Different Ways To Think About Money
[ 10 March 2009 ]
(Idea borrowed from Louise L. Hay avec beaucoup d’amour.)
Here’s a thought exercise or experiment that’s been on my mind lately. How about changing your behaviour & feelings about bills or due payments? What about if you didn’t curse & swear when you received a bill in the mail? What if you thought of it as a blessing? Examine it without emotion — that company or person trusts & loves you enough to supply you with something even before you pay! How amazing is that?!
It’s like a message from the universe that it has faith that you can easily generate that money. Think of it like a little cheerleader saying, “You can do it!”
Pay your bills with love & gratitude & it will keep the positive flow going. After all, how does being angry or upset about a bill serve you?
To quote Mobb Deep, there’s numerous ways you can choose to earn funds! Don’t feel like you need to know where the money is coming from — just know it’s here, ready & ripe for you to pluck out of the ether when you want it.
I know that for some of us this is a quantum leap in our thinking & it may take some time to believe. You might have to consciously adjust your thoughts on the subject more than once. But the more you think it, the more true it becomes for you.
Love letters & feather headdresses,
Tags: inspiration,
life Add Gala on Twitter!
This is such an awesome concept! Now, for that glass-walled bachelorette pad in Malibu….
I agree with Nubby— this is an awesome concept. We do too often worry about where to come up with the money needed for the things we are given in advance, but companies do trust us. They trust us to contact them when there are difficulties, they work with us to maintain our loyalties (and vice versa).
What a great shift in thinking! I often just get on with paying off my credit card, thinking that it’s money owed for goods and services rendered and fair is fair.
I’ve always been detached in terms of my sources of income and my views of the value of money. It’s an obvious statement that money is important, but I’ve never been upset when I lose money or don’t have enough (or at least I assume) to do or buy the things I want.
Recently I just took a trip to paris, after losing an extremely large amount of money in a bad investment. I had been talking to my friends about how I’m low on money, but I still took this last minute trip. They thought i was crazy.
Tickets were only $500.00 and I had lodging with a friend. And i also dropped some money at Lanvin! All I did before I left was sell some old clothes.
Should I have sold the clothes and saved my money since I just lost a ton with a bad investment? Most people would think yes, but really, I had a great time in paris and met some amazing people. And it recharged me and put me in a positive mood. All for about $1500.00 total, $1500 that would probably be sitting in my savings while I sit and be uninspired and bummed due to my recent failure.
$1500 is a small investment towards giving me a positive outlook again, which has in-turn got me going again with my work. Which in turn has helped me generate some new income. People tend to only look at tangible things when they think of money and value and investments. They look to invest in “things” (real estate, collectable items..etc), yet never take the time to think about investing in themselves and see the benefits of that.
And I just think it has helped me be a generally positive and optimistic person, when you start to see money not as a burden, but just as a tool to helping you live the life you want. There’s a great section in Tim Ferris’ book about how money is expendable, you can make it in so many ways. Yet time is something that you can never get back, so why waste your time stressing over something that is so easily regenerated. I’m by no means saying optimism will make bills go away and money appear, but it will help you focus and be more positive so that you can work more effectively (thus, help you get more money!)
If you’re stuck in a financial rut, at least you’re learning something.
I suggest this: don’t give bill money to companies you don’t believe in or at least like (I’m way down with my cell provider and my insurance agent is a WAY sweet girl.) – that makes the bills easier to pay.
oh man, i needed this.. in which book does l. hay elaborate on the topic?
ps its beaucoup d’amour
:) :)
Nubby — Hell YES.
miss noise — Haha, thank you :D & she talks about it in her book You Can Heal Your Life which I cannot recommend highly enough.
I remember when I first started paying bills on my own, and it was the greatest feeling of independence and freedom. I could do anything because I knew how to take care of myself. Sometimes when I get down about bills I try to go back there and regain that sense.
