January 31st, 2013 by Lisa Carmen

Good-bye, Just Getting By

For quite a while, I found it very exciting to make ends meet each month. As an entrepreneur with multiple revenue streams, living my creative dreams and supporting myself fully for the first time in my life, each month it was like a reality show… Welcome to this month’s episode… How will Lisa pay her bills?

As I rally to bring in money, there! Rent…covered! Cell phone bill… PAID! Woo-hoo! And on and on it went like this.

I got off on getting by.

So is it any wonder that month after month, year after year, I have just gotten by?

I finally decided to shift my money relationship and experience the prosperity and abundant flow that is my birthright, as a Trust Fund Baby of the Universe.

Suddenly, it hit me like a ton of bricks: I will continue to just get by, if I continue to be thrilled by just getting by – “Woo-hoo! I Won! Stay tuned for next month’s adventure of Just Getting By with Lisa Carmen!”

I’m done with that. I made a huge shift at the beginning of this month. I decided that SAVING money will be my new thrill. In May, my daughter graduates high school AND turns 18. (yeah, I know… wow!) I have promised her a trip, to wherever she wants to go in the USA. So now, I am challenged and excited by the prospect of saving as much as I can, for that adventure.

I created a thermometer type tracking poster (you can find templates all over the web if you Google “thermometer template for goals”), and I put it up on my wall. I love marking it every time I save another hundred bucks. It’s my new thrill. I also need to buy a car. So I’m saving for that…  There is no more adventure for me in just getting by. I’m done with that.

I’ve upped my game, and the Universe loves that. The Universe is responding to that.

Just getting by… been there, done that, got the t-shirt. I am thrilled by bigger and better things now, than mere survival.

I deserve that. And so do you.

I am ready for that. Are you?

BioBoxLisaCarmen

 

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January 26th, 2013 by Megan Monique

Feeling Stuck?

I was suppose to write this blog yesterday. But I was stuck, and frankly, I still am a little bit.

I came across this blog on You vs. Debt and it sparked something to share with you. The challenge they presented was to write your money success story in third person. I felt a little nervous to do that, so I knew it was a challenge I had to take.

If you’re feeling stuck in your money conversation and want to get unstuck this weekend, I dare you to take this challenge with me!

Write your money success story, starting now. This is the beginning, what’s the ending?

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January 17th, 2013 by Lisa Carmen

Beyond Secrets, Shame and Smallness: Claiming Our Money-Integrity

It’s time to get real, come clean and tell the truth. If we are going to surpass our self-created limitations and notions of lack, scarcity and fear around money stuff, we have got to look our shame and secrets straight in the eye, thank them for informing us, getting us to here, and send them on their way. I have spent many years of my life out of integrity, when came to money and how I treated it. In the interest of transparency, I’ll share some. Oh boy, here goes…

  • I once had a shopping addiction. I had a secret credit card that I racked up to $10,000, in one year. It was so out of control, I was using my empty bank account to pay the minimum balance of the secret credit card. The bank account was linked to the secret credit card, so I was using the credit card to PAY for the same credit card!
  • Long before that, in 1997, I was arrested for shoplifting at Nordstrom. I had been shoplifting daily at an upper-scale mall for many months. My wardrobe was kick-ass. I was above and beyond suspicion, or so I told myself. One afternoon, shoplifting for my upcoming honeymoon wardrobe, I was busted leaving the store, with my toddler daughter in her stroller. Her stroller was loaded with stolen merchandise. Traumatic, rock-bottom, scared straight, try sitting in the back of a squad car with your baby on your lap. I haven’t shoplifted as much as a pack of gum since then.
  • When I bounce a check because I hadn’t been taking care of business properly, I call my bank and ask them to credit me back the overdraft penalty fee, claiming it was simply an accounting error. I am extra sweet on the phone and they always comply.

While the first two confessions are far more dramatic, the last one is something I was doing up until this year. This is the year I have decided to completely breakthrough to the other side of abundance and plenty, and doing so requires me going totally straight.

Sure, I’m no longer shoplifting or racking up secret credit cards. Those days are long behind me. But this calling the bank and playing “airhead”, kissing their butts so that they refund me the $34.00… okay, once or twice is one thing, but when it becomes my “out” for my own fiscal irresponsibility… for me, that is not integrity. That is thinking I am above and beyond repercussion and penalties, the ones that other people have to pay. I humbly realized last week (it happened again) that the $34.00 penalty is there to keep me from bouncing checks. If I keep bouncing checks, I need to pay the penalty, just like anyone else. Taking my medicine.

Feels good, feels like truth, feels like alignment. And I have a feeling I will be much more cautious with my funds and writing checks this year, as a result.

