Six months ago on a call with my coach, I was struggling with my relationship with money. And let’s not pretend financially wealthy people don’t have this struggle. Everyone on Earth can relate to this in some way, including those who are resource-poor and billionaires.
My coach said, “You are rich in the most important ways.”
For two seconds, I was surprised to hear his words. And then, I got it. He was addressing my scarcity perspective. He meant that I’m rich in the ways that matter most — health, friendship, communication, creativity, spirituality, community, self worth. The ability to breathe, eyes that see, taste buds to greet sweet potatoes and pomegranates, the freedom to dream-up and write about a world based in Love over fear.
So why was I caught up in thoughts of scarcity?
One of the world’s most respected thought leaders on the subject of money, Lynne Twist said, “The money culture hijacks our lives.”
Phew! What a relief to hear this, since I sometimes wonder, Does my fluctuating relationship with money mean I’m not “up to bat” in Life the way I should be? Did I do something wrong?
It’s astoundingly complex. Our relationship with money, in some way, rules our world. And scarcity mindset is at the root of the problem.
As I continue this journey of consciously harmonizing my relationship with money, I try to remind myself that I am rich in the ways that matter most, and I am in good company — alongside billions of others on this planet who are also doing this work.
How is your relationship with money? Do you have a deeply intimate connection, a sense of reverence, abundance and gratitude, in your dance with it?
Yesterday I came across a free 5-day online course called The Soul of Money, with Lynne Twist, who wrote the book with the same name in 2003. I signed up immediately and started listening. (There are two days left with this free offering.)
In Lynne’s first share, she told a story about how she began fundraising in kindergarten, out of love for her sister. This was an early expression of her core life purpose: to serve humanity in finding financial freedom and fulfillment.
Those of us doing the work to harmonize our relationship with money are engaged in a massive reclamation which is crucial for all of Life as we know it.
We are reclaiming our innate abundance, which is colossally beneficial to our primary Life support system, Mother Earth.
“Moving money toward the highest good is an act of Love, an act of caring, an act of the heart,” Lynne said. We are reclaiming money, away from toxicity and toward goodness.
I salute you for choosing to examine your relationship with money. It is a crucial piece of humanity’s need to greet fear with the only thing that can heal it: Love. I’m writing more about this in my book, Making Love to Fear, which will be published in 2024.
In 2021, I got to see close-up what fear of death can do to people’s hearts.
After my brain tumor diagnosis, especially in the sensitive weeks after and my near death experience, people loved me in a whole new way. Their fear of losing me invited them to remove the shields around their hearts, the shield had previously blocked them from giving Love as fully as we’re meant to. They loved me without hesitation. It wasn’t normal; it was all-out, full-on, Love is.
After her son was murdered by Hamas, Michal Halek came to reject vengeance in a way the whole world needs to hear. Here’s a conversation she had with Charles Eisenstein: When Only Love Remains.
Be well. You are loved.
You are Love.
~Jessica