What is it about money and abundance that is so desirable?
Although this seems like an obvious question, the answer is not always clear once we dig into it. In fact, it's only after we truly understand the answer that we are enabled to bring money and abundance into our lives. Many wisdom teachers have said we should not look to things outside of ourselves for our fulfillment. See, whenever we look to something outside ourselves for fulfillment, what we're really interested in is not the object, but rather, what it represents to us. We're interested in how it makes us feel. For example, suppose I want a super fancy car... let's make it a Ferrari F40 (one of my favorites of all time, next to a Lamborghini Countach 5000 SS). Now that I've identified what I want, I ask myself: “Why do I want this Ferrari? What about it is desirable to me?” As I dig deeper, I realize I love the way it looks and how fast it goes. Then I take that a step further and ask, “Why do I love the way it looks? Why do I like how fast it goes?” In this example, let's suppose that the answer I discover is that the Ferrari makes me feel young again! Ah, now there's the answer I was really digging for. The Ferrari gives me the experience of feeling young again.
This is a very simple and understated example that illustrates how the desire of something outside of me is a reference point for a feeling or experience I want to have. By Chris Cade http://www.ChrisCade.com
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It's important to understand this distinction between the feeling we want to experience, and the object we project that desire onto. When we are dealing with deep emotional issues, and especially ones around abundance, it's possible for the metaphorical rabbit hole to go much deeper. Instead of just a couple iterations of “Why?” we may have many more. The more times we have to ask “Why do I want this?” to find the root cause, the deeper the issue is. And the deeper the issue is, the more rewarding our life will be when we transform that source of pain, fear, or frustration into empowerment. In my experience, it has been worth taking the time to dig deep and find those sources. Another misunderstanding about money we will look at is that many times people believe that having more money will make them happier. In some cases, this may very well be true; particularly when our basic needs are not being met. I remember one teacher saying “For the homeless, Food is the name of God.” However, let's assume that we're not in dire straits and that our basic needs are met. Let's consider another perspective that may provide some insight: Suppose you have very little money, and your basic needs for food, shelter, water, and warmth are met. Let's also suppose that you are emotionally and spiritually very happy, joyful, and peaceful. In short, you are happy. Now ask yourself, how much additional money will it take to make you happy? None. You're already happy! By Chris Cade http://www.ChrisCade.com
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You might still want the money for other reasons, such as philanthropy, sending your kids to University, or being able to eat organic food more frequently. However, at the center of your being you are already happy, and therefore nothing beyond us (like money) can bring happiness to you. I'm not suggesting you shouldn't want the finer things in life. I'm merely illustrating that it's important for us to look at the underlying reasons why you want the money. Only when you understand why you want something, are you truly empowered to follow a path that takes you to it. It's also important to look at some of the beliefs you may have that might be limiting you from having money and abundance in your life. Throughout our lives, we have adopted stories about whether or not we “deserve” certain things in our lives. We adopt these stories from our parents, families, peers, and authority figures. Here are a few common stories about money that people adopt. See if any of them ring true for you: We don't “deserve” money Money doesn't grow on trees It takes money to make money It's not okay to earn money by helping other people
Money is the root of all evil More money means more problems By Chris Cade http://www.ChrisCade.com
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Those are just a few examples. There's probably hundreds or even thousands of different stories people have about money, and chances are you have at least 5 to 10 of your own limiting beliefs about money. If you didn't, you probably wouldn't be reading this right now. One of those beliefs I'd like to immediately discuss: The limiting belief that we're not “worthy” (or “not enough”). Though this is a belief we adopted from our childhood, it is still a very powerful one. It often manifests in many aspects of our lives, and money is one of the most prevalent ones. We're told that we have to work hard for money and that it can't come to us any other way. And while we do have to take action (i.e. “work”) to bring money and abundance into our lives, true and lasting abundance arrives comes into our lives because of who we are and sharing our passions with the world.
“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be
successful.” – Herman Cain
By Chris Cade http://www.ChrisCade.com
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Remember these words of wisdom as you progress through this workbook. Your sense of “deserving” (“worth” “value”) will be challenged and you may feel unworthy or inadequate. For the purposes of this workbook, make the assumption that you are worthy of all abundance that has come to you in the past, that comes to you in the present, and that will come to you in the future. The rest of this workbook will be separated into two sections. Part 1 will utilize focused writing exercises to help you understand your beliefs and expectations about money. The purpose of Part 1 is to uncover any limiting beliefs and explore how you might transform them into empowering choices. Part 2 includes a few visualization-based story writing prompts focused specifically on bringing money and abundance into your life. It will walk you through, step-by-step, a visualization exercise that that utilizes the power of story to empower you to feel more abundance in your life.
By Chris Cade http://www.ChrisCade.com
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1. Write down 5 beliefs you have about money:
1. ______________________________________________ 2. ______________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________ 4. ______________________________________________
5. ______________________________________________ 2. Of the beliefs above, pick one of them you feel is preventing you from experiencing an abundant life: _____________________________________________________ 3. With that belief in mind, reflect upon your past. Are there any experiences, people, or places, where that belief was expressed frequently and/or with strong emotion? If so, write down what you remember:
_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________
4. What is one way that belief protected and helped you throughout your life? _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ By Chris Cade http://www.ChrisCade.com
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5. How might that belief be limiting you now?