I personally think that that something that shouldn’t be encouraged in a time of economic crisis. Money is not “there” and does not come from an “ether”. It is a concrete, real thing that for many people is in short supply and has to be thought about carefully. Perhaps those of us who have a disposable income and live the lifestyle of wanton, luxurious (and absolutely environmentally unsustainable) consumerism that you seem to glorify can afford to think about money in such frivolous, almost air-headed terms, but I believe that sensibility and frugality is a less selfish and more long -term sustainable option for everyone whose chief occupation isn’t shopping. In addition, no credit company loves you, ever. Credit companies want your money, just like all big corporations. These words may sound blunt, but they are meant with all respect – I simply believe that both perspectives on this topic should be heard. After all, we’re all on this planet together, and using too much of its resources without a thought for the consequences is a bad thing for all of us.
I never really get upset when a bill comes. The most of a reaction a bill gets from me is shock. Shock over how much money I’ve spent. I don’t pay utilities and rent (the perks of living at home) so my bills are credit cards, cell phone, and student loan. Bills just remind me to stop buying stupid crap.
this is a very good concept. Especially for us, students.
It’s like Freya says, it’s the beginning of freedom, and so responsability.
After only one semester and a half I have really, really learned from the experience of paying the bills on my own.
So I could start seeing them as something that’s making me better, and not something so bad.
But still, when you’re living on a budget it’s a little hard to see them as a blessing and not a curse hahaha
My mind dwells on money matters far too much, and always in the negative. Bills don’t weigh on me too much, but I do resent expenses like oil changes for my car, expensive prescriptions and the like. Being grateful that I even have ACCESS to such goods and services is a great way to turn that anxiety around!
Isa – thoroughly agreed. Also, what if you have others to support? Is it really responsible to just trust that the money will “turn up” when you need to, say, pay for medical bills or your child’s education?
Isa & Alice — It’s just a thought experiment, nothing more. You don’t have to have anything to do with it if you don’t want to!
I admit, I have a very love-hate relationship with money. Part of this has to do with my childhood: we had very little and didn’t always know how the next bills would be paid. While in some ways it has made me a stronger person (I have very moderate needs and try to weigh purchases that are for non-essentials), in others I feel that this early knowledge of the power of money crippled me. It’s an interesting concept: one which my husband is trying to get me to embrace a bit more. I need to learn to not be so uptight about it!! After all: you can’t take it with you! At least, that’s what I keep telling myself… hehe! Thanks for this post, Gala—I feel encouraged! :)
usually i really don’t mind paying my bills at all. i simply remind myself of how happy whatever i am paying for is making me and how proud i am to be able to afford it on my own and that makes it all okay. because i am one of those shallow people that loves consuming. so very much.
but there are those other times, those times when paying a bill really really hurts. last saturday a friend of mine called me up and told me i owed her 500€. i had borrowed some mobile internet-device from her back in january when the internet at my place hadn’t been installed yet. i used it for two weeks, doing only very basic internet things with it – or so i thought. turns out i used up way too much traffic which is charged in a completely perverse, mis-proportioned, non-understandable way. i mean how is going online to check emails, blog and watch some youtube videos worth more than what i pay in rent in a month? i am still really shocked by this whole incident because it makes trying to save up and spend responsibly seem so futile.
but then again that is just an exception.
That does sound like an interesting idea. I might just give it a go! I have a few big bills coming up as I move to Germany, so it might help me feel a little brighter.
I think everyone should read Paul McKennas “I Can Make You Rich”. I bought it hoping for some tips on how to make money but it actually concentrates on changing you subconcious attitude towards money and tap into why you feel you have to hold onto money when you’ve got it.
He has some interesting theories, for example if your parents had problems with money and resented the tax man you subconciously think the same and always will until you conciously change your ways.
And there’s some fantastic stuff on rich peoples attitudes to money, like how ‘poor’ people spend their money and save what’s left where as ‘rich’ people save their money and spend what’s left.
So intersting!
I’m glad because I already kind of look at it like that. Of course I don’t wanna spend all my money on bills, but I know what I have them for and I enjoy being organised and paying them off as soon as possible.
GENIUS ATTITUDE. You and Peter N.
Sometimes I can’t believe I experience such depreciation towards things (ie:work, school, car bills, insurance,etc)that I really should be thanking the world for every moment of the day. Thank you guys so much for reminding me!
