 My manager, because he went around the room, spent some of his money to engage others in my service living the idea that it takes money to make money.


We can think of ourselves as a three-sided triangle with each side as important as the others.
 Although we all have these three sides of ourselves, we tend to prefer one side over the others thereby creating a dominant expression.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR REFLECTION

Struggles with money indicate opportunities for reflection in learning how to use money as a tool for spiritual discernment.
 Having a home in New Zealand and being on a fixed income was a new experience and as New Zealand is a long journey, we started having long-term visitors, something else we were not use to.


One visitor expressed himself as the earth element which can be characterized by more inwardness, not as chatty as some of the other elements, a slower pace, and a deliberate, thoughtful approach to spending.
 We knew these people had a decent nest-egg, a good pension, and was debt-free; something an earth element person would clearly strive for in their need for building wealth and security.
 We choose not to address the situation at the time of their visit because we were afraid we would say something we might regret.
 They said no they weren't concerned about money but that they had put themselves on a budget.


We determined that in honouring ourselves, we needed to be more upfront with long-term visitors.


Our second visitor was more the water element expression.
 Typical of the water person, in striving to serve others, he and his wife wanted to pay for more than his share.
 During their visit, using feng shui, they prepared our house for re-sale which resulted in an excellent offer within a few days.
 Billy Graham said -- if a person gets his attitude toward money straight, it will help straighten out almost every other area in his life.


Our third visitor, a closer relative and someone I am more familiar with, came and I, perhaps a little too zealously, wanted to be straightforward about money.
 He wanted nothing to do with my system and said things would work out.
 Never remaining too long on any one track, they can be seen going from race track to race track which can also be true in their partnerships.
 Fire people are constantly starting over as they get disillusioned by others.
 Never comfortable with inner tension for very long, their life strategies appear to be that of solving one problem after another.
 And so, thrown upon myself and sometimes confused when it came to opening the purse, I seemed to have no choice; we were going to do it his way.
 Everything you do with them is faster than a speeding bullet.


Fire element people live to solve problems and if there aren't any immediate problems, they seem to create them.
 Their spiritual struggle in life is that they forget to build down, living their life so much in the present tense.
 When this happens, other people feel compelled to help out and can often feel left behind in a cloud of smoke wondering what just happened.
 We had a good time because he and his partner enjoyed everything we did, we spent money doing just exactly what we all wanted to do, and they were always upbeat.
 Nobody was ever meant to remember or invent what he did with every cent.
 I determined the husband to be an air element expression because I found myself acting a little more formally when around him.
 We didn't discuss money because there seemed no pressure to get the question of shared expenses out into the open.
 Although the time together went quickly, I don't remember too much laughter and certainly no problems but a great deal of civility.
 They are present, you can see them, but then they disappear.
 Drawn toward the world of ideas, they live in a creative flow of future possibilities.
 Not wanting to lower their standards in any context, they would not work just for money but to bring something new into the realm of possibility and would tend to see money as Ayn Rand did - ask yourself - did you get your money by fraud, by pandering to men's vices, by lowering your standards, by doing work you despise for purchases you scorn? If so, then your money will not give you a penny's worth of joy.
 Seeing people from an elemental expression of air, fire, water, and earth helped us to understand and broaden our responses to our guests as well as temper our reactions.
 Using the elements, we can shed light on our use of money by how it flows in and out of our lives.
 Earth people are never secure in the feeling of having enough money.



 Unless they stop and manage this flowing process, they never gain wealth and if they do, they lose it only to rebuild it and lose it again.
 Water people, in order to expand themselves, need to put themselves in the equation when it comes to money as they tend to put others first.
 And air people don't pay much attention to things of the earth but prefer to work out systems while floating in abstraction.
 Unless working with money for achieving something worthwhile, money discussions are not a favorite topic with this group.
 How we handle our money is really a direct reflection of how we think, feel and act.
 An anonymous writer said - money can't buy friendship - friendship must be earned.
 Money can't buy the glow of good health - right living is the secret.
 Money can't buy a good character - good character is achieved through decent habits of private living and wholesome dealings in our open contacts with our fellow men.
 It's amazing how life straightens out once we get a grip n our attitude and management of money.