_____________________________________________________ 6. How would you feel if you were financially abundant? Describe in detail the emotions you would experience. _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 7. Now imagine somebody else that you care about, such as a dear friend or family member, always talks about this very same limiting belief. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert, that person always tells you that he can't have money and abundance because of this belief.
No matter how much you care, no matter how much you try, you realize that you can't force this person to think differently. Still, you want to do something and decide to write a silent prayer for him. Be specific about how your friend first adopted this limiting belief and how it is unfairly holding him back now. Also include in your prayer a story of one possibility how he might overcome his limiting belief and become financially abundant. In your prayer, be sure to remind your friend of other forms of abundance in his life that already exist, and wish for him to find great enjoyment and satisfaction in that already existing abundance. How does your friend feel when he becomes financially abundant? By Chris Cade http://www.ChrisCade.com
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Write down your silent prayer (you may need to do it on a separate paper or computer document if you require more space). ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ 8. Now write the same story again with yourself as the main character instead of your friend. Re-write the entire story in 1st person perspective (you can reference the Conscious Chronicling Guidebook for a refresher).
By Chris Cade http://www.ChrisCade.com
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Prompt 1: Somebody Wants You To Be Wealthy... 1. You have just received a letter in the mail. When you open it, the letter informs you that you've been selected as the recipient of a $100,000 cash prize! To receive this money, you have to answer these four questions in detail: a) Why do I deserve this money? (Remember to focus on who you are rather than what you do.) ______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________ b) What will I do with this money? Be specific about how it will help you change your life, the lives of your family members, the lives of the people in your community, and the lives of people around the world. ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ By Chris Cade http://www.ChrisCade.com
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______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
c) How do I feel when I receive this check in the mail for $100,000? What do I do to celebrate? ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ d) How do I feel as I actually use this money to positively affect peoples' lives? ______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
By Chris Cade http://www.ChrisCade.com
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2. The letter also says that the check will arrive within the next 60 days, and only if you do the following things every day: a. You must read through your answers. b. You must visualize what the answers would look like in your life.
c. You must focus on feeling those answers as though they are already happening in your life. d. You must trust that it is guaranteed to happen. 3. You notice the letter has a little note at the end...
“P.S. Use the answers above to write a story in 1 st person perspective. Read this story every day, and you will receive an additional $50,000.” 4. Here's some space to start that story. You may need to use additional writing space (like a piece of paper): _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________
By Chris Cade http://www.ChrisCade.com
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Prompt 2: Aida Lost It All, Only To Find Even More... Aida has just declared bankruptcy and must move in with her estranged sister, Kaya. Aida wonders how she will cope with all her new life changes, as well as the Kaya's likely reminders of her family's painful history...
1. When Aida was a child, there was one thing she thought about more than anything else. This one thing delighted her, it was her passion, but unfortunately her parents and Kaya told her it was “silly” and only for “little girls.” What was that passion? ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ 2. While reminiscing over the past, Aida notices a reminder of that passion. What was the reminder? ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ 3. Though she knows it's “silly,” Aida desperately wants to try her passion again. After making sure her sister is asleep, Aida decides to go for it. Just as Aida is finishing up, Kaya comes in and catches her! Surprisingly, Kaya has only praise and compliments. By Chris Cade http://www.ChrisCade.com
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What compliments does Kaya give to Aida?
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ 4. Kaya also apologizes for criticizing Aida in the past. Write down Kaya's apology: ______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
5. Kaya is so impressed with Aida's passionate work, that Kaya makes an offer: “Aida - If you will promise to follow your passion, you may live here as long as you need to until your passion brings you abundance.” Aida agrees. The rest of the story is a fairy-tale ending and Aida lives happily ever after with more abundance than she could have ever dreamed of. The blanks need to be filled in, though...
By Chris Cade http://www.ChrisCade.com
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Write down how Aida went from re-discovering her passion to a life of abundance. What did she do? Where did she do it?
Who did she meet along the way? How did following her passion positively affect other people in the world?
From The “Conscious Chronicling” Program by Chris Cade http://www.ChrisCade.com
By Chris Cade http://www.ChrisCade.com
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In 2006, Chris was faced with seemingly insurmountable relationship challenges. He looked into spirituality, and shortly thereafter attended a program where he delved deep into his consciousness and consequently became a spiritual student for life. Over the course of several years, he transformed – moment by moment – into the empowering teacher he is today.
At the heart of Chris' teachings is his experience as a software tester. If he can't make something work for him, he won't teach it. His product management skills enable him to create resources that serve people worldwide. In addition to his professional experience, Chris has a wealth of life experience… He holds two second-degree black belts in Tae Kwon Do, the US National Champion title, and he placed third at the Super Grands World Games in 1994. Chris has taught martial arts to students of all ages, firewalked with Peggy Dylan, swum with wild dolphins, traveled to more than a dozen different countries, and is a grateful father. All this and more give him a solid foundation to support others on their own journeys of self-discovery. Frequently described as insightful, engaging, authentic, and inspiring, Chris is also a popular interview guest. Today, Chris reaches hundreds of thousands of people worldwide in over 150 different countries. You can get Chris’ free e-Course “Conspiracy Of Distraction” at his website here: http://www.ChrisCade.com By Chris Cade http://www.ChrisCade.com
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