Hey I was thinking about this the other day.
My Dad always taught me to view money as a tool. It is just something to exchange for something else- it means nothing more. Don’t let it rule your life.
It is a constant cycle- sometimes you have loads, sometimes you have none, but it really isn’t important and doesn’t define you as a person- there are so many more things that are more important- nearly everything in fact!
It is also great advice to think positively when paying the bills, as Gala said- after all, you used the electricity/gas/phone etc, -they are all things you need.
Some people resent paying tax, but imagine where we would be without it. If you resent it, don’t plan on getting sick (in UK and other places with NHS),calling the police or having your rubbish picked up! What a very scary place we would live in if we as taxpayers didn’t forl out our hard earned wages for that?!
x
I have to comment in agreement with Isa and Alice. I do understand that this is just an idea, and that I don’t have to participate in it, but I find it almost irresponsible to encourage people to take money so lightly in such times. It’s a similar line of thinking that got us into this economic crisis in the first place.
In this world, very few people have the luxury to think of money in such light terms. For most people, bills aren’t coming just from the credit card companies—they’re coming from the electric companies, the gas companies, whoever owns your mortgage. They owe this money in addition to feeding themselves (and possibly their families). I imagine it’s difficult to feel blessed when each bill is a reminder that you’re in danger of losing your house.
And what if they had future plans? Many people are unable to afford the costs of college nowadays, so they can’t give themselves or their children an education. There’s nothing to feel good about being unable to send yourself or your family to school.
Also, anyone who believes that companies “trust” them is fooling themselves. As Isa said, these people are out to make money—to take your money. They could care less what sort of person you are; they only care that you pay them.
I just wanted to say my piece. Gala, you’ve made this corner of the internet such a positive place, but I find this bit of advice almost insulting and demeaning. If feeling blessed about bills held so much power, this crisis would have ended the moment it started. Instead of encouraging people to think lightly about paying their bills, why not encourage them to consult a debt management program or to read online/at the library about financial management? That way, people will find a way to relieve their stress and be more financially responsible.
Since my husband and I started tracking our account balances on a spreadsheet together each week, we’ve definitely started looking at money differently. We started over a year ago and we now look forward to seeing the positive effects of our lifestyle changes, instead of just the bills.
I do think we need to be more appreciative of what we get for our money and that we can often can get things on credit. However, at the same time, we also need to realize that credit might not always be there for us (don’t count on it for your emergency fund!) and that it does come at a high cost — especially considering the dirty tricks some companies play.
money is very important – quite hard to live without. as a student, my friends and i spend serious amounts of time moaning about our empty pockets. it can be really depressing. i’ve turned frugality into a sort of game – i’m enjoying my money, and since i have time to kill, why not get the most out of it? there’s a happy medium between shoe-shopping sprees and padding out every meal with a handful of lentils, although i am a big fan of both :)
i love the positivity of this article. worrying about money is not fun at all, but if you start feeling positive about it, then you’ll be more enthusiastic. when i’m anxious about finances my money sits there, but when i’m feeling good i pad out savings accounts and do little things to save cash.
>>“Examine it without emotion — that company or person trusts & loves you enough to supply you with something even before you pay! How amazing is that?!”
if you watched the documentary “maxed out” (it’s available on netflix to watch instantly) i’m sure you would see that differently. credit card companies supply you with money not because they love you, but because they make a profit off you. they are notorious for offering cards to people who just declared bankruptcy because those customers can’t go bankrupt again; this is exactly where credit card companies make their money. those people will creep deeper into debt with each unpaid bill and be haunted by debt collectors for the rest of their lives. there is no love involved whatsoever.
encouraging people to just pluck money out of the ether when they want it may be a nice way of thinking, but sadly for the majority of people who really need money, that’s not a smart way of thinking.
Credit card companies are a COMPLETELY different story. No love for (or from!) them!
I don’t think the average person realizes how weighted of a concept money is for them. I was reading some book not too long ago by this financial advisor lady who makes all of her clients – during their first session with her – close their eyes and think back to the earliest experience with money they can remember. The results were often very telling. People had all kinds of emotional baggage attached to money they weren’t even aware of.
