Do Your Kids Understand Money?

What do your kids think about money? Have you ever taken the time to ask them? See what they say to the following questions:

1. Where does money come from?
2. How much money is enough to be happy?
3. How do you make more money? Is it easy or hard?

Their answers to these questions may surprise you. It may be a wake up call to you that your kids may need additional tools to understand the purpose of money in their lives, the emotional charge they place on money and how to manage it.

I have discovered a wonderful little website that actually showcases new and innovative digital products that help teach kids about money. Check it out at www.MoneyKidz.com.

Just think of the impact it will have to teach your kids how to create, manage and use money as they grow up, instead of waiting until they are heavy into credit card debt or moving back home. Why not teach them now, instead of when it is too late???

The Blind Side

They say that art imitates real life. But when life imitates art – that is an accomplishment to be noted. The real life story of Michael Oher has been captured on film in the new movie, The Blind Side. But the artistry woven between the characters is no imitation – it’s the real thing.

Although not strongly emphasized, the motivation for Leigh Anne Tuohy (played exquisitely by Sandra Boullock) is based on Christian principles. Her strong love for God places her in many awkward situations that most people would avoid in their worst nightmares. But Leigh Anne has a bigger vision – to be the kind of person who sees others in a Godly way. And Michael Oher, the poor, homeless kid with a nose for football, is the grateful recipient of Leigh Anne’s mission.

The Blind Side is a compelling story of love, respect…and well, blindness. There are many shades of blindness, just as there are many shades of people and issues. What you chose to remain blind to says a lot about you and your accepted values. It also speaks volumes about where you stand on your Christian journey.

This movie will make you think about your “blind sides,” those areas in your life where you just accept the pervading sentiment without questioning whether it is the right thing to do. Like walking by a homeless man without giving him a smile or any kind of acknowledgment. Or ignoring a person because they have different color skin than yours. It could be as simple as turning away from your child because you let anxiety over money control your life.

What are your blind sides? Have you taken the time to see them and decide if you agree with them? Or have you been complacent, not wanting to be bothered?

Go see The Blind Side. Then shine the light of truth on the ignored corners of your soul. You just might discover that your blindness was hiding something beautiful – a life that is artfully lived.

See the Lion in the Mirror

In your moments of quiet time, do you ever get the feeling that there is a being of immense power within you? Do you ever feel a twinge of regret because you have lead a small life, when you know in your authentic core that you could have done so much more?

It's time to wake up the lion in the mirror!

There are as many paths to that goal as there are human hearts beating. There are also so many choices of teachers, mentors, gurus, etc. that it can make your mind spin. So what is a new born adventurer to do?

Listen to your inner lion.

I know that sounds weird, but stay with me for a minute. By "inner lion" I mean your authentic self, that voice inside you that knows what is best for you. Not your over-active, analytical mind; not your too-sensitive, too-fearful ego, but your Higher Self. The part of you that is directly connected to God.

Imagine a lion resting under a tree on the Serengeti. He knows exactly who he is, what his job on earth is and what he has to accomplish. He is at peace with his world, because he understands intuitively that he is an integral part of that world. He never questions or doubts himself and never, never, never applies the harsh spotlight of criticism or judgment to himself or others. He simply is what God made him to be - a magnificent creature.

You have a sleeping lion inside of you - waiting patiently for you to discover him. How do you do that? Here is a simple but profound exercise you can practice daily.

Take ten minutes every morning in a quiet place where you can practice deep breathing, be still and listen. Tune out the distractions, worries and fears that consume you and tune into the quiet, peaceful tranquility where your Higher Self is waiting. Just for you.

Then see what happens!

It might really surprise you what you learn from these brief moments in solitude. If you are still enough, you will hear your Higher Self. Not in fearful or anxious words like the mind or ego uses. Your Higher Self has an entirely new language of unconditional love, total acceptance, absolute joy and never-ending peace.

Keep a daily journal or diary of what you discover. Do this for 30 days, then read back over what you have learned. You will be amazed at the changes in yourself and in your perspective.

I promise you - if you do your ten minutes a day for 30 days, your sleeping lion will wake up. Or at least will open one eye!

Live your Life like a Dog!

A dog's life is not so bad - he sleeps 22 hours a day, runs around and jumps for joy about 1 hour a day (unless a squirrel is within eyeshot - then he barks the entire time) and the last hour he spends loving you. Directly from the heart. No games, no contradictions, no obstructions.

Just pure love.

A dog does not judge you for your past failures or disappointments. He takes you just as you are, right at this moment, and shouts with his entire body, "I am so HAPPY to see YOU!" Even if you have only been gone for a minute, a dog will greet you like he hasn't seen you in days. You could say that a dog packs more pure love into the one hour a day than most people do in a month of Sundays!

Think about your dog - the one you had growing up that heard every deep, dark secret of your childhood. Or consider the one who is resting under your feet right now while you read this blog. Aren't you the center of his universe (especially at dinner time)? Then think about this:
Did you do anything to earn his love? Or does he give freely, without reservation, hesitation or manipulation?

You know the answer to that question as well as I do! So why not model your life after your dog's? It will do your heart (and your life) a world of good.

"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole." Roger Caras

Its Time to Expand My Life!

How are you doing, at the end of the first month of the new decade? Are you forging ahead on your New Year's Resolutions or have they been put up, along with the Christmas decorations? Time to check in and recalibrate!

