Spiritual writer, Tosha Silver, who agrees that this line of thinking is lunacy, suggests that the key is in radical acceptance of the now. In her words, this means "Saying yes to Reality in any given moment so what's needed can come next." In her book, It's Not Your Money, she goes on to state that this "blasts open the door to being abundant." I couldn't agree more about the need for radical acceptance of the now despite the discomforts associated with the accompanying growing pains. I mean, we really cannot remain stagnant, can we? The expansion of our being requires that we move beyond that which has historically been comfortable so that we might step into the whole of who we truly are. I have referred to the Univeral Law of Resistance many times on this blog, but its wisdom is worth repeating. It expresses to us that the things in life that we resist, we will continue to encounter over and over again until we are forced to deal with it by way of conscious detachment, a concept which we might simplify to meaning surrender. If the nature of resistance is fear itself, this means we are tasking ourselves to embrace those little somethings that pop us and allow ourselves to simply move through them. That's difficult, isn't it?
It's all fine and great to suggest that we simply surrender to the challenges as they arise but how do we best position ourselves to be able to do so? First, there's the mental discomfort that we have to move beyond, and then there are logistical issues that make us feel incapable of even attempting to flow within the context of the challenge presented. We often find ourselves presented with a challenge and seize up, quoting our bank account balance, paycheck, or debt level as a reason to white knuckle our reaction rather than open ourselves to our highest level of creativity, which almost always yields a better overall result. So, it begs the question: What do you need in order to feel like the powerful creator of your own life that you are truly meant to be?
We've discussed some of the mental and emotional work around resistance and surrender, but what about our logistical, financial needs? Oftentimes, the simplest of solutions yield the most powerful results. When one of life's bizarre challenges is hurled into my experience I often find myself saying "I can't afford to deal with something this big!" First off, this is frequently scarcity mindset rearing its ugly head, and simply not true. Moreover, when I stop my mind and ask myself "What do I truly need in order to feel equipt to face this circumstance in the most aligned state possible?" I frequently find the same answers: a bigger liquid bank balance and a manageable set of monthly financial obligations.
Let's consider some examples of "there's always going to be something." Perhaps something happens that places your living situation in rocky territory: issues with a roommate, your family, or a partner. Likely, you attempt to resolve the interpersonal issue. But what happens if the result that flows involves a change in living situation, and either you or the other party needs to move out? A sizeable emergency savings and manageable monthly obligations would empower you to be able to flow within that situation in the way that would best serve all parties. Unfortunately, many people remain in unhealthy living situations for too long with financial issues being among the primary reasons for doing so, but that doesn't need to be your reality.
Perhaps you're unsatisfied with your 9-5 and have always wanted to start your own business. The challenges at your 9-5 are mounting and you find yourself steadily more miserable. There's always going to be something, right? There are two common responses that might not necessarily be coming from a place of flow. The first is "I can never afford to leave the security of my 9-5. I'm just going to have to sit here and deal with it!" This response comes from the egoic mind's desire to keep you safe and in doing so it is triggering your scarcity mindset and placing you in a state of resistance. By operating from a place of fear and not dealing with it, you are literally setting yourself up to have to endure the same (or similar) hardships over and over again until you finally choose to deal with it. Panning back to the logistical side of the situation, have you even done your homework yet? What are your monthly expenses? How much money do you need to bring in each month in order to afford your transition? Do you have liquid savings or additional part-time income to rely upon in the midst of the transition? The other common reaction is to leap full-on into entrepreneurship and take the dive! While, I am all about taking inspired action, and clearly you're in the mental space to do it, have you done your homework? What are your expenses? How much income do you need in order to stay afloat while you build your business? Can you start this business as a part-time side-gig while you work your 9-5 and build up some more liquid savings so that you can create for yourself a smooth transition? If you just suddenly take the leap without having prepared your path so-to-speak, you might risk operating from a place of misalignment rather than flow because you could easily find yourself in a state of resistance from feeling too much of a financial crunch. You owe it to yourself to work from a place of ultimate alignment so that your business can flow. Failing to prepare your path could jeopardize that.
There are so many more examples about how "there's always going to be something" as a challenge to face in life, but it seems as though many of them require similar responses from us. In terms of our mental, emotional, and spiritual selves, we need to be prepared to drop our resistance, surrender, and allowed ourselves to operate from a place of flow. Logistically, in order to create a mentally, emotionally, and spiritually safe place to be able to do so, we would benefit greatly from working to align our finances to allow us to manage the unknown with grace. Ultimately two of the most simple financial strategies that pack the most punch are in keeping our finances manageable and having a substantial liquid savings.
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