Thanks Gala. My interest on the credit card is quite high. well, a couple of hundred. :)
x
I agree with Autumn (I was about to say approximately the same ) ^^
I don’t know, I seem to have read and interpreted this post differently than others.
I don’t think Gala is telling people to whip up a smile and take money lightly. To me it’s about looking at what you’re paying bills for and understand that most bills are services that you agreed pay to have. And that there’s no sense in getting upset/stressed because they are things to be expected and it’s just a matter of respecting/honoring those agreements and paying on time that you chose to have.
Yes, these are hard economic times, but if you’re dreading bills and stressed out..it never seems to make situations better. What are you really doing to alleviate your financial situation? What are you wasting money on?
To me it’s really about clearing your head so you can focus on where you’re getting your money from in the first place (and also looking for other ways to get income). Instead of occupying your mind with negative thoughts, dissect your situation and see where are the pitfalls and where you can make improvements. Think like McGuyver, not the guy running around with the sign screaming “The End Is Near”
i’ve always subscribed to a similar way of thinking… then again, i’ve always been very good with my money and that definitely helps to keep me from stressing.
i don’t get why people get so pissed when a bill comes… if you don’t think the money is going to be coming in or if you don’t have anything in your savings, don’t use the service you’ll eventually have to pay for.
also, i don’t think gala encourages a frivolous, wanton lifestyle. i think she encourages frivolous, wanton dreams, which inspire an idea to work toward.
It was really interesting reading all of the comments on this—I appreciate how Gala tries to bring glitter & light into all areas of life, even the dreary ones. Financial matters can be the dreariest of all! While to me it does sound very silly to say you can pluck money out of the ether, I think the quote was meant to inspire people to consider other ways they can generate income & take other forms of positive action in their financial lives instead of focusing on their low bank balances. Yes, times may be tough, but the message here always seems to be the need to appreciate what it is that you have—even if it’s “not enough,” it’s something, and non-productive stress isn’t getting you anywhere better.
Recognizing a different perspective on something that most of us think about far too much is an excellent practice. I’ve never been sure just how helpful it was going to be to worry constantly about financial situations, and I find this method far more productive and healthy.
I’ve been thinking like this for awhile now! I was just so elated and relieved when I qualified for various accounts (internet, phone). I’m self employed so I assumed that no one would trust me to pay up!
I actually don’t mind paying my bills – I spend so much time researching good deals before I commit – so it never seems too bad. Much like crossing off a to-do list!
i must agree with autumn. i love the whole ‘think positively’ thing that i normally find reading this blog, but there’s a thin line being crossed here.
bills (all of them, not only the ones from credit cards companies) are never about love or trust, they’re really about money. or maybe, love for money. thinking the opposite is just completely naïve.
yes, i agree that it never helps to get stressed about money, and that you should focus on how to solve the problem instead of complaining about it. what upsets me here is the thought of bills as something good, because they’re not; and that you should feel grateful for what has been supplied to you, since (at least here where i live) there is a huge number of basic things/services that are ridiculously overpriced — to the point where you feel insulted.
in my opinion, being grateful for that is being connivent to those kinds of abuse.
Way to trigger peoples’ thoughts once again Gala. :)
I often try to think along similar lines… instead of ‘oh MAN, another bill’ it’s more a case of ‘I am so lucky to be able to have this’... because, let’s face it, I am lucky to have it (whatever ‘it’ is; cell/mobile phone bill, internet bill.. hell even water, electricity & gas bills!).
So.. Oh yeh, twist it! It works.
I agree with Peter N… think like McGyver! Hahahaha.
I recently started thinking this way, Gala. I realised I had to not think of my money as all I have and if I spend it I will just DIE and omg omg omg I’m broke. I relaxed even though I needed to buy some food and pay day was a week away. The next day I got a call to participate in a wine tasting market research thing and got paid $70 cash for it. It was so awesome LOL.
I do recognise that this is just a way of thinking which we are all free to subscribe to or not, as we wish, and it’s always interesting to hear a new perspective; however, I just can’t get my head around how just expecting money to turn up could be a good idea at this point in time. Maybe if you have total financial security, but I very much doubt there are many people in that situation.
