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5 Steps to Financial Freedom
Money. Just seeing the word can bring sensation into the body and some thoughts into the mind immediately for most people. How we see money has impact on our lives.
I grew up being taken care of, so don’t get me wrong. I always had a roof over my head, food in my stomach, education, loving parents, clothes, etc. I am SO grateful for that. With that out of the way, I’d like to continue and say, what I was told about money through media on radio and television and adults what that it meant success. Those people that had it were rich maybe famous by our standards, political leaders, maybe upper middle-class at the least, but what was constantly repeated to me was that, “Money doesn’t create happiness, those people are empty.” I heard this repeated AGAIN and AGAIN. On the flip side, those who were living in apartments in an upper middle class town at the time , like myself, and those who had welfare, those who were homeless, those who lived in the ghettos, whatever it was that straight out said, and I repeat, “You are poor.” I was told many things about this class of people growing up. “Poor people are God’s chosen ones, they are going to heaven.” “Poor people are less then. Lack more. Suffer more. Aren’t good enough to get more and never measure up. Un-deserving and un-loved. Trash.” You get the point. SO, you can IMAGINE that I had some really misconstrued views of money right up through my late twenties.
Woo! So, with ALL of that said. Guess what? I have found… that all of it… it.. drum roll…
A matter of perspective and that depending on an individual’s perspective, this will directly affect the way they receive or block Abundant Living.
Abundant Living is truly a way of life which I have found incredibly satisfying. It spawns from gratitude. It requires some un-doing. It takes some Self-Work which means Action! Action which I have taken and I can report to you has completely freed me from those chains of old-thinking. Money is neither good or bad. It is ENERGY! It just is!
1. Gratitude list
Gratitude lists on a daily basis which I recommend writing for the first year to really get it into your habitual practice is the very first step on this journey. I have been doing this for nearly 2 years and the results of this ritual are that I embarked on a Path/Career that I am TRULY in love with, my personal and professional relationships are wonderful, and I live Abundance in health,wealth, and happiness on a daily basis. Does this mean I never have sad days, sick days, bills, arguments, etc? No, but what it does mean is that I find gratitude in the sad days, I will have miracles in how my health is taken care of on those sick days in how I think and treat my body, I pay my bills on time and I have money left over AND in savings (Money left over and in savings was not the case before these two years of Gratitude Practice), my arguments are constructive and reflective, and I receive abundance from my Dream opportunities in Career and Service work (They go hand and hand with me), Travel, Relationships all the way to mechanical and computer repairs.
2. Releasing Ancestorol Chords That Could Be Impinging on Your Ability to Receive Success
Continually.
For me this meant going to see a Shaman, Breath-worker, doing Yoga, Meditation. We all have energetic chords to our parents, grandparents, perhaps their grandparents, past life ancestors. If we do not put in the work to release these chords, we can continue to live our their Karma, causing energetic blocks in our lives.
3. Positive Thinking and Speaking
I watch my thoughts and speech today. I believe that what we think repeatedly and say repeatedly have energetic vibrations. What are we really putting out into the Universe? I am not saying that we cannot have negative thoughts, but once we do, are we massaging those thoughts or implementing gratitude and positive thinking once we become aware of it? Are we constantly saying self-deprecating things that come from a space of insecurity and lack? If we are, it is something to look at. If I have negative thoughts, I make a gratitude list, even for the negative thought for bringing me to what I am grateful for! I try not to say anything negative today, and if I do I replace it with 3 positive things. I write and say positive affirmations. Sometimes I do Positive Thinking and Abundant Living meditations. All of this creates Abundant Living!
4. Trusting God/Universal Spirit.
Yes. Trust. This is an all-encompassing detail. My journey into trusting God started about 5 years ago. It has been a journey. It has taken time. It is worth it. I recommend the book, “The Shack.” Through my process which is unique to me, I have discovered that I can rely upon my God for everything. Every little and big thing. When I trust more, I receive more abundance. I have to continually let go of my control and my fears because when I do, the God of my understanding introduces me to the life that was truly intended for Me.
Here is a story on this. My car was on it’s second trip to the mechanic in 2 weeks. The first trip I had all the money for and plenty left over. The second was very unexpected, but the beauty of it for me was that I did not panic. In the past I would have. Everything unexpected would have thrown me into a financial panic. I would have been ridden with worry and despair. However, THIS time, since I have been practicing Abundant Living, I felt a calm presence guiding me and I Trusted that everything would be just fine. I didn’t even know if I had money to cover all of my expenses in this second trip, but I KNEW from the depth of my Soul that I would be OK. So I go to pick up my car from the mechanic, I ask him how much it was (I had an estimation of about 150-200 on the phone which I barely had in my checking and with a smile on my face that was genuine… the mechanic looks at me and says, “You don’t owe me anything.” Miracles in my life today that continue to show me that I live a life of abundance. I open myself up to all avenues of abundance and TRUST it to flow to me and they do in ALL ways. I drop the expectations of how the abundance with flow to me and then I open up to all of the ways that my Creator wants to take care of me.