Where or how have you been out of money integrity?

If you get too much change from a cashier, do you tell her?

When you buy things that “you’re not supposed to be buying” do you hide them from your husband, shoving the tags deep into the trash, pretending like you’ve had these new things all along?

Do you make up excuses for why you are above and beyond things like late charges and overdraft fees instead of taking responsibility for your actions?

Let’s tell the truth. Let’s come clean. Let’s release the shame and secrets that have been energetically holding us back from the transformative power of truth and transparency.

Got a confession? (Please? C’mon… I’m feeling kind of vulnerable here…)
BioBoxLisaCarmen

 

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January 8th, 2013 by Megan Monique

Questioning Our Money Behavior is the Only Way to Change It

My relationship with money has always been a bit of a rollercoaster ride.

For 2 weeks I’m up hill and then for 2 to 3 weeks I’m down hill.

When I’m up hill I check my bank account every day. I balance my checkbook each night. I bless my bills when I pay them. I have the ultimate Faith in the flow of my financial abundance.

But when I’m down hill, all of those positive, money loving tasks get trashed.

I ignore my back account and balance sheet. I think about it often, but never really look at it. I hide from my bills; avoiding the accumulating stack as often as possible, but still constantly thinking about it.

A knot begins to form in my stomach. I begin resenting my behavior. But still, I don’t change it.

And then one day, like a weight has been removed from my chest, the irritations have been lifted and I am back in the flow of things. It seems the only time this occurs is when I feel like I have put myself through the ringer of self-punishment.

From my observation, generally what stops me from acting on my “good” money behavior is the idea of struggle. I’ll see a break in the cash flow in my life and I go into a panic.

I’m able to move out of worry, but the actions I take become out of alignment with the flow I desire.

It is my true core belief that the only way to change our actions and results in life is to first question the behaviors we dislike in the first place.

I invite you now, to question your money behavior. How often do you find yourself out of the flow? Do you experience a pattern in your ups and downs with money? Why do you think you continue to indulge in this pattern and are you willing to make a change?

BioBoxMeganMonique

 

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January 4th, 2013 by Lisa Carmen

What’s Your Money Story?

I was about eight years old, and hypervigilant about the ‘state of affairs’ in my home, one night, laying in bed to fall asleep, listening to my parents’ grown-up talk, the kind of talk that was reserved for after the kids were in bed, they discussed the sad state of financial affairs.

“We have seven dollars in the bank.” My dad said.

I don’t remember much more of their conversation, except they spoke in worried, hushed tones.

Seven dollars? Not yet understanding the concept of pay periods, salaries and living paycheck to paycheck, I only understood this as a dire, crisis situation.

I climbed out of bed and grabbed a knapsack and began rummaging in the dark, collecting things around my room that I might be able to sell the next morning at school. A pair of snoopy socks, like new. Some books, some knick-knacks, nail polish… I would do my part to get my family out of trouble, and away from the brink of financial ruin.

A day or two later, I told him I knew we only had seven dollars I asked my dad if we were poor. “No, silly! I just got paid. We’re fine.”

We are a composite of our stories. This story was a seed, no doubt, that influenced my experiences after that. I’m not saying it was this story’s fault, or my parents’ fault that I’ve lived my life struggling from paycheck to paycheck, scraping by, afraid , teetering at the brink of financial ruin, rescued every two weeks, where for a glorious few days, I’d feel wealthy. But it’s part of my money story.

I’m currently engaged in the process of creating new money stories. I believe that to heal our money stories, the ones that do not serve us, it helps to look at their roots.

What money stories did you learn from your parents?

What messages did they teach you? That money came and went? That money was something to be feared? Perhaps you learned there was never enough, or that people with money were not to be trusted.

Whatever money stories you picked up along the way could very well be playing a part of your experiences today. Consider them. Understand them. And then, if it makes sense to do so, let them go, and create space for your new story.

BioBoxLisaCarmen

 

 

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December 27th, 2012 by Megan Monique

Dump & Date

In February 2011 I created my first eCourse called ROOTED. It took people on journey of the story of their lives through the Root Chakra. We laughed, we loved, we transformed. Some of us still stay in touch.

One of the assignments was a concept that allowed us to shift our relationship with money. It’s one I think about and (try to) use often.

Dump & Date

Everything that exists in our world – we have a relationship with.

I have a certain feeling about the lamp on my desk. We have that relationship.

My mother, sister, husband and son. We have a relationship.

My bed. The laundry.

Doing dishes.

My health.

and…

Money.

We are in a relationship with everything in our lives.