I just wanted to chime in on the taking it too lightly vs. thinking positively.
Thinking positively is not a euphemism for forgoing responsibility. As a matter of fact, it’s about taking responsibility. What Louise Hay is really talking about is the energy you put out when thinking about and dealing with money. Instead of feeling helpless and anxiety ridden, let go of that kind of energy and try to focus on a more positive vibration. If opening your credit card statements each month gives you an ulcer, start a debt management program and set up automatic payments. The need to open the statements each month is gone, and with it, the anxious/worried/negative energy.
If you’re like I used to be, every time you have to spend money on anything: groceries, utility bills, gas, whatever, you feel slightly panicked at the idea of parting with your money. The message L. Hay is imparting is that you should find a way to stop feeling that panic. If you subscribe to the idea of “thoughts are things” which L. Hay does, then simply feeling this way is contributing to your negative situation. So what ever it takes, find a way to alleviate that negativity. Listen to happy music when writing the check. Paste pictures of puppies to the envelopes. Be grateful that you’re able to pay that bill.
For me, the needed change was to set up a spreadsheet and create a forecast for the year. That way I’m not surprised at my bank balance, and I always know what I have available to me. I also have as many of my bills as possible on automatic payment, so I don’t have to fret about seeing a statement. In a year, I’ve gone from crying daily about my money worries to being completely secure in the fact that I have my finances in order. It takes time and hard work, but it’s worth it.
No one is saying: “spend at your leisure; the money fairy will bring you more!” The point is to do whatever it takes to emit a positive emotion instead of a negative one, when dealing in any way with money. It’s up to you to find a way to do that.
this is an effin’ crucial message. Also, this brings to mind Kurosawa’s film The Hidden Fortress. It’s a masterpiece and I recommend that everybody see it.
You rule Gala…
I worry way too much about money.. and it has a negative impact on my life. Every time I relax and let the universe take care of my financial woes.. it always happens =)
Gala, have you seen the video for you can heal your life? Is it the same as the book or is there some difference?
I wonder if I also read this differently from others…
For me the concept above is exactly how I think about money. I am genuinely interested to know how many of the people saying it is an irresponsible or immature or unrealistic way to think about money have ever tried it. For me, gratitude combined with an absolute certainty that I will always have enough for what I want and need to do has never ever failed.
You can believe the world works in a certain way with certain rules, but this does not mean it does work that way – it does mean you will experience it like that though! I know that may also come across as a bit of an ‘airy fairy’ comment to some, but what I took from Gala and Louise Hay’s concept is that sometimes beliefs are so entrenched that we experience them as fact, and what is actually needed is an entire paradigm shift around the thing that isn’t working for us.
I’ve only recently have had to start paying my own bills etc.
And while I don’t really like it when they come in, I do expect it and don’t resent it. After all it was me who sent those rediculous amounts of text messages and had the aircon on ever night!
I really doubt my billers love me however… unless it’s my parents for rent :P
I do value the service I am paying for though!
Um… I actually do kind of need to know where the money is coming from though, while I wish it came from ether, it actually comes from my job! If i thought my money came from some never ending stream i think i might blow it all on shoes and trinkets instead of paying my bills!
Isa, Autumn, Kim. . . and a couple others I’ve surely missed:
Amen, amen, and AMEN!!!! I definitely couldn’t have said it better myself.
And Gala, where’s the love for the credit card companies and their bills? Come on now. They are bills too.
Oh, and the love the companies feel for me?
So that’s what I hear in their voice when I tell them the children all got sick this month and needed doctor’s visits and expensive medications, my husband’s work hours have been cut dramatically because of the economy, I had to spend my last five pocket dollars for diapers, and the car’s tank is on empty. . . so I don’t have enough money left over to pay for the electricity/gas/phone/rent this month.
If only I hadn’t gone on that major shopping spree last week and spent a month and a half’s salary on shoes and clothes and handbags and makeup and eating out and a spa treatment and. . .
Oh. I don’t do that. Nvrmnd.
