the illness of money

By: Maureen Gilbert

Financial problems rank highest on the list of stress factors that affect both individuals and couples. At the same time money is often considered a more taboo subject of discussion than sex. You can eat a whole foods diet, take high-quality supplements and maintain a yoga practice but if you don’t pay attention to your stress levels you may still end up sick.

Most medical studies con- firm that most medical conditions ranging from heart disease to Alzheimer’s are to some degree created or worsened by our stress levels.

So how do you address and heal something that many of us are reluctant to talk about or even reflect upon in our lives?

  • To find work we truly love and that allows us to use our talents in a way that is
  • To have enough money that the whims of the stock market or banking crises can’t hurt our sense of financial security.
  • To spend more time with the people we care about most while still affording the lifestyle that speaks to our

Many of us feel more anxiety, less security and less joy about our financial situation and future than ever before.

Even in Bali, arguably one of the more conscious places on the planet this is true. While there are amazing courses and opportunities to heal and transform here there is also a lot of new age crap that often isn’t very credible. I believe that one of the great fallacies of the self-help movement is that we can have everything we want when we want it and without much personal energy output—as if the Universe is no more than a giant wish-fulfilling machine.

This phenomenon may sell a lot of books and courses but it’s not grounded in any experience of reality that I’m aware of.

When I worked in manufacturing it was a truism that while most clients wanted a custom product that was good quality, cheap and available immediately, we could only deliver on two variables.

You could have it cheap and fast but it wouldn’t be the best quality; or we could deliver good quality quickly but it would be very expensive. We could even manage good quality at an afford- able price but you’d have to wait for a production lull. While the Universe is a storehouse of infinite potential and miracles do happen, we are more likely to succeed in manifesting our dreams and desires if we apply the “good, cheap and quick model” and pick two of the three variables.

For me cheap means easy, i.e. requiring little of my energy output.

We’ve all had the experience of throwing our own Chi (energy or will power) into making what we want to happen come hell or high water. However, it feels much better (and is kinder to our adrenals) when we create things from a place of ease and cooperation with the Universe.

Recently I was required to make a major decision. I was turning myself inside out trying to figure out how I could move forward and achieve everything I wanted. I was trying to launch my work in a new location, provide emotionally and materially for my kids, and achieve financial independence from a business partner. It just wouldn’t triangulate. It’s seductive to think that if you’re a “master manifestor” you can find the loophole or break the code to manipulate reality to do your bidding. However, as soon as I prioritized the two most important desires I achieved calm and clarity.

Then I knew how to move forward without believing I was giving something up. If I was to get everything I wanted (good), without exhausting myself (cheap), I was going to have to be patient and devise a one-year plan (not so quick) to pull it all together.

Money is often a “place-holder” for what we really want in life. After all, we don’t eat money, or wear money, or sleep on money. What we really want are the things, opportunities and security that we believe money will buy.

What would it feel like to be in control and at peace with your money? Magic, right?

Most people believe this sense of security will only come when they have a certain amount of assets or money in the bank.

However, that still leaves your sense of well-being and security dependent on something outside of yourself—which will always leave you vulnerable. There IS a way to discover what is blocking your fullest financial potential.

There is an emerging field of therapy called Money Coaching where people learn to better understand their relationship to money.

It combines both practical financial guidance with sound psychological principles, to help transform your relationship with money in a way that will reduce your anxiety around wealth and increase your capacity for financial abundance.

Using a step-by-step process, this type of coaching guides you to a deeper understanding of unconscious beliefs and patterns that create stress, anxiety and fear that can prevent you from creating the life you desire.

This work is both profound and practical, grounded in the realities of an uncertain and challenging financial world.

The focus is on pursuing tangible changes that will make a difference in your life; rather than repeating affirmations or new age mumbo jumbo.

Regardless of your current income or wealth, if financial issues are diminishing your sense of serenity, or if you want to align how you generate money with your true soul purpose, being coached could be the key to your financial and physical health.

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