Imagine that your current relationship with money is what it is. And let’s give money a name in this relationship. You choose. Pick a name that you’ve always had a distaste for. (Assuming you want to CHANGE your relationship with money.) I’m choosing Bob. (No offense to any Bobs out there reading this.)

Now it’s time to break up with him/her.

Dearest Bob, 

I have so much gratitude for how far you’ve gotten me in my life. I wouldn’t have anything that I have now without you. But it’s time for me to move on. I have a different kind of dream for my life now. One that you just aren’t capable of providing. So Bob, I love and it’s not me. It’s you. 

Sincerely,

Megan Monique 

And suddenly you’ve found a new handsome prospect. One that you know will fulfill ALL of your desires. Even the ones you’ve yet to dream of. Choose a name that you’ve always loved. I’ll use Victoria.

Hello There Victoria,

I can already tell that you feel much more my style. If you took form, I imagine you’d be wearing a fabulous pair of boots with dark flowing hair and a backstage pass to all the best sales. I look forward to our new prosperous adventures together. I am so grateful you are in my life. I promise to spend just as much time tending to your needs as you plan on tending to mine. 

Just like that – our relationship to money is transformed. Putting a sort of “face” to ideas or concepts we are struggling with – helps us create a DIFFERENT kind of relationship it. One more desirable and relatable.

Share your letters below!

BioBoxMeganMonique

 

 

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December 20th, 2012 by Lisa Carmen

Choose Your Thoughts, Choose Your Reality

There was a time in my life that I was unaware of the power I have over choosing my own thoughts. Assuming thoughts were in charge, I was constantly bombarded with endless loops of thoughts that didn’t always serve me, in fact, many of them diminished my power and cut off my connection to ease, flow and abundance.

Then I realized that I actually get to choose them. That I don’t have to be slave to every fear, insecurity and worry that pops into my head.

My mind, when left unsupervised, is obsessed with money- or lack of it.

What I am getting better at doing now is catching myself pretty quickly, when an onslaught of fearful thoughts invites itself into my head. I call on the wiser, higher version of me, who responds “I don’t want to think fearful thoughts right now. I trust you, God, and everything is unfolding as it should. I am taken care of and in this moment I need nothing. What would I rather think about?” And then I entertain thoughts of what it will be like when I have more than enough money, success, I fantasize about my dream home, my new car, and all of the other wonderful things that lie ahead for me. Or, sometimes I simply reroute into a gratitude conversation in my head, thanking the benevolent Universe that supports me, for all of my blessings, large and small.

My lower, smaller version of me (I call her Scaredy Girl) wants to return to fearful thoughts. She loves to worry. She loves to obsess… Tries to regain her control over my mind. And the higher, wiser version of me (I call her Magnificent Me) can corral her in, shift gears and focus on gratitude, instead. Dreams, desires, and all the countless blessings I can enjoy in this moment.

What I trust is that as I continue to shift my thinking, consciously deciding what I choose to focus on, it will get easier, and more natural to simply focus on those things, without even having to “shift!”

If you’re finding yourself a “slave” to your fearful thoughts, call on that higher version of you: the version that trusts, that knows, that believes. Let her take control of your thoughts. Ask yourself what you would rather think about, in this moment. Shift your gears. Think of your inner GPS system… RE-ROUTING.

We are the masters of our minds. And the thoughts we choose determine the reality we experience. It’s that simple.

What thoughts do you want to have? What reality do you want to experience?
BioBoxLisaCarmen

 

 

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December 13th, 2012 by Megan Monique

The Grass is Always Greener

Why is it that when our bank accounts contain the least amount of money we want to spend the most?

Is it as simple as “we always want what we don’t have,” “grass is always greener,” blah, blah blah….

And why is it that when we have the least amount of money to spend we crave things that aren’t good for us?

Like that delicious, chocolate donut or that tall class of rich chocolate milk. Or that oh-so-tasty snickers bar..

(You can see that chocolate is my go-to make-me-feel-better-now-treat.)

Why do we choose to allow the dollars in our bank account dictate what it is we are feeling?

And vise versa. Why do we let the way we feel dictate how we spend our money?

These are questions I invite you to ponder along with me.

What is your go-to naughty food when your funds are low? How do spend when you don’t have the money to spend?

BioBoxMeganMonique

 

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December 11th, 2012 by Lisa Carmen

Feeling Broke? Change Your Feeling.

I have to admit, I haven’t gotten the whole ‘manifesting money all the time‘ thing down yet. It’s a practice. And I’m practicing! I know this for sure: when I am in a spirit of lack and/or fear, money stops flowing.

When I am open and receptive, in a spirit of genuine trust and expectancy, it shows up.

But how, you may ask, does one stay in a spirit of openness and trust, when there is no money, when you don’t know where your rent is coming from, when truth be told, you’re scared as shit? How can you manifest money when you feel broke?