Hmmmm…this is an interesting post! It has certainly raised some interesting responses too!
Firstly, I must agree with the people who have objected to the “ companies love and trust you” idea. It’s simply not true. They are HUGE corporations that can confidently rest assured that thay CAN and WILL get the money out of you some way or another.It has nothing to do with trusting you- If you don’t pay, they will just take legal action!
However, I am open to new ways of thinking, and I definitely agree that whining and moaning about bills is absolutely pointless. After all, do we expext to get our services for free? We can’t spend 4 hours on the phone to our overseas friends and then act so devastated when our phone bill is massive! Also, it really pisses me off when people complain about their debts, when they have consciously (and often irresponsibly) gotten themselves into it. My neighbour is constantly whining about having no money…and i just feel like saying to her: “well, here’s an idea! How about you sell one of your 3 vehicles,and even one or two of YOUR OTHER PROPERTIES, stop taking out loans left right and centre for things you do not need, WALK instead of driving the 100 metres to get to the workshop, and …who knows? Maybe, just MAYBE you might have a bit of spare cash to play with!” Jesus christ.
I have never owned, and hopefully never will own, a credit card. If you don’t have the money, don’t buy it!
I always make sure my financial responsibilities are taken care of asap, but I also do try to enjoy my money.
I think the key is to be sensible, but to keep openminded.
Peter N- I really admire you for doing that! The money you used for the trip was all yours, to do with what you saw fit. You didn’t go beyond your means, you just placed experience and adventure behind material gain. The people who criticise this are probably just envious that they lack the sense of adventure to do the same.
i hate money and what it does to people and have as little to do with it as possible.
I pay my bills as soon as they come in and really dont give them a second thought.
Life isnt all about money
I don’t think this post was about telling people to “take their finances lightly”. I think it’s about being positive about it, instead of cursing, taking it calmly for better results. What do you gain from cursing anyway?
As a student, I have experieniced this. At first it was like oh shit it’s time to pay, now I’ve gained experience (as I commented before) and am able to be more easy about. But also, my roommate and I chose to be positive about it. And that doesn’t mean being irresponsible, on the contrary, being calm and positive allows me to think more clearly and to be more centered about it, and so focus more on my finances, saving the money, paying on time, etc.
Maybe we can’t see bills as a blessing, but we can try not seeing them as a curse, after wall, we are paying for light, gas and water and that is a privilege. Why not be grateful about it?
I normally enjoy your blog, however this article just made me laugh. Some people don’t know where their next power bill is coming from and I’m sure them thinking the universe loves them isn’t going to change this. Life may be easy when you are paid by advertising companies to mention them a few times, but there are so many people who live below the poverty line and are struggling to bring up family. Worry can be a useful tool when there is a cause for it.
It says something about your financial situation if you can be happy about bills and thank the universe for it. Looking at it from another direction, the fact that people have to pay for clean water in itself is insane, instead of being happy about these things why don’t we try and change them? Just sitting back and being relaxed is all very well but there are horrible things going on. Why thank the universe when instead of wasting the earth’s resources by sending you a power bill, it could be finding people clean water.
This is not meant as a go at you, I just found this post a little on the naive side.
Do you recall that old man who died of hypothermia because his power got shut off, and he didn’t have heat? I think it was because he didn’t pay his bills and the company shut off his power accordingly. Or maybe it was something else. I think, no wait, I think his BFF the electric company came to his house and made him an incredibly amazing, delicious cake, and then they took him to the zoo so he could see the anteaters because they are so cute and so, so funny. I don’t think it was hypothermia at all, now that I am remembering it. He must have died of excitement.
I don’t know how to feel about this post. Its hit me at a particularly poignant time since I’m currently faced with paying astronomical health bills (being one of America’s uninsured) and have had to make a great deal of tough choices regarding medical options based on money. Although I’m incredibly thankful that I have been able to receive care and medicine I’ve needed over the years without having to pay cash upfront, I can’t thank the universe for this situation as I simply don’t think getting proper care should be based on ability to pay. I think/hope that this type of bill is different than those you were describing in your writing. Surely I don’t think one should overstress about bills for “extras” if one leads a generally comfy and blessed life, but I do think there are many of us out there who aren’t thinking predominantly in terms of the extras, particularly at times like these, and I can see how (regardless of what I’m sure were wonderful intentions) this viewpoint may overlook the real circumstances of many people’s lives.
