Your Money Or Your Life

Stay sane in the insane time

So last week, we saw financial news of the historic level. News and blog articles that warn people to prepare for the worst, to have plan B, or C, were everywhere.  (Photo by mygothlaundry)

In the local newspaper, I read about a man, a retired business owner, demanding to cash out $50,000 at the bank. He refused cashier’s check and wanted greenbacks, saying “I don’t trust anything in paper nowadays.”

Did you recognize the two signs of insanity in this story? One, greenbacks is just another stack of printed paper, and I don’t see why it is more reliable than bank checks (within the FDIC insured amount.) Two, far more critically, he is confusing what is really important.

What I learned about money and life in my bank job

My first full-time job in America was with a big bank (now part of JP Morgan Chase) as international banking coordinator. This was a very educational job. I learned the basics of customer service and sales. I also learned a lot about money and life. One lesson was simple and straight: In this country, people get killed for a few hundred dollars. Really. So don’t carry it around if you care about your life.

My department was in a downtown high-rise and the banking center on the first floor got robed a few times a year. Not that we ever had death or injury. The bank would definitely choose lives of its employees and customers over losing some cash, which was usually no more than a handful.

I really hope this man is still alive. With or without his $50K cash. (The news article had his full name and some more personal info, like the company he had, so it would be easy if someone wanted to locate him . . .)

How to stay sane by being aware of what is important in your life

This writing may be showing how sad I was. The US government is printing more and more money, and the value of the dollar is falling (this is why I say greenbacks are no better than bank checks – I bought some silver ETF by the way). But this is not why I am sad. I’m sad because so many people don’t know what is important in their lives.

Life is more important than money. Money is good so far as it lets us enjoy life.

Money comes and goes, which is the only way money makes sense. The greenbacks don’t have any intrinsic value – what it can buy has values. And we buy because we are alive.

So you are alive and reading this post. Beyond safety, what is important in your life? Go ahead and actually write them down. Awareness of what is important in life can keep you sane.

Turn your bad news into blessing in disguise

I’m also starting to think this financial downturn can be a blessing in disguise. I mean, if it lets you review your life and its priorities, you can turn it into a blessing in disguise. We all will die sooner or later, and I believe the value of life is more about the awareness we live with rather than the length of life.

As I write, I’m biting an apple – a new crop, full of sweet-tart smell and juice. This is good. And I have my own business – not because it’s a quick and easy way to make money, not because it’s everyone’s dream to be her own boss, but because I believe in myself and in what I do, and because I like helping people. And it lets me buy local apples. Very good.

Again, what is important for you in your life? And how do you see the financial news?

Gratitude And Abundance – Online Gratitude Journal #10

(Photo by Mr. Greenjeans)

This post will be short – Oregon is having another heat wave, and my little portable air conditioner can’t handle it well. It hit the breaker twice last night, and I figure that, with the PC running, I have to temporarily turn off the air when I go bathroom . . . (. . . you guessed right. I ended up in dark bathroom twice last night.)

My Law of Attraction Dream Money Project, Week 9

A little review of this Dream Money Project. It was inspired by the project Millionaire Mommy Jen was doing at her blog. Her project consists of three parts:

Part One: Abundant Life Spending Spree
Part Two: Supportive Action
Part Three: Gratitude Journal

When I started mine, I already had this Gratitude Friday series, so Part Three was a done deal. And as a new entrepreneur, I expected the money to come through my business, and so I haven’t been writing about my actions specifically . . .

“Expected”? Well, at this point, I have a new thought. Of course, my business is still the source of my income. But I’m starting to think abundance can come in other ways also.

Work is about service. And there are many, many ways abundance (including money) can come along.

Check out Cath Lawson’s comment for my last week’s post – a nice new Prius is on her way. (It’s for her husband and for his work, but I doubt if he worked specifically for Prius.) I’ve got some surprise present, too. (Yeah, yeah, I’ll think of ways to scale up . . . but I really love lavender.)

It doesn’t mean action, and effort behind it, is unnecessary. It’s just – there is a bigger power involved. And it can deliver abundance through numerous, often surprising ways. Crazy idea? Hmm, I’m willing to hold it dear to see how it works . . .

So this is how I want to use my dream money for this week, $25,600

Down payment for my new townhouse. Or I can do creative financing, like taking over the existing mortgage, in which case I don’t even need this much of money! Hey, I just noticed how easy it can be!!

At this time in my life, I think I like townhouse better than a single family home – let someone else do the yard and maintenance work! Two bedroom with den (one bedroom will be my office), attached two car garage. With central heat and air, of course. I want nice modern kitchen, with granite countertop, track lighting, and hardwood flooring. A nice view from the living room will be good – a big river or lake. I love the area I live now, so somewhere close, in a nice quiet neighborhood.

I’m grateful for my imagination. Jen says this is the key to abundance. Let’s review what my imagination has brought me in this project:
Week 1, $100 A drive to the coast (Done!)
Week 2, $200 iPod nano and music download
Week 3, $400 Strawberries and gorgeous lingerie (I’ve got myself strawberries . . .)
Week 4, $800 Donation to good cause
Week 5, $1,600 Antique furniture (tansu chest)
Week 6, $3,200 Trip to Italy and Spain
Week 7, $6,400 Arts I like
Week 8, $12,800 Trading up to Prius

Today I’m grateful for the Oregon Rain soap I got for myself. It’s made of real rain water. We in Oregon love rain. I didn’t understand this when I first came here last fall because it rains every day from November to well into spring. But now it’s hot and we haven’t had rain for more than a week, we crave for rain! The flavor of my soap is Energizing Peppermint, but they even make flavor called Rain. Think about the smell of rain . . .

