"Never use money to measure wealth," is painted on the beautiful sign my sister Lane has in her yard. Lane is a talented, but "starving" artist who is in touch with her soul and with nature - whether bugs or
animals and she allows her spirit to express delightfully in her jewelry and paintings. For the most part, she enjoys her life, limited means though she has.
Contrast Lane's world view with the person who works just to "make a living" or as author Vicki Robin of Your Money or Your Life says, "make a dying." I see the appeal of my sisters lifestyle. How many people end up in jobs or careers that they hate, but can't/won't admit it and do something different because the money is good.
How do we measure wealth if not by money? Think about what wealth really means to you and how do we bring a more soulful relationship to our money? Originally money was a place holder or method of exchange that replaced bartering. Now as Deborah Price, author of Money Magic states, "we have given money such power that it permeates every part of our existence."
It's time to redefine what money means to us. We get so driven by making a living, or success that we lose sight of what's most important. I see this shift happening when for example, a friend lets go of overcommitments and focuses on her family and health instead. We need a new understanding of money that wakes us up to our deeper nature and connects us with our spiritual self. We need to
respect money, but not make it our God because it's not money that's our problem but how we have defined it. Long ago we created this idea of money, but we have forgotten that. It's time to take our power back and create a new definition that utilizes our heart as well as our head. As we "deepen our relationship with our soul and bring it to bear on our relationship with money" we will experience the inner and outer abundance that is true wealth.
