Clutter less
Pray more
Consume less
Give more
Want less
Enjoy more
And always, always, give thanks to God.
These 19 words are from my newest book, Grace on the Go: Powerful Prayers to Ease Money Worries. (Morehouse Press, April,2009, $10.)Here are 3 quick ways to act on the words above.
3 Quick Ways to Clutter Less
1) Track in a notebook for a week how you spend your time and your money. These are two great clues to our real values.
2) Practice mindfulness. Breathe slowly. Pay attention to the present moment. Sometimes the worst clutter is in our minds. We twitter, we text, we link in, we email. I-phones, 24-7. A little silence can be a big thing.But, “…The best-informed man is not necessarily the wisest…” (Dietrich Boenhoffer)
3) Clear your work space before beginning your next task. Notice how free you feel when your workspace is clear.
3 Quick Ways to Pray More
1)Begin each day with gratitude. Say aloud, as you get up,
“I rejoice!”
2)Put a spiritual spin on tasks you’re already doing. Morning shower: “May I be cleansed of any lingering resentments.” While filling your car with gas: “Fill me with loving compassion toward everyone I meet today.”
3)Since prayer is a form of thinking, watch how you think. Notice a negative thought? Say out loud, “Stop!” Then insert a positive thought or a quick prayer. “Jesus, have mercy. Christ have mercy” is one I like.
3 Quick Ways to Consume Less
1)Before buying anything, ask the question: “Is this necessary for life or death?”
2)If you bring something new into your life, give away something you already have at the same time.
3)Eat smaller portions. Live in smaller spaces. Say no to meaningless activities that merely pass time.
3 Quick Ways to Give More
1)Giving and receiving are part of a universal energy flow. People in the flow of giving will receive, though not necessarily from the person to whom they give.
2)If you were not raised to be comfortable in giving, start small. Send a small donation to a good cause. Writing a check to another reminds us that we do have more than we need.
3)Lend your time to someone going through a hard patch. Run errands for an invalid. Donate blood. Walk a neighbor’s dog. Build your trust in giving by remembering all you have received.
3 Quick Ways to Want Less
1)Stop comparing with others who appear to have more. Affluence does not protect anyone from the challenges of being human.
2)Appreciate what you already have. A family heirloom. Tulips in your garden. A comfortable bed. Loving relationships.
3)When looking at an ad or at an item on sale, ask: “Do I need this?” Pay attention to the answer. Corollary: Will my life really be less happy without this?
3 Quick Ways to Enjoy More
1)Studies show that positive life experiences gain importance in our memories, while material purchases lose value as time goes on. Pay attention to your life as it's happening now!
2)Choose your attitude. Research shows when we “act-as-if”, our emotions follow our behavior. Up or down.
3)Laugh more. Look for the humor in ordinary life experiences.
And always, always, give thanks to God!Or to the universe or to the Creator or to universal mind…whatever word you use, believe. And ultimately, all shall be well.
The copy above is for your use. Credit should be given to Barbara Bartocci, author,
Grace on the Go: Powerful Prayers to Ease Money Worries,
Morehouse Press, $10, pub date April 2009.
For a review copy of my book,
wmailto:NFitzegeral@cpg.org
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Living Authentically
Peter and Sarah are haunted by a secret. They live in an upscale neighborhood of houses with three-car garages. Entry halls with cathedral ceilings. Bathrooms as big as bedrooms used to be. There are tennis courts and soccer fields. Good schools.
But their secret is… they can’t afford to live there.
They moved in when times were good, and now times aren’t so good. “We were stretched from the beginning,” admits Sarah.
It’s not only their house. They feel as if they’re “expected” to participate socially in ways they can’t afford. Like the expensive summer camp where all their kids’ friends are going. In trying to keep up, they maxed their credit cards, and are making minimum payments. “The interest rate is killing us," says Sarah. But what else can we do?”
The obvious answer is to move. Move to a neighborhood they can afford. But that means facing a reality that Peter and Sarah aren’t yet prepared to do.