Further reading: I know I’ve already sent two link loves to Jen, but she just posted a brilliant article on the relationship of abundance and personal attitude, and how to stay in high vibration with gratitude.

Gratitude And The Surprise Present I Got – Online Gratitude Journal #8

(Photo by Mr. Greenjeans)

Do you feel like some invisible power is supporting you?

And from time to time, it shows off its presence in a way you can see clearly?

I was having a lousy day on Monday. I spent a few hours toiling over a blog post, and finally decided it was going nowhere. I ditched the draft. I was extremely tired. I felt anxious to do something without really knowing what it was. Aaaaagh!

After dinner, I went out to take a walk. There was a house with a pretty garden. The garden had white picket fence and arched entrance. I could easily see the garden inside but the fence made it seem like the inside was some special world. A woman was working on the flowers on the border, so I said something in the line that I liked the garden. She was pleased with my compliments and we started talking.

She turned out to be a big pro-Japanese who hosts Japanese students every fall. Then she cut a huge bunch of lavenders from her garden and gave it to me. We exchanged numbers so that we can talk again. She decided I should have another bouquet of flowers and cut her daisies, dahlias, phlox, and so on. So I went home with two huge bouquets. I was filled to the brim with gratitude. The best walk I ever had, I guess.

Do you think this is synchronicity? Some magic?

I’m looking at the beautiful purple, magenta, and pink of flowers. It makes me smile. The Universe surely made it clear its abundance and how easy it is to reach it.

But that is not all.

Two more things about the lavender come to my mind. One, after my inner child wrote a guest post last Friday, she actually wrote another mini post, but I rejected it thinking it’s too much. (Yeah, Yes to Me has strict editorial standard, you know.) In it, she was talking about lavenders from the neighbor’s garden. Really. Here is part of her post that didn’t get published before:

“Well, I like writing, but I like doing other things, too. And in addition to my daily playing, I now go around the blogs to see other bloggers’ inner children who want to be comforted and healed. I think Steve and Leo‘s inner children are getting bored so I’ll see if they want to come out and play. And I want to send Naomi‘s inner child the lavenders I picked from my neighbor’s garden. That kind of thing. . . So I think I’ll let Akemi write for this blog most of the time.”

Okay, Naomi, the lavenders are on your way. Hope they help you sleep well. (I just checked her blog ans she is back to posting regularly. Hurray!)

Two. It’s about the Law of Attraction. After I heard the audio CD of The Secret last summer, I was doing a lot of meditation and visualization. (This is when I was still in Tennessee.) One of the visualization was about my dream home. My dream home is brick, standing on mid hill that overlooks a big river, and the house is surrounded with fragrant lavender. . . (There are a lot more details about the rooms, settings, etc.) Later last year, I decided to move to Portland, Oregon. I heard Oregon rains a lot, and I knew lavender likes well drained soil, so I thought, “Well . . . maybe I won’t have lavender around my dream home. That’s okay, just a small detail to give up.”

This is my first summer in Oregon. And there are lavenders everywhere. Perhaps because the heat is mild, they are in bloom all summer. So maybe I will have lavenders around my house when I’m ready to buy a house.

My Law of Attraction Dream Money Project, Week 7, $6400

Before I go on to this week’s spending spree . . . remember what I wanted to do with my first week’s $100? Yeah, I wanted to go to the coast. Being close to the ocean was one of the attractions of moving from Tennessee to Oregon, and yet I kept postponing it. Yesterday, it finally dawned on me.

“What the heck am I waiting for?” I don’t need the money to fall from heaven . . . maybe I already have it. So I drove to the west – to the wild wild west, across the mountains, through the woods where elks roam and it is advised to keep the light on for safety even during the day (according to the road signs). And there, the Pacific Ocean, my mother ocean!

It was very windy and cold. I walked along the seaside, playing with the gentle waves. The water was icy aqua blue. I picked some pebbles and seashells. I got a live shellfish, too, but I let him go. Then I dared to go bare feet . . . oooh, it was so cold that it gave me a brain freeze for a second . . . and it was nice ^_^

After awhile I noticed I was dead hungry so had late lunch at a seafood restaurant. Next time, I’ll go overnight so I can enjoy the sunset!

So the $6400. One way I define being “rich” is not have to worry about money when I see something I really want. For example, I love fine arts. I love visiting art galleries. There were many occasions before, however, when I spot a new artist at a local gallery, really wanted one of the paintings, and just couldn’t. Now that I’m settled in Oregon, it’s time to do this. I’ll go gallery hopping, and when I see the picture that talks to me, I’ll get it. Because I love it.

Today I’m grateful for all the flowers in the world and my friends, new and old, who support me in their own unique ways.

How are you enjoying your summer? (I mean . . . if you are in the northern hemisphere) What do you think about this dream money project?

« Previous Page — Next Page »