You can ‘pretend’ you trust, you could even say you trust, but if the feelings aren’t really there, you’ll continue to attract more lack and more fearful situations. So how can you feel something even if you’re not experiencing it?

This is how I do it: I create the feeling of being wealthy. It’s from that feeling that money is manifested, miracles arise and abundance is created. Here are a few of my favorite ways to create the feeling of being wealthy, even if my checkbook may say otherwise…

  1. I give. When I become generous with my time, attention, energy, or my money, I begin to feel wealthy. I feel abundant. And like attracts like. It might be five bucks a month to public radio, or drawing an oracle card reading for a friend or stranger. It might be helping promote a friend’s business, or donating a little cash to her kickstarter fund. I also love donating prizes to auctions and raffles. Someday, when I have plenty of money, I will be even more generous. But my generosity is not dependent on the amount in my bank account and it is not on hold.
    I dream. One of the quickest ways for me to experience the feeling of desire and excitement about my life is to update my wish wall. Don’t have a wish wall/vision board/manifestation station/dream box? You need one! There’s a difference though, between desiring from a place of lack (makes you feel worse) and desiring from a place of excitement and possibility (makes you feel better.)
  2. I practice gratitude. Feeling scarcity and lack? Count your blessings. No, literally. Count your blessings.
  3. I watch my mouth. I’m careful about the way I speak about money, about myself- I don’t say “I can’t do that… I’m broke.” I say “I’m temporarily low on funds. I hope to be back in the flow soon!” Think about the word “broke”- ugh- not very inspiring or kind, is it?
  4. I tuck a Benjamin in my wallet. And I don’t spend it. When I can, I practice this awesome little trick I learned from Abraham-Hicks. I tuck a hundred dollar bill deep into my wallet, and keep it there. I don’t touch it. I just keep it there. Whenever I begin to fall into a scarcity thought, or feel lacking, I remind myself that I have that hundred dollar bill in my wallet. It’s not that much to some, but as someone who has scraped by for many years, it’s enough to snap me out of that slippery-broke-slope. (“Hey! I’m not broke! I have a hundred dollar bill in my wallet!”) Eventually, the time comes when I actually need to use it, but I can have it in there for months at times, and it truly does contribute to more abundance- the feeling of abundance creates more abundance.

That’s the Law of Attraction, summed up, really: Feeling broke makes more broke. Feeling rich makes more rich.

What do you want to feel? And how will you create that feeling today?
BioBoxLisaCarmen

 

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December 9th, 2012 by Megan Monique

10 Ways to Give Your Money the Loving Attention it Deserves

Money loves attention.

I first heard that saying from Kate Northrup when she came through Dallas, Texas and lead a talk on money to a room full of women.

It’s stuck with me ever since.

One of Kate’s ways she gives her money attention is by logging into her bank account each morning and checking the balance.

Although there are endless ways to give your money attention, I thought I would gather 10 of the ways I often give my money attention.

10 Ways to Love Your Money

  1. I write about my money. And sometimes, to my money.
  2. Journaling Question: If all of your bills were paid and you had an extra $1,000 to spend, how would you spend it? (Giving your money a system to fall into increases your flow of abundance.)
  3. Journaling Question: If you had $1,000,000.00 what would you do with it, down to the dollar? So many of us want to be “millionaires” but have no real plan for what we would do if we ACTUALLY became millionaires.
  4. Journaling Question: Dear Money, I love you. I’m so glad you’ve come into my life. Some of my favorite things to do with you are…
  5. Give your money energy love. Log into your bank account, hold your hands up to the screen, over the balance and imagine rays of love and gratitude showering the number.
  6. Make sure all of the dollar bills in your wallet are facing the same direction. Make sure the corners are straight and the bills are smooth and unwrinkled. Give your money the respect it deserves.
  7. Keep a $100 bill in your wallet with no intention of spending it. Having that $100 of cash on your person at all times will inspire an attitude of wealth.
  8. Put a jar on your home altar. Each night when you come home, place your coins in it and say a prayer. Giving your money blessings allows it to do the same to you.
  9. When you pay your bills, say thank you with each confirmation number, sealed envelope or received receipt (I give mine hugs sometimes). How lucky are you that you have the money you need to pay your bills, thus, providing food and shelter for someone else’s family down the chain of command.
  10. Create your own money happy dance. Any time you make some money, or just for the hell of it throughout the day; do your money dance and celebrate the possibility of wealth!

For more fantastic ways to transform your money conversation, consider joining myself and Lisa Carmen in 2013 for Prosperity Playground. Find out more here!

BioBoxMeganMonique

 

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