There is a heavy cost in trying desperately to “keep up with the Joneses.” It’s more than financial. Peter and Sarah aren’t living an authentic life. They’re pretending to be who they’re not.
Being real—with ourselves and with others---is the pathway to inner peace. It means acknowledging the truth about where you are financially. Never mind comparing or trying to keep up with anyone else.
Try this: A Prayer to be Real
I am living beyond my means.
And I am not at peace.
I want to live an authentic life
And not lean on outward show
But I’m scared,
Afraid that by myself I won’t be enough.
Help me face my fear.
Help me believe that I am enough.
When I embrace Reality,
I will find peace because
Reality is another name for God.
This comes from my new book, Grace on the Go: Prayers to Ease Money Worries
But their secret is… they can’t afford to live there.
They moved in when times were good, and now times aren’t so good. “We were stretched from the beginning,” admits Sarah.
It’s not only their house. They feel as if they’re “expected” to participate socially in ways they can’t afford. Like the expensive summer camp where all their kids’ friends are going. In trying to keep up, they maxed their credit cards, and are making minimum payments. “The interest rate is killing us," says Sarah. But what else can we do?”
The obvious answer is to move. Move to a neighborhood they can afford. But that means facing a reality that Peter and Sarah aren’t yet prepared to do.
There is a heavy cost in trying desperately to “keep up with the Joneses.” It’s more than financial. Peter and Sarah aren’t living an authentic life. They’re pretending to be who they’re not.
Being real—with ourselves and with others---is the pathway to inner peace. It means acknowledging the truth about where you are financially. Never mind comparing or trying to keep up with anyone else.
Try this: A Prayer to be Real
I am living beyond my means.
And I am not at peace.
I want to live an authentic life
And not lean on outward show
But I’m scared,
Afraid that by myself I won’t be enough.
Help me face my fear.
Help me believe that I am enough.
When I embrace Reality,
I will find peace because
Reality is another name for God.
This comes from my new book, Grace on the Go: Prayers to Ease Money Worries
Monday, January 26, 2009
Is this any way to ease money worries?
Here is my confession. After starting my blog, I set it aside to finish writing my newest book, GRACE ON THE GO: Powerful Prayers to Ease Money Worries which is being published by Morehouse Press (an Imprint of Church Publishing) in April, 2009.
Anyone reading this who is a writer by profession knows that there comes a time when deadlines decide your life. In order to meet my publisher's deadline, I stopped doing anything other than work on my book manuscript.
And I finished on time!
Here are the chapter headings:
Worried!
It Isn't Fair!
Do I Need It or Do I Want It?
A Matter of Life and Debt
"I feel ashamed!"
He Spends, She Saves, She Saves, He Spends
Choosing Simple Abundance
Glory Be for the Gift of Giving
Happiness? Pricesless!
Trouble Spots
Anyone reading this who is a writer by profession knows that there comes a time when deadlines decide your life. In order to meet my publisher's deadline, I stopped doing anything other than work on my book manuscript.
And I finished on time!
Here are the chapter headings:
Worried!
It Isn't Fair!
Do I Need It or Do I Want It?
A Matter of Life and Debt
"I feel ashamed!"
He Spends, She Saves, She Saves, He Spends
Choosing Simple Abundance
Glory Be for the Gift of Giving
Happiness? Pricesless!
Trouble Spots
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Are you sure you don't have enough?
Three years, ago, well-to-do friends of mine, “Nancy and Phil” went on a high-ticket cruise among the Greek islands. Theirs was a luxurious small ship, so the passengers soon became acquainted. Phil, who holds a top-level position in a Midwest corporation, discovered that his fellow passengers held similar or better positions in much bigger East Coast companies, with commensurate incomes.
“Phil fell into such a funk,” Nancy confided later. “He began belittling himself because he wasn’t ‘as important or as rich’as the others. By the time he regained some perspective, he had wasted half the cruise with his ridiculous comparisons.”
It’s all relative, isn’t it?
