Removing Obstacles to Our Goals, One Hurdle At A Time

Let's imagine our goal as the finish line of a race.  Each obstacle is a hurdle.  Instead of jumping over each hurdle and slowing down for each one, you have "special powers" to eliminate each hurdle.

In this analogy, our goal, the finish line, will be to take a much deserved vacation.  Together, we can do this!!  What obstacles come to mind?  If you are not on board with this, your first obstacle might be lack of faith, "oh come on, really, she thinks I'm gonna take a vacation??  She's certifiable!!"  

This is good stuff, identifying beliefs that hold us back.  I won't take it personally, OK?  Stay with me here.  Vacation consciousness can start with a long weekend.  Strengthening beliefs, one step at a time:  priceless!!

All new concepts can be overwhelming.  I am really good at taking inexpensive vacations because I lived it and breathed it until it I knew it, backwards and forwards.  It became a passion for me when we decided I would stay home with the kids and our income was cut in half.  

Timeshares, bought resale, were the answer for us.  When we started, we bought one in South Africa for $1000 and traded it to incredible 5 star resorts.  That no longer works, but there are always loopholes, secrets, and out-of-the-box ideas for any goal you have.  People are giving away timeshares under the "bargain basement" section of tug2.net.  (Although you might have to pay closing fees and if you default on yearly fees it hurts your credit.)  Reducing resistance and being open to new ideas is the key.

Common obtacles, or hurdles, to a vacation are:  I don't have the money; I don't know where to start; I can't afford to eat out; travel is stressful.......now we will break each one down further.  Obviously, money isn't an insignificant topic.  For purposes of moving forward, step by step, we will work on simple ideas.

I don't have the money:  flights are expensive; hotels are expensive, car rentals are expensive............

Let's start with flights, there are several ways to go here:  you can sign up for airfare deals or alerts to get you more comfortable with lower prices and to take your brain off believing that your goal is impossible.  Southwest has $59 fares, travel agents have email alerts (I am signed up for travelbyjen.com), an airline tracker called Kayak has email alerts you can sign up for, all of these cost nothing other than the time to sign up.  I receive a daily email from The Points Guy, thepointsguy.com, learning about how to accrue airline miles.

In addition to moving the needle in your mind off "impossible", Louise Hay has an affirmation, "I'm willing to release the need to (in this case, it could be) believe a vacation is impossible for me."  Then we can add a "secret sauce" for affirmations:  "releasing conflict from every cell in my body".  (The "secret sauce" can be much more elaborate, I will add to it but don't want to overwhelm you today.)  

Final thought for today, many people who don't take vacations believe on a deeper level that they aren't worthy or deserving of them.  "I'm willing to release the need to believe I don't deserve a vacation."  Releasing conflict from every cell of my body.

Our overall strategy is releasing resistance to new beliefs while taking baby steps toward our goals, to avoid feeling overwhelmed.  It won't work.  Why not?  Break it down, list your reasons.  It still won't work.  Why not?  Break it down further.  Sometimes I dig down 5-10 levels on why I'm stuck.

Attach joy and a sense of accomplishment to each small success, "yay, I signed up for email alerts today!!"  This is a multiple part topic.

Have a wonderful day!

xo

Conni

Today's Mantra:  I am worthy of pleasure in my life.

Mantra for Every Day: I choose to send love to all; receiving love back multiplied in infinite proportions, creating and nurturing pathways of love.

Did You Know Money is an Emotional Issue For Most of Us?

Someone I know told me this story.  She went through a fast food drive-through and was short-changed by the cashier.  She had given her a $20 and the cashier said she gave her a $10.  She knew she was correct because she only had a $20 bill with her.  The manager said "I believe it was $10, would you like me to close the drawer and recount it?"  

There was a long line of cars behind her.  She was intimidated, took the change for the $10 and left.  What would you do?  It's one thing to stand up for yourself one on one. It's another thing to stand up for yourself in front of a crowd, making bystanders wait for 10 minutes.

I was in a retail store a few weeks ago and the man in front of me in line indicated his purchase was supposed to be 30% off.  The manager got involved and she mumbled something about a coworker applying the stickers making a mistake.  She said they could honor the discount but would have to start the entire sale over, making me wait.  I mentioned that was fine with me, I wasn't in a hurry, but the customer told them to forget about it and he left, paying the higher price.

In both instances, I believe the stores were incorrect in their handling of the situations.  There had to be an easier way to make things work.  Neither consumer was trying to take advantage.  

