During the last Heart of Money class someone was asking why
scraping by is the norm, and it's so hard to come by having
extra money.
It came up in the context of paying yourself first. I had told
them that you have to pay yourself first, into a savings account
or other account, before you paid your bills.
"How in the heck I can pay myself first, when it feels like I
don't have anything left over after my expenses are paid?"
Listen to that question: it just revealed a very important Divine
law. The reason there isn't ever any extra, is because the
concept of "extra" is a human idea, and doesn't exist anywhere
except in our minds.
Look around you. Is there "extra" in nature? An apple falls from
the tree, never picked by anyone. Is it "extra?" Nope. Whether
it's by you or by Adam, by a worm or by microorganisms, the
entirety of it will go to nourish something else. And, each of
those eaters will, in turn, nourish something either through
their actions, or eventually through their decomposition.
I'm not trying to be gross, it's just true. If you want to have
"extra" in your business, I suggest you forget about it. Instead,
focus on how you want to serve- not just your customers, but your
family, yourself, your neighbors. By coming into service, even
into serving yourself, suddenly there is a reason for "extra."
Okay, so the first step is to move your need for resources from
the "someday when I have extra" column, into the "necessary
resources to serve," column. But, you aren't done yet.
Simply using your head, or your own wishful thinking, to move
a desire for a shiny black Lexus from one column to the other
doesn't make it so.
Critical ingredients in service are humility, surrender, and
generosity. Most of the time when we are needing "extra" we are
on the edge of, or deep into, fear and panic. Not very conducive
to being generous or humble.
I've seen a lot of people make a lot of effort to produce
material goods from sheer will power, whether that's working
24 hours a day, or whether it's saying 1000 affirmations a
day. Either way, if your heart isn't already in generosity and
service, there is a quality of trying to bludgeon reality into
changing.
Exhausting and usually ineffective. And, when it IS effective,
not very satisfying.
Take a breath. Relax a little. And, bring your heart into
gratitude and humility before looking at what "extras" you need.
Take some time to be in relationship with your goals, and see if
they truly feed your heart, or if they are things you are chasing
after because you think they will "fix" something about you or
about the world.
I have found, on more than one occasion, that when my wife and I
have one of our weekly money meetings, the income and expenses
match up, bizarrely, often within $10 of each other. And, this
was true before we set aside savings and other goals, and
afterwards. And, many of my clients have reported the same
phenomenon.
When you find the truly nourishing desires, plan them into your
necessities. You'll find that the resources will show up to
support them, either because you'll suddenly see what needs to
be done to achieve them. Or, sometimes, miracles occur. You do
believe in miracles, don't you?
Keys to Creating "Extra" Profit
* Surrender is key. Surrender in this situation means accepting
what is, as much as it means letting go of your attachment to
what might be in the future. If your hand is balled up inside
the cookie jar, you can't pull it out.
Take a moment right now with your business. Drop your desires to
make it different than it is. Breathe into your heart, and notice
what is going on with your business. What does your heart really
show you about what's happening right now? See if you can allow
your heart to show the gifts that are already here in your
business, and to feel genuine gratitude for what is.
* Desire is never wrong, just sometimes unfulfilling. What are
you wanting that has been in your "extra" column? A new computer
and software? A new desk? A big vacation? Take some time and
face this thing that you are wanting. Be honest and gentle with
yourself as you ask your heart to show you how fulfilling this
thing really is. Be truthful.
Note: Just because something feels or doesn't feel fulfilling
right now, doesn't mean it will stay that way. You might be
longing for a new computer, and then realize that you heart shows
you that it's not a true necessity in the moment, but that if you
check in again in a couple of months, the timing might be right.
* Be an adult with your desires. Being an adult means that you
can have an extra cookie after dinner, or before breakfast, if
you want. But being an adult also means that you can be aware
of the consequences of your choices. Sometimes goals come in
miraculously. Sometimes they take meticulous planning and
discipline.
What is your business teaching you about your desires? Is your
heart asking you to learn to trust in the miraculous a little
more? Or is it asking you to come into the next level of
responsibility by bringing in some compassionate, graceful
discipline in working towards your goals.
There is no cookie-cutter here, you have to take the time to
listen to your heart to get true answers. But if you do, you
still get the delicious cookies, even if they are free-form.
My very best to you and your business,
Mark
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