Before deciding you don’t have enough, consider:
o How many square feet are in your house or apartment? In some societies, two or more families share as little as 600 square feet.
o Do you wish you could lose five or ten pounds? Then apparently, you’re getting enough to eat. Globally, one out of every five human beings is malnourished.
o Do you and your spouse own two cars? It’s not universally possible, but ever since gas topped $4 a gallon, more and more people have discovered busses, bicycles and old-fashioned walking as a means of getting somewhere. Oh, and did I mention carpools?
o I’m a former smoker who remembers how hard it was to quit, so if you smoke, you have my sympathy. But did you know your habit costs your family $41 per pack? That’s according to the Center for Health, Policy, Law and Management at Duke University [Study at the Terry Sanford Institute of Public Policy reported in USA Today, Nov 26, 04 posted on line.] who added up a pack of cigarettes, plus taxes, insurance, medical care and lost earnings due to smoking-related disabilities over an adult lifetime.
This is not meant to guilt-trip any smokers because it is a powerful addiction. It just means that before we think we don’t have enough, we need to look clearly at how we spend our money now.
“Phil fell into such a funk,” Nancy confided later. “He began belittling himself because he wasn’t ‘as important or as rich’as the others. By the time he regained some perspective, he had wasted half the cruise with his ridiculous comparisons.”
It’s all relative, isn’t it?
Before deciding you don’t have enough, consider:
o How many square feet are in your house or apartment? In some societies, two or more families share as little as 600 square feet.
o Do you wish you could lose five or ten pounds? Then apparently, you’re getting enough to eat. Globally, one out of every five human beings is malnourished.
o Do you and your spouse own two cars? It’s not universally possible, but ever since gas topped $4 a gallon, more and more people have discovered busses, bicycles and old-fashioned walking as a means of getting somewhere. Oh, and did I mention carpools?
o I’m a former smoker who remembers how hard it was to quit, so if you smoke, you have my sympathy. But did you know your habit costs your family $41 per pack? That’s according to the Center for Health, Policy, Law and Management at Duke University [Study at the Terry Sanford Institute of Public Policy reported in USA Today, Nov 26, 04 posted on line.] who added up a pack of cigarettes, plus taxes, insurance, medical care and lost earnings due to smoking-related disabilities over an adult lifetime.
This is not meant to guilt-trip any smokers because it is a powerful addiction. It just means that before we think we don’t have enough, we need to look clearly at how we spend our money now.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Where does a dollar go?
What would you do if you discovered, on the bottom edge of a dollar bill you got in change, this handwritten message: "Where does a dollar go? Send me a postcard. [Address] Have a great day!"
Would you answer? When I last talked to Midwest artist Dean Bracy, the man who sent out 10,000 of these dollar bills, more than 6,500 people had replied. And they sent more than postcards: Some sent travel brochures, maps, menus, bumper stickers, refrigerator magnets, baseball cards, even a pumpkin. People detailed their lives, politics and their towns…all to a stranger whom they’d never met.
Bracy's dollars turned up around the globe. They appeared at the scene of a crime, as a gift to a newborn, and in the garter of an exotic dancer. They were wagered by gamblers and given to charities. " [To read my complete story, as published in Readers Digest, go to the Articles link on my website, http://www.BarbaraBartocci.com]
Now pick up and hold a dollar bill. Where has this dollar been? Where will it go? You are holding what Joseph Campbell called “congealed energy.” We live in a universe made up of energy, and money is just one aspect.
In her excellent book, The Energy of Money, psychologist Maria Nemeth, PhD, says our relationship with money is really the hero’s journey in which we enter unknown territory, encounter fears, mysteries and mentors, and eventually—if we are willing—gain a sense of mastery.
What kind of emotional energy do you feel around money? A good way to find out is to write a money autobiography. Write for 10 minutes by hand or on your computer starting with this phrase: “I first learned about money when I was…”
What do you discover after writing for ten minutes?
