Progression in All Things - Aspect: Financial

Progression in All Things

Aspect: Financial

 

 



 

     Last time we learned about your current Reality, your envisioned Ideal, and the path of Progression between them. Let's apply this to real life, on the subject of money. Do you want money? How badly? Can you let money go? Do you love money?

 

     I had the opportunity to do a presentation this past Sunday 28 Jun 2015. I talked about loving money versus being obsessed with money. The former gathers money and cherishes it as a tool and as a resource. The latter refuses to let it go or, if they're forced to let it go, they "go sour." Sour means they harbor negative feelings towards whatever caused the money to leave. Sour means they harbor negative feelings towards the money that is leaving. Sour means they harbor negative feelings towards things they can't afford. And sour means they harbor negative feelings towards their sources of money. Let's look at these things.

 

I WISH MY MONEY WOULDN'T LEAVE ME

"I have too many bills." || "That unexpected expense wrecked me!"|| "I wish I could be a kid so I wouldn't have to buy things."

     Just like knowledge, just like energy, just like time, money comes and goes. Everything flows in cycles and money is no exception. I think one of the reasons people harbor negative feelings or thoughts towards money is because money is the one physical resource tied into everything nowadays. You have bills for groceries, gas, utilities, housing, taxes, repairs and upkeep, medical, reasonable recreation, and education, and the list goes on and on. If you don't have money then you'll resent it because you don't have enough. That's where the ideology (not the Ideal) "steal from the rich and give to the poor" comes from.

     On the other hand, these bills are a sign of growth and Progression. Notice I did not include your sweet car's payment or your credit card payment- certain "bills" that are avoidable should be avoided if possible. If you have those bills I recommend paying them off as soon as possible, instead of making minimal payments, because the interest is likely eating you alive. Before you move from your current Reality to your Ideal, make sure that the expenses are calculated and within your means. Then you can Progress to your Ideal, and find a way to expand your means again once your Ideal becomes your Reality (and then you cycle through Progress again).

 

I CAN'T LET MY MONEY GO

"I don't make enough money." || "I can't afford it so it's not for me."

    
     When you hit a financial roadblock, the tendency is to quit. "I can't do it" is what your mind says. And you'll blame "not enough money" or excuse yourself with "it's not for me." Or if you really wanted it you'll charge it - usually unwisely - to a credit card that you'll resent later. The problem probably isn't the item or vacation you're trying to buy. The problem is probably your spending habits.

     Your worth does not equal your net worth. You =/= money. (You don't equal money). When you say "I can't afford it," your subconscious hears two things: "I can't" and "worth". So it gives up trying on you and it diminishes your outlook of yourself. The person who says they can't afford things usually goes through life in bad debt to credit cards or they probably have a low self-esteem.

     You don't need to keep up with the Joneses. Your worth does not equal (and your net worth might be higher than) your neighbor. You =/= your neighbor. (You don't equal your neighbor). Those with the current year's cars and the big house and the huge yard are probably swimming in unnecessary debt. Not swimming, drowning. As you learn to budget and expand your income you'll recognize when you can take on additional good expenses, which is another sign of Progression towards your Ideal. Adopt the attitude of those who run races and say "I beat my best time!" without looking across the way to your neighbor's time. If you practice it makes ___________. Perfect.

 

MY INCOME SOURCES ARE NOT ENOUGH

"My boss doesn't give me enough raises." || "The government should give me more." || "Rich people shouldn't have so much money."

 

     Again the blame falls on others here. "How can I innovate more money legally, morally, and ethically?" should be a question for those trying to reach their Ideal. There is plenty of money to go around. You have to find your legal, moral, and ethical niche and sink into it. Go hang out with actual rich people (hint: usually they don't flaunt expensive things, but have a lot of income-generating assets like rental properties and businesses, etc.) and learn what they're doing. Go get educated about how the fiscal world works and what the financial market is doing. Everything fluctuates and cycles, including markets, so keep up with the times. Your sources of income aren't holding you back. You are.

 

I CAN'T CONTROL MY MONEY

"I hate money." || "Money controls me." || "I'm afraid I won't get my paycheck on time."

     Love money. Just do it. But don't be afraid to let it go - that's obsession. Sometimes religious people think that money is bad, but I don't know of a church that operates without money these days. A lot of churches request donations or tithes. Churches love money and you can too. If you fear or hate or loathe money it will fear and hate and loathe you. It will elude you. It will avoid you. It will slip from your grasp because if you don't love something it'll go away. The same principle is true for spouse and children, for work, and for everything. Love is cyclical too. Obsession, on the other hand, is not a balance. It's an imbalance, and that is where the love of money goes wrong. Don't be afraid to let it go because you're confident it will come back to you. If you adopt that state of mind you'll unlock a potential path to your Ideal. Money looks for confident masters, just like electricity looks for easy paths of discharge.

 

     Here are a few tips for your success.

     A) Set a monthly budget and stick to it within reason. Pay off debts to free up your income so you can direct and master the flow.

     B) Don't accept loans on non-income generating items if possible (like cars or credit card debt on furniture). Save up to pay those items in full. Education and, within reason, shelter can be exceptions.

     C) Tithe 10% of your income to yourself. If you pay a regular tithe to your religion or donate to a charity first, pay the religion or charity first then take 10% of what's left into savings.