Money is an emotional issue.  Worthiness issues come out often when money is involved.  Sometimes I have valuable coupons I can't use and offer them to people in line.  Most of the time, they say "no".  Do you pass up free money?  Do you respect money?  Do you count your change and check receipts?

Sometimes it's a better choice to leave a situation, even knowing you were correct, based on the circumstances.  It is worthwhile to understand your personal money patterns.  If you have a situation that comes up over and over again for you, it helps to begin to pay attention to the patterns.

Money patterns are developed.  Your current standard of living doesn't always dictate how you react.  It is usually childhood conditioning, in addition to what you have in the bank now, that affects how we handle money today.  The underlying feelings about a situation give you the best information.  

Dr. Brad Klontz talks about money disorders in the article "Mind Over Money" in Psychology Today.  "Money Disorders are persistent patterns of self-destructive and self-limiting financial behaviors. They result from distorted beliefs about money we develop from our financial flashpoint experiences. Financial flashpoints are painful, distressing, and/or dramatic life events associated with money that are so emotionally powerful, they leave an imprint that lasts into adulthood. Financial flashpoints become the foundation of our financial struggles.

Whether it's a childhood of poverty or want, a message about money subconsciously internalized from a parent, a nest egg lost to an economic downturn later in life, or someone rushing in at the last moment to save the economic day, everyone has experienced a financial flashpoint in their lives. Recognizing them is the first step in stripping them of their power, and overcoming our money disorders. Then we can learn to identify our money beliefs, spot them when they are creeping into our minds, and revise them into healthier, more productive ones."

As Dr. Klontz states, awareness of our money triggers is the first step to breaking a cycle. Since most of us have had a negative experience with money, the experience starts a pattern of a negative outlook with money, if it's not processed in a healthy way when it originally happens.  If you don't have an emotional reaction to stressful money situations, consider yourself one of the lucky ones:)

Have a wonderful day!
Xo
Conni

Today's Mantra:  I choose to be aware of my emotional reaction to stressful money situations.

Mantra for Every Day: I choose to send love to all; receiving love back multiplied in infinite proportions, creating and nurturing pathways of love.

10 Easy Ways You Can Allow Money to Flow in Your Life

Money has to flow easily in order for you to be open to your abundance.  If you have stress surrounding money, there are easy shifts you can make to begin to change your money consciousness.  How can you let money flow out without fear?  It’s a very important lesson for earth preschoolers.  Think of it like air playfully circulating around you, there should not be panic attached to thoughts surrounding money.  You expect air to be abundant so you don’t panic every time you take a breath.  If you feel the same about money, your life will become easier.
1. Set up automatic payments for predictable bills.  You don't have to put extra energy into deciding the best time to pay your monthly bills.  The less energy attached to things you worry about, the better!!
​2. Bless your money as you pay for things: Thank you God that I can pay for this bill easily and effortlessly.

3. Think of it as Monopoly money as you pay for necessities:  I am so grateful and thankful that I have an unlimited supply of money.  Do your best to detach from the worry.
4. Sing about money coming easily and effortlessly (visit Karen Drucker’s channel on Youtube).  Being playful without worry is how it will begin to change your life!!
5. Respect money; think of how you have disrespected money in the past and forgive, forgive, forgive yourself and plan to do better.  Let it go, there is no upside to being hard on yourself for past mistakes.
6. Why am I so lucky to have the money to pay my bills?  Use this as your mantra when unexpected expenses come to you.  Your brain wants to provide an answer and in the current moment, most of us are able to pay our bills.  Releasing worries about the future will help with your future abundance, as long as you respect money.
7. When you have a bit of extra money, buy gift cards for yourself to places you use money regularly (like the grocery store, gas cards). Bless the gift card as you buy it and again as you use it.
8. Accept gifts from others when they are offered. Do you realize how often people turn away gifts because they feel they should not accept them?  If gifts are offered sincerely, get in the habit of accepting them sincerely.  A great way to begin is to accept compliments from others.  So many people are unable to accept compliments.
​9. Make a habit of giving away unused items to charity.  Again, set it up as a regular event, given with peace, joy and love instead of making it a chore.  Bless the items before giving them away.
​10. Begin to write down your “self talk” about money.  Get into a meditative state and ask  God to release your negative emotions attached to money: guilt, blame, judgment, pain, shame, anger, fear, and sadness.  Those are the issues that are holding you back, when you start to change those issues your life will change.