Wow! How funny to be watching my horoscope on youtube soulgarden and then come here and read this. Thanks Gala I needed this. I have been going through some realizations when it comes to money and where I am spending it, seems like most Leos are right now. This just proves to me the universe is screaming in my face to take better care of funds for my future. Thanks so much for helping me with this reality check. You are truely amazing Gala!
Hi Gala,
This post has perfect timing. Today I was stressed about my upcoming bills and been trying to apply the law of abundance in my life but found it a little difficult. Your post helped me look at things in a different way. Thank you for sharing. =)
Cindee
i am becoming more and more irresponsible with my money. I need to think of a way to be happy about saving money. I have a hard time weighing the long term happiness of having money in my bank account against the instant gratification of frivolous little things that i don’t need. i try to limit myself to clothes shopping because at least then i know i can reuse the things i buy.
i dont know. i’m applying for a job at school, and hopefully i’ll be able to work out some hours. then i can stop fretting about buying a meal at a restaurant.
Saving for
somethingcan be a big motivator! I had trouble saving before I found something that I really wanted. Setting a goal that you can look forward to (for me its a holiday) can really help start those good saving habbits! Or you can get a saving account that automatically deducts a set ammount from your pay so that you’re not tempted to spend your cash on frivilous things!:)
this post is so timely! great advice!
i shall spread the word to friends and family.
you never fail to inspire me. :)
maxx
It is true these are more difficult economic times. But surely that is an indication that this could be a perfect time to try a new approach? The old way has not exactly worked perfectly so why not try thinking about things from a different perspective?
If you have not read it already this article is worth a read www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2009…
I think it is also probably worth remembering that it is not as if Gala woke up one morning and her fairy godmother just appointed her magic sparkle princess of the internet. This blog, herself and her lifestyle are all things she created. Through hard work, growth and positive approaches like the one outline above.
xx
I love your positivity.
oh I nominated your blog as my blog of the week over at magatha.
thanks for the inspiration.
Your comments are all so interesting! It’s quite amazing to see the huge range of responses, too. Thank you for sharing them, you’re always an eye-opening bunch!
I think the reactions themselves are most of this thought experiment – that’s what it’s about. Nobody’s reaction is right or wrong but as long as it’s considered for their day to day personal development. It’s a suggestion, really. Suggestions should always be dealt with warmth and honesty. I’m glad everyone has balls here on both :).
having said that…I’d have to rate paulia’s comment as the best haha. hit my soft spot for the lowest form of wit, guilty guilty guilty.
but Gala, i get told i’m being naive or stupid about positive things i say as if i’m being inconsiderate of “all the other things” by often very intellectually desperate people(you know the kind i mean?)...when it’s not the case, i’m not ignorant..I just have a better life when I use these outlooks. love isn’t conjured by logic. it’s a better point to make.
Really great point! we as people need to start changing our mindset. Awesome post
Well that certainly is a new way of looking at the concept of bills. I shall go forth & pay my gas bill will appreciation & glee… even if I am forced to sit on hold for 15 minutes just to get through to someone who can take my money for their wonderfully provided services ;)
So it seems that all your spammers are Greek…
I love your way of thinking (:
I love it Gala!
“Examine it without emotion” I think is the yumminess! :) We all can get so emotional about money and so triggered especially during these so called “economic challenges”
But, what would the world look like if we all appreciated our bills, and our lifestyles with deep gratitude and love
I know in my own life practice when I feel the appreciation flow through me in all aspects of my life, life shows up in a beautiful way. And, when I don’t, it shows up with the exact emotion that I radiate out to the world!
And, I want to feel good and I want to feel positive and grateful. So, whatever I can do to be in that state I am all for!! Rock ON! :)
Think about all the good that is happening with people paying their bills with gratitude! Take Gala… imagine she paid her website/business bills with a negative attitude; she would radiate this out to the world thru her words and website and we would feel it. But she doesn’t… she is one grateful sexy goddess and… for that we are all here posting on her beautiful site… YAY!
