Inner Vision: To the Manor Born

With the perilous state of our global economy at the forefront of everyone’s minds, I’ve come to think there is an actual ailment sweeping the nation. “Recession depression” is what I’m calling it. And, between the costs of funding two little ol’ wars, greasing the wheels of the mortgage meltdown and the Bailout-O-Rama that is all the rage, it’s no wonder prescriptions for anti-depressants and martinis have soared in the past year. At least the pharmaceutical and liquor industries are still alive and well. Hey, maybe we can get a loan…But, however you look at it and whomever you blame, this affliction runs much deeper than the daily desperation of the Dow.

Yes, my pretties, as is often the case in the midst of chaos, there is a goldmine of opportunity to learn and discover a different reality that is more in tune with our naturally wealthy, spiritual state of being.

To me, part of the problem is a psycho-social phenomenon sociologists like to call “mob mentality.” It’s a behavioral theory that generally says people (and animals, by the way) can and do act differently when they’re part of a crowd (or herd) than they would on an individual basis. Take that Walmart stampede about ten days ago when rabid shoppers trampled to death a 6’5” employee who opened the doors. Not only did they knock him down and kill him, the majority of them didn’t even stop to help him; and as he was being given CPR, they continued to race on by to get their goodies. Do you think that any single individual would have done that had it not been for the crowd’s frenzy? I’m gonna say no.

Yet, it is a perfect illustration of how desperate we feel when it comes to money -- or in this case -- saving money. We, as a world, believe that somehow there just isn’t enough. Enough money, enough food, enough TVs on sale, enough of anything; and so, we as a world, compete and fret and trample to get what we want. That’s what makes the stock market work when it works, right? That’s why people rush to get their kids “on the list’ for private schools, because there are only so many slots open, right?

As humans, we’re born into a mass mentality of limitation. As divine beings that doesn’t mean we have to stay there.

One of the principles of Divine Design is that we are, by birthright, heirs to the kingdom of unlimited wealth -- monetary and otherwise. Yes, all of us. There is an endless supply of everything, just waiting for us to collect it. Yes, for all of us -- no matter when we get there. There are no limitations, except those that we create in our minds and by our deeds.

Let me show you what I mean: Our lives are meant to be like an all-you-can-eat buffet. There’s every kind of food available; all you want is at your fingertips, just a spoonful away. Yet, what do we do when faced with this situation? We pile our plates with more food that we can eat in a week. Then we go back for seconds, maybe thirds. Right? Why? Because, even when we can see that there’s plenty, our fear of lack propels us toward greed and gluttony.

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And where else do we see greed and gluttony abound? Could it be on Wall Street? Could it be that this mentality of taking more than we need -- even though we can have everything anytime -- propelled us into the economic freefall we see today? Wall Street didn’t do it alone, though. There are politicians and lawmakers and investors -- great and small -- who bet on lack and abundance like the roll of the dice. They count on the haves and have-nots -- and we literally buy into it every day in every way.

What if we thought about it differently? Imagine what could be accomplished if we eliminated fear (which leads to greed) from the equation.

I don’t know that we can change the way the world does business overnight, but each of us can individually start to access our own wealth without trampling on others. One of the ways we do this is to move beyond money when we talk about it. Anyone who’s ever been really sick knows that it’s no joke to say when you have your health you have everything. And many people will tell you that there’s no amount of money that can buy the love they feel for or from another human being. (I know this is not news to you, but sometimes we forget.)

Another way we access our divine wealth is by being in tune with our spirituality. Although we can have anything and everything we want, it requires that we undo the human-born limitations we place on ourselves and, thereby, change our thinking and our behavior. This is not a simple task, because part of our spiritual journey is learning to live as divine souls upon a human plane and subject to the human condition. It’s kind of a karmic Catch-22, if you will. For more details on how these processes work, I highly recommend Deepak Chopra’s The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, or Catherine Ponder’s Secret of Unlimited Prosperity.

The more we learn of our divine origins, the more we feel our connectedness to our higher selves and to each other. The more we feel connected, the more giving and wealthier we become in all aspects of our lives – including our pocketbooks. This is not to say we don’t need cold hard cash to pay the rent. It simply means that we don’t have to be cold and hard to get it.

Looking forward,

Lisa V.