I have read in multiple sources that there are just 2 pure emotions, love and fear.

Love feels like expansion…. joy, happiness, abundance, laughter, beauty, generosity, certainty, goodness, rightness, connectedness, miracles, being in the flow and “woo hoo-ness.”

Fear feels like contraction…meaness, anger, scarcity, fakeness, sadness, struggle, negative, limiting…

Hopefully you get the idea.

I recommend that you pay attention to who and what makes you feel expansion. When do you feel most happy and excited and loved? When do you “lose time” because you so enjoy what you are doing.

Noticing where and when you feel love provides clues for what and who is right for you in your life. It can help you find your purpose.

Fear and contraction can teach you limiting beliefs or toxic people in your life. What can you change and learn from your fear?

My idea for the week is just to notice and become aware of when I feel expansion and love. When do I feel contraction? I want to pay attention to this and see what the patterns are.
______
I love reading my friend Roxie’s blog http://www.gravelandrust.blogspot.com/ and most recently how she has implemented a “The thing I loved about yesterday” that I am also going to try and copy. (Many self-help gurus recommend that you keep a gratitude journal. It helps you focus on the positive and appreciate what is good in your life.)

The thing I loved about yesterday was the gorgeous, sunny, warm weather and spending quality time walking around with my sister who I love dearly.

As you may have noticed I have not posted for a while. I have been busy with other fun things — like planning my wedding and honeymoon.

The wedding was this past weekend and was just AWESOME. It far exceeded all my expectations. I had a blast. I loved having (almost) everyone that was important to me together to help us celebrate this wonderful and special event.

So many people helped make it such a gorgeous and special time. Thank you to those who were there and helped make this happen. There are not enough glowingly positive adjectives to describe how the weekend was and what it meant to me.

There was so much love in the room, it was overwhelming.

I am the luckiest person in the world to have married Nimit and to have my family and the friends that I have. I am so grateful!

I am off to Italy and promise to post more often when I get back.

I read and love the book, The Soul of Money by Lynne Twist. It is a book I highly recommend that everyone read.

Since I know many people will not read the whole book, I am going to write some posts about what this book says and what I learned from it.

When I read this book I wished I had written it. I would like to write a book about money some day and this book said so much of what I believe to be true.

Lynne Twist has a background with The Hunger Project that gives her a unique perspective of seeing and working with people that have both a lot of money and those with very little. She learned and saw the differences and commonalities of both sides.

You can go directly to Lynne Twist’s site for the book to learn more, http://www.soulofmoney.org/

Lynne Twist said (and I completely agree) that
“everyone wants to love and be loved and make a difference with their lives.”

I believe that from a place of love we do and will make a difference with our lives, some on a small scale and others on a bigger scale. But the difference you make with even one person can have a long lasting and profound impact with every life they then touch. Don’t underestimate your power and the significance of what you do and how you live your life – with your friends, family co-workers, clients and community.

Lynne Twist wrote in The Soul of Money, “What became clear was that when people were able to align their money with their deepest, most soulful interests and commitments, [what they love] their relationship with money became a place where profound and lasting transformation could occur. Their money – no matter the amount – became the conduit for this change.”

Every aspect of our life is influenced by money –

where we live, the food we eat, our job, our house, the clothes we wear, the work we do, the gifts we give, our friends, even our spouses and the number of children we have, are all affected by money and how we view it.

So, do you have a healthy happy relationship with money?

Try thinking of your relationship with money like a personal relationship.

What are the keys to success in your happy and healthy personal relationships? Now apply these concepts to your relationship with money. Some of the keys to success that I apply to both my personal and financial relationships are:

1. Respect

Treat money with respect. Just like any person, it wants to and needs to be treated with respect. Yes, money is important and powerful. Recognize that. Now balance that with the fact that it does not define who you are. Money cannot change what your values are, your talents, and what you care about.

A good relationship enhances who you are and brings out the best in you.

Money is similar, it is a tool that allows you to be, do and have MORE of what you want. It should also enhance your life and highlight your passions, talents and values.

2. Understanding

It is always helpful in a relationship with another person to understand where they come from and what they are thinking. You need to communicate with the other person. The more you understand about money and your money situation the more power you have to make wise, respectful and sympathetic decisions.

You are empowering yourself if you come from a place of knowledge instead of a place of unknowing and fear with regards to your money. This communication and connection will enhance your relationship.

I want to stress that you do not need to know everything. I recommend that you surround yourself with people and financial advisors you trust and who can help provide the knowledge you need.

Educating yourself also contributes to your understanding. Continue to learn and ask questions about your finances to help improve your relationship with money and build your confidence.

3. Attention

Money (like people) LOVES and demands a level of attention. Money will get your attention one way or another. It can be positive or negative attention. You get to choose.

I like to think of this aspect as similar to a parent child relationship. Your child will do things to get your attention, even if it is negative attention. Money is the same way. If you ignore your money relationship and avoid it, it will eventually require your attention.

Just like scheduled date nights with your spouse, I recommend that you schedule time to regularly check in with your finances so you know where you stand.

There are other aspects of your relationship with money that I will discuss in future articles.

Respect, understanding and attention are all concepts that are important in dealing with people. They provide an initial guideline to assist you in improving your relationship with money. Thinking of your personal relationships and how you want to be treated is an analogy and powerful example to apply in your relationship with money.

Many people are uncomfortable in their relationship with money.

Their best selves are not seen in their relationship with money. If this is you, think about how you can change your view of money and your relationship with it.

What actions can you take to change this?

Having a healthy relationship with money has the power to change and affect every aspect of your life.

I have wanted to start a blog for a long time and finally I am doing it!

I am new at this, so be patient with me while I figure out how the Wordpress and blogging all works.

I will primarily focus on my life journey and sharing the lessons I am learning. I am a financial planner and life coach so most of my posts will focus on my own and my clients relationship with money.