Instead of stating the same old resolutions (lose weight, make more money, pay off debt, etc.) why not try a different approach? One that could recharge your life, your dreams and your goals! The place to start is not "out there" or after you get "_____" (fill in the blank). The place to start is right where you are -- right here, right now.

There is a quote that has had a profound impact on my life, which I now use to guide my choices throughout the day. You have to meditate on it, start using it as a template for your day, and the wisdom and spiritual energy will begin to seep into your consciousness. It goes to the heart of each of us and encourages us to choose well.

The quote is by Neale Donald Walsch, author of the "Conversation with God" series of books. It states:

Every decision you make - every decision - is not a decision about what to do. It is a decision about Who You Are. When you see this, when you understand it, everything changes. You begin to see life in a new way. All events, occurrences, and situations turn into opportunities to do what you came here to do.

Try reading this quote several times a day. Carry a copy of it with you to refer to in your free moments. Embed it on your consciousness, then make a note of the results. You will be amazed how a simple change in your perspective can totally change the direction of your life!

I think of it this way - in every moment of my day, I have two basic choices. I can either chose to expand myself, my purpose and my service to others, or I can chose to contract in fear, doubt, worry and anxiety. The expansive choice causes me to grow; the contractive choice makes me shrink. So, the basic question in each moment is, "Do I want to grow or shrink?" When I consistently make the expansive choice, my life is unbelievably, fantastically awesome. When I chose to listen to my fears, I shrink down into a smaller version of me.

Expand your life, and all of your New Year's Resolutions will come true in ways that you could never imagine. Try it yourself - make a comment back to this blog so we can all share our experiences!

Discover Your Spiritual Bridge

The dawning of a new year (much less a new decade) is time for celebration and contemplation. You celebrate that you are still here, in your human body, aware of the passage of time. You contemplate the past and the future, wondering about missed opportunities or undiscovered joys.

In short, the new year is a moment in time when the world stops spinning and we can catch our breath before the frantic energy begins again.

If you ever have moments you just want to get off the carousel, pay attention! That is your body telling you to slow down, breath deeply and just be. Not do, not accomplish, not succeed. Just be.

The bridge to your spiritual self is waiting for you in the stillness of your inner world. When was the last time you visited?

The following quote from Elizabeth Fayt is instructive:

"When we become silent, we are able then to become truly still. Meditation is the best way to achieve this stillness, because silence is more than just silencing the outward noise. It is about silencing the thoughts within. It is in this silence, that God speaks to us."

There are many different meditative techniques. Do some research, experiment and find the one that works best for you. Then practice it every day. This one simple change will make this new year completely different than any that has passed before!

The Gratitude Train

What are you thankful for today? With Thanksgiving just around the corner (have you bought your turkey yet?) thoughts naturally turn toward gratitude. So why don't you take a ride on the Gratitude Train and see what pops up?

The first stop is to look around your world - how many things can you give thanks for? A home, a car, a loving family, enough food on the table, a job in this sluggish economy. Gather your gratitude list together and hold on while the train chugs its way to the next stop on our journey.

The landscape has changed somewhat. Instead of lush, green grass and beautiful scenery, you now see a barren desert, windswept and desolate in its isolation. What is this place? It is the land of lack and limitation. Why are you stopping here? Isn't gratitude about giving thanks for the good things, not the bad?

Admit it - thoughts of fear, anxiety about money and knowledge of scarcity in your life or others had taken up residence in your mind. You can't escape the media's negative messages and after a while, you start to believe them (or not). But you can't blame the media - they are just doing their job. It is your choice to listen and believe. Or not.

To be wholeheartedly grateful, one hundred percent authentic, and completely in tune with the spirit of gratitude, you also have to give thanks for the negative things in your life. There are lessons hidden by the images of lack and limitation. Shadows, waiting to be discovered by the enlightened person who knows that everything is perfect, just as it is.

Think back on your life, to the most desperate and desolate time, when you thought you could not move forward another step. What happened? Somehow, you survived and moved on, right? Wasn't there a lesson hidden in the darkness that you did not see until you had moved back into the light? Perhaps you needed to be less judgmental or critical of another person, or more forgiving and loving. Or maybe you needed to be more loving of yourself?

The lesson is to be grateful for the bad times too. Who are you to judge whether an event is good or bad? Do you know all of the factors, the conditions that led up to that event that involved other people? Is your perspective so global in scope that you totally understand why that situation was created in the first place? Only if you can answer yes to questions like these, do you have the luxury to judge a situation or another person.

Fear, anxiety, and negativity are all creations of the ego trying to protect you. But the results of these limiting thoughts and beliefs is to dam up the flow of gratitude in your life. When you drop the judgmental thoughts and criticisms, gratitude comes rushing into your life.

Take a moment to reflect on the "bad" times and discover the beautiful lesson that lay hidden just underneath the surface. Only after you can look the bad times head on and say "thank you" will you be able to continue your journey on the gratitude train.

Look - you are back where you started! You just took a journey through your life and discovered new treasures you did not know existed. Peacefulness and joy are your constant companions, as thoughts about the past are replaced by living fully in the moment of now. Concentrate on being present, being grateful every time you take a breath, and your life will change forever.

Listen! The Train is leaving again. Want to go on another round?