It’s the 2nd month of Sagely Living, in which our focus shifts to business and strategy. For previous posts about this topic, click on the category, Sagely Living, on the right and you’ll arrive at a page with my previous posts, or check in with Eric Grey at Deepest Health.
Before I lay out my approach to Sagely Living: Strategy and Business, let’s talk money. I know I’m not the only one who had to shift psychological gears in order to get to a place of peaceful welcome around money (which had always seemed little more than “hard, cold cash” to me). For many years I thought money was a shallow, materialistic pursuit, which caused people to act badly even if they weren’t bad people. Good people did bad things merely because it was profitable, either for themselves or for their chosen few. As an observer of human nature I was confused by this seeming duplicity. As a child who often fell outside the ranks of my father’s financially chosen few, I felt hurt and rejected, which engendered a significant psychic connection within me between money and shame.
If you’re shaking your head and feeling that vibe because you’ve been there too, my heart goes out to you. If you haven’t already excavated that negative attachment–do it, now. You’re worth it. For me it’s been a long process, helped no doubt, by the fact of simple necessity–it was OK to have money-ambivalence when I was just supporting myself, but when I had a family to support it was critical to excavate the demons and come to terms with my absolute, God-given right to abundance and prosperity.
I’d like to thank my friends in the ‘Money and Spirit’ Life Circle hosted by the faith community at the United Church of Christ in Bath, Maine. Over the course of 40 days last winter we each committed ourselves to daily meditation and writing about the spiritual aspect of money. For me, it deeply resonated with the central theme of Judaism, exemplified by the daily prayer, the Shema, that God is One. To me, God is One doesn’t mean God is one dude (or deity). It means God is everything. There is nothing that is not God. Nothing, not even money!
The group met once a week to individually and collectively affirm our intention to change our relationship with money to one based on a belief in abundance, not scarcity. It was a phenomenal experience, which I recommend to anyone. We used a book called The Abundance Book by John Randolph Pierce as a focus point for our meditation. Many people in the group took issue with the book, and for different reasons: some found it too religious, others found it too hokey (I was somewhat in that camp), others found it strayed too far from the Christian bible. If you get the book, remember, it’s just a tool. The measure of any tool is in what you do with it.
If it hadn’t been for the shift in my consciousness about money, I would never have begun to explore ways to make more of it. But that is exactly what I have been doing, and feeling good about it, too. In this month of Sagely Living I’ll be creating a bare-bones beginner’s business plan for an income-producing project which has been stewing in my consciousness (and literally baking in my oven) for some time now. If I’m ever going to get my awesome gluten-free, dairy-free chocolate cake out of my kitchen and into yours, it’s going to take some serious strategy. Stay tuned.
February 4, 2008 at 5:14 am
Very informative post. Thanks for that. How would you like to discuss business related topics on the all new business forum. So many members could gain knowledge from your business experiences and advice.
Please think it over.
Thanks,
Col 🙂
February 5, 2008 at 8:54 pm
hi there Julie,
well, we’re only on “day 4” of the second part to the Year of sagely living… i am impressed with your nimbleness when it comes to business, congratulations. money is an issue that has more ties than just financial, the strength it carries goes beyond numbers, and in some circles acts as a false idol. I certainly appreciated your spiritual perspective with money.
actually, it sounds as though you and C. Biscuit are having similar growth processes, I particularly enjoyed this article, i am curious to see what you think:
http://www.helfgottblog.com/2008/02/to-the-disenchanted-and-the-disillusioned/
best of luck with that sweet chocolatey dream of yours. sounds delicious!
– Kimberly Ann
February 6, 2008 at 2:55 pm
Hi Kimberly Ann, C. Biscuit is a poetic writer, thanks for the link. I am very excited about what you are doing in (the other) Portland, a place close to my heart–I have lots of family there (and visit as often as I can). I look forward to reading more lovely and muse-ful– yet cutting edge–analysis from C. Biscuit. Thanks for staying in touch. Julie
February 10, 2008 at 10:53 pm
Hi Julie,
Yes! to all your observations – good people can do good things and they can be profitable! And profit helps us do more good things – really amazing good things.
Glad we’re keeping the circle going…
February 11, 2008 at 5:55 pm
Hi Susanna, Me too. The abundance circle is powerful medicine. I look forward to sharing creative energy with you and others on the abundant journey. Julie.