 

     In conclusion the thing you'll likely have to change is yourself. It's taken me myself quite a while to get there, and that's still not my Ideal. I can afford my future with my mindset. Can you?

 

Mahalo and best wishes,

Jason K Rivera

 

#pearlsofmankind, #mentoringpearls, #mentoringmonday

The Ideal, Reality, and Progression

The Ideal, Reality and Progression

 

A friend and I had a short discussion on what they want in life. As we discussed I realized there are three major phases we cycle through. They are the Ideal, Reality, and Prgression.

THE IDEAL

     The Ideal is mostly thoughts-only; they are a conscious effort of what you wished your life would be. This is exemplified by Pinterest pins of "My Future Home" or by watching reality TV shows wishing you could have the actors' looks, money, possessions, or that sweet sixteen birthday party. It's your hopes, and dreams, and aspirations. It's where you want to be when you want to be there, in a positive way. As a side note, frustration is usually how we describe the inability to reach The Ideal - knowing that you could be further ahead but you're stuck behind that schedule. On the other hand, they say you have a feeling of "accomplishment", which is probably a mixture of relief, satisfaction, and glee, when you do reach your ideal (looking at you, all-nighter homework assignments).

REALITY

     Reality is mostly action-only; they are a subconscious and repeated pattern of your results. It's the average everyday actions one takes to get through the day. You get up, go to work, come home, and sleep. Or you spend day in and day out with your children. You might have a meaningful conversation here or there. You have some fun on weeknights or on weekends. You might take that annual vacation to somewhere exotic for a couple weeks. And then you're back to the same routine. Reality is your routine. It's what you're comfortable with.

     The reasons you're kept from your ideal are one or more of the following:

1) You lack control. Addiction to anything is a form of lack of control. Instead of being productive you are stuck with something addictive. There are other things to be addicted to beside drugs, nicotine, or pornography, too. Laziness or comfort can be addictive. Spending money can be addictive. Complaining can be addictive too.

2) You lack education. Or you're incorrectly informed. What were you taught about money? Read this following statement and examine how you feel or what you're thinking: "Money and the love of money is okay when applied correctly; obsession over money and the inability to part with it are pitfalls." What's your reaction?

3) You lack opportunity or the ability to identify opportunity. Opportunity is the fishhook of Lady Luck. If you take advantage of it passionately, legally, morally, and ethically you will likely earn yourself a blessing. However it is important to have the ability to recognize Luck's fishhook versus the lures of men.

PROGRESSION

     The intermediary phase between your Reality and The Ideal is called Progression. It's why you go to school, for education. It's why you're judged on your credit score - to see if you have control. It's why you should try to create (instead of burning) bridges between yourself and people in the form of new or renewed relationships - many opportunities come from grapevines. When you're improving yourself and changing your Reality to your Ideal, you step out of your old shoes and comfort zone to reach new levels of wealth, self-worth, and self-management!

     The way to go from Reality to The Ideal (or in other words Progression) is best facilitated by a third party, which is why we're encouraged to seek counsel from parents, church leaders, or other mentors. Just like when you're hanging a huge picture that will fall off unless you get it just right - you can't step back from it to see if it's crooked or straight. A third party can help you adjust until everything is in alignment. This is also why I am mentoring people - to help people go from subconscious living to conscious living; from their current Reality to their Ideal reality!

     If you'd like to schedule a mentoring appointment, please private message my Facebook page here!

Mahalo,
Jason Rivera

The Heart of a Pearl

The Heart of a Pearl

 

At the heart of each pearl lies some kind of "seed" that started the pearl. A pearl cannot exist without having first had a seed. Why? The reason is this: the pearl is a response to an intruder; an invader. Clams have no way to extract a piece of sand or a hungry parasite from their flesh. Imagine if a piece of dirt were to fly into your eye and you didn't have hands to rub the dirt away. That would totally irritate your eye!

Clams don't have hands, but they do make a substance called mother-of-pearl, or nacre ("nahk - err" or "nay - kehr").  Nacre is very smooth and a lot more comfortable than a rough grain of sand or a burrowing parasite. So the clam starts adding layer upon layer of nacre, trapping the irritant and forming a pearl. It takes years for a pearl to literally grow. And a pearl is not guaranteed to be spherical either. This is why pearls are highly prized as jewels: large and perfectly spherical pearls are hard to come by.

If we use the analogy that you are a clam with a hard outer shell and delicate insides, what are your Pearls? Your Pearls are the experiences you've learned from the trials you've overcome. Your Pearls are the wisdom you've gained from the lessons you've learned. Your Pearls are the hopes and dreams of doing better, becoming better, and living better - all around improvement - through your accumulated wisdom and experiences. Your Pearls are a testimony to Infinite Intelligence and to everyone around you that you've triumphed over the starfish who try to destroy you and your Pearls.

Every trial you overcome becomes a pearls - what once bothered you or bogged you down is smoothed over and a treasure for your keepsake. Remember your Pearls and they will help you fend off starfish. Ironically the starfish are usually the culprit behind the parasite or debris in your shell; they hope to see you crack open so they can devour your happiness and destroy your Pearls. Instead when you overcome the problem you create a Pearl.

What Pearls have you gained over the course of your life? What of my Pearls would you like me to share with you?