5. Money is Energy, Give Freely, Receive Freely.
I said it before. Money is neither good or bad, it is ENERGY! Abundance is also energy. When I view money and abundant living in this way, I drop the expectations of how the abundance with flow to me and then I open up to all of the ways that my Creator wants to take care of me. When I do a service or get a service, I am receiving or giving energy back in exchange for the energy put out. If I am putting out Abundant Energy, the Universe will send Abundant Energy back my way. One of my favorite affirmations for this is, “I live in Abundance, free from want. I open myself up to Abundance and I am taken care of in ALL ways. I have all that I need and more in health, wealth, and happiness!” Remember, I live a simple life. I am grateful to that. I feel abundant and I AM that. I could be an Abundant Being whether I lived in the woods or in a mansion because I my soul is at peace when I live this way. Sharing in the Abundance is what life is all about. Whether that is abundant conversation, bounty of food, services, money, intelligence, wisdom, and LOVE!
With love always,
Your Yogini,
Alana Roach
CYT, ERYT, Reiki, Wellness Support and Free-Lance Writer
www.AlanaRoachYoga.com
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A Letter Written Today, to Myself, 5 Years Ago
I am inspired by Frank Ocean’s recent blog post where he wrote a letter to Himself 5 years ago. You can find it here. This is someone who followed their heart. This is what I try to do myself. In spite of what I grew up hearing about what, “I should do,” or what, “I was capable of doing.” I am following my heart.
So, today I am going to write a letter to myself 5 years ago, Feb 9, 2009.
Dear Alana,
I want you to know that everything will be okay. You are going to be moving back home with Mom in a couple of days because your drinking has gotten really bad again. I want you to know that after you move out of Dad’s, He will go through one of the roughest periods of his life but it is a blessing in disguise because He will end up being taken care of. None of it was your fault.
You will get sober this year on May 29 from drugs and alcohol. No matter how bad it gets, I want you to know that your pain will benefit others through helping them get sober eventually. Your eating disorder will not control your life when you get sober, because God blesses you with a Miracle to stop the compulsion to control your inner world through abusing yourself in these ways. You will help many people in this area as well. Spirituality is going keep you afloat through all of these changes.
This is you on your first year sober! This celebration is for you if you don’t believe Me!
and then on your second year of sobriety!
It keeps going, this May you will have 5 years sober!
Yoga is going to become a great provider of peace for you and eventually others through you. You will find a studio that feels like home in late summer of 2009 and it will feel like this is what you have been searching for your whole life. You are going to be a Yoga Teacher, but first you will practice often for 3 years until you meet the Woman who will train you on how to teach.
You will run a half marathon and then a full marathon in 2011.
You will make friends that feel like family and eventually move out of Mom’s, never to go back because you have finally learned how to take care of yourself. There is a lot of help along the way, but you are going to really do it this time. Yes, you finally get a car and will see that it was in the Plan to get your first car at 23 because you probably would have died or hurt others otherwise.
You will get your heart broken three times over the next few years. The first one you will realize was for the best. The next two will be by the Man that you are going to end up with in 5 years, madly in love with. He will break your heart so that you can learn how to love Yourself and God first. So don’t worry, keep working on Yourself and it will all work out.
You will travel the world. Yes. So when you get your passport for, “No reason,” in a couple of months, know that there is SO MUCH REASON. You will spread Joy all over the world, because it is your PURPOSE to do so. You will show others that, “Following your dreams,” is more than just a saying; it is a way of life. You will grow into an incredible woman. Your Mom and Dad, your friends, community, and life-partner will love you for just being You. They will be incredibly proud of all that you accomplish. You will find the courage to go after your dreams of teaching yoga, traveling, and writing about it every step of the way. You will find the courage because God will lift you up everytime you find it.
You’ve made it, Alana.
So wipe those tears off of your face , everything is going to be OK.
With much love,
You, 5 years from this moment. Feb 9, 2014.
This is YOU NOW!
Living “The Four Agreements”
This is from one of my favorite books “The Four Agreements”. I try to live by these principles. Key words are “I try!”
“1. Be Impeccable With Your Word
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.
2. Don’t Take Anything Personally
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.
3. Don’t Make Assumptions
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.
4. Always Do Your Best
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.”
― Miguel Ruiz
Sound like a lot? It totally is. I understand. The first time I read through this book, I merely skimmed it. Skimming it was enough to know that I had some serious self-reflecting to do. Since then I have grappled with how much I bring up other peoples names when they aren’t around, how often I assume, take things personally, and finding balance with always doing my best. I have gone through intense training in these areas at a “Spiritual School” where these were practically mandatory and I failed to meet the mark every day, 365 days and counting. What I have come to find is, I am definitely human. I believe it was eloquently put once that we are , “Spiritual Beings having a human experience.” I resonate with that quote because when I read the 4 agreements, they resonated with me on a deep Soul level. I am getting to know these agreements on a very personal level and I can finally say after many years of knowing of these things, I am starting to make SOME progress. It is progress, not perfection. I highly suggest this book. It is a short read and you can pick it up when you feel like it as every page is filled with enlightening words that will fill your mind for years.
Let me know if you have read this book or if you have had any experiences with these principles.
Love always,
Alana Roach
RYT, CYT, Reiki, Wellness Support and Freelance Writer
www.facebook.com/AlanaRoachYoga