I am grateful for all of Gala’s money and all of her abundance and I wish her continued success so that she can keep living her dreams and creating this big magical place! :)
Lots of love, gratitude and abundance for all that are willing to say YES! :)
joliana- did u check your computer for any viruses? once a virus caused my internet to overconsume & when I threatened the company with the Ombudsman they just waived the charges because of my explanation.
my family was young & struggling when i grew up so yeah, I’m a bit the same in the money boat of things – still weigh up purchases & freak out over it quite a bit but this is something I’m learning to try and control.
Just remember, you control the money that you DO have, it doesn’t control you. If you are prepared enough (thanks, GirlGuides!) then even when things are unexpected as long as you have a backup you can think positively enough :)
That’s the only reason I even have a credit card!
I can see what you’re getting at – we choose to use electricity, gas and all these other services so we shouldn’t get our knickers in a twist when the bill comes. We wanted the service, they provided it and now it’s out turn to pay. Whether we can afford it or not is not their problem :)
But I agree with others that assuming these companies love and trust us isn’t a good idea. Realisticly -they really don’t. They trust the legal system that will make us pay out in the end and they love our money! The customers are just figures on a spreadsheet to them. I’m all for positive thinking but I don’t see how shifting your mindset this way is going to do any good when it doesn’t change the reality.
“Don’t feel like you need to know where the money is coming from – just know it is here, ready and ripe for you to pluck out of the ether when you want it”
...I don’t understand this as I haven’t read it in context and think that’s maybe why some see the post as naive. I’m sure there is some more explaination behind it that would make me go “Aha!” and click on but you haven’t offered it here so some people might take it at face value and think you’re a bit cookoo! Maybe ideas like this which require a huge shift in the way you think/operate need lengthy explaination and exploration of ideas.
Hmmmm… Bills a blessing? Never thought of it that way before, but it makes sense. If it wasn’t for the bank that gave me my mortgage, I’d probably be living in a carboard box!
Gala, Hay is a genius, I read the book (thanks to your recommendation of watching the movie, i went to the library and they had it! watched it, went to the bookstore and bought the book and read right through it, and amazingly my dad owns another of her books too!) and maybe you jumped directly to the money part too fast for people to digest the way she works and makes you think about EVERYTHING because now my way of thinking is changing, and is hard but amazing! and it does make you feel better, being grateful for every single tiny big thing in your life is a skill that you can develop and it brings you the best of the universe! Is just an exercise of being way more positive that you could ever imagined to be! blessing bills?! yes! pay them with love! and kisses and glittering cupcakes!!
besos!!
Thanks for being a pillar of light Gala.
it’s about being aware and it’s about honoring your money; according to your own personal values. then everything else falls into place. ;-)
great post Gala! ;-)
Although you and I are from completely different ends of the spectrum, I totally agree with you on this! It is amazing that some heartless entity is willing to provide us with the necessities of life for a small deposit and the request that we pay on time.
The other choice is to build your own electric system, chop a lot of wood, and use the post more often. Which is really awesome in itself too. Nothing is, but that which thinking makes it so. I think that was Thoreau, but I could be wrong. Some smart dude or dudette anyway.
I’ll be coming back to this blog….
;-)
“there’s numerous ways you can choose to earn funds! Don’t feel like you need to know where the money is coming from – just know it is here, ready and ripe for you to pluck out of the ether when you want it”
I have to disagree with this, I think it is vastly important to know where your money is coming from, and how you earn it! I dont know about you, but i just couldnt sleep at night if i was working for, say, a company that sells arms that are used in wars which kill children. While this is an overly simplictic way of stating the point, I really think that ethics are a major part of money issues.
While great things can be achieved by positivity, there is certainly a role for anger and outrage to be used as tools for change. People in developing countries living on a dollar a day may not be able to speak out against the daily injustices that they face, but people like you, Gala, have this power!! Why not use it, rather than soothing the pittiful “money concerns” of your readship, made up of largely westerners with relatively fast internet connections!