Would you answer? When I last talked to Midwest artist Dean Bracy, the man who sent out 10,000 of these dollar bills, more than 6,500 people had replied. And they sent more than postcards: Some sent travel brochures, maps, menus, bumper stickers, refrigerator magnets, baseball cards, even a pumpkin. People detailed their lives, politics and their towns…all to a stranger whom they’d never met.
Bracy's dollars turned up around the globe. They appeared at the scene of a crime, as a gift to a newborn, and in the garter of an exotic dancer. They were wagered by gamblers and given to charities. " [To read my complete story, as published in Readers Digest, go to the Articles link on my website, http://www.BarbaraBartocci.com]
Now pick up and hold a dollar bill. Where has this dollar been? Where will it go? You are holding what Joseph Campbell called “congealed energy.” We live in a universe made up of energy, and money is just one aspect.
In her excellent book, The Energy of Money, psychologist Maria Nemeth, PhD, says our relationship with money is really the hero’s journey in which we enter unknown territory, encounter fears, mysteries and mentors, and eventually—if we are willing—gain a sense of mastery.
What kind of emotional energy do you feel around money? A good way to find out is to write a money autobiography. Write for 10 minutes by hand or on your computer starting with this phrase: “I first learned about money when I was…”
What do you discover after writing for ten minutes?
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Rethinking Wants vs. Needs
Here’s my admission: As I write this blog—and entreat your comments as readers—I will also be writing the newest in my series of Grace on the Go books: It’s entitled Grace on the Go: Powerful Prayers to Ease Money Worries.
As I blog, I hope to share my own ideas and also receive your good ideas about ways we can change our consciousness about money—in a positive way.
Scripture says, “As a man (or woman) thinketh in his heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7). So I suggest that the first thing anyone caught in financial turmoil should do is re-think.
I come from a Christian background, but even those who don’t will acknowledge Jesus as a great Teacher, and he encouraged his followers to live free of worry about money. He promised that if they would seek the kingdom of God, all else that they needed would be theirs as well.
From China, the ancient Tao te Ching says, “If you realize you have enough, you are truly rich.”
Whoa, here’s the rub. Notice the operative words:
“All that you need.”
And, “Realizing you have enough.”
How do those two concepts square with our consumer-driven culture? For many years, I did my share of bowing before the Consumer Goddess. I didn’t over-spend, but I never became comfortable with just what I had. As I ruefully told a friend one day: “I drive through Mission Hills (our city’s best neighborhood) and think, ‘Wasn’t I supposed to live here?’”
The reality was, I lived in a perfectly comfortable house. I didn’t need to live in Mission Hills. Living in the “best” neighborhood was simply an ego-driven desire.
Part of my life’s journey has been to learn
o How to put the kingdom of God first as a goal.
o How to recognize and be content that I have enough.
How about you? Where are you on the journey?
As I blog, I hope to share my own ideas and also receive your good ideas about ways we can change our consciousness about money—in a positive way.
Scripture says, “As a man (or woman) thinketh in his heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7). So I suggest that the first thing anyone caught in financial turmoil should do is re-think.
I come from a Christian background, but even those who don’t will acknowledge Jesus as a great Teacher, and he encouraged his followers to live free of worry about money. He promised that if they would seek the kingdom of God, all else that they needed would be theirs as well.
From China, the ancient Tao te Ching says, “If you realize you have enough, you are truly rich.”
Whoa, here’s the rub. Notice the operative words:
“All that you need.”
And, “Realizing you have enough.”
How do those two concepts square with our consumer-driven culture? For many years, I did my share of bowing before the Consumer Goddess. I didn’t over-spend, but I never became comfortable with just what I had. As I ruefully told a friend one day: “I drive through Mission Hills (our city’s best neighborhood) and think, ‘Wasn’t I supposed to live here?’”
The reality was, I lived in a perfectly comfortable house. I didn’t need to live in Mission Hills. Living in the “best” neighborhood was simply an ego-driven desire.
Part of my life’s journey has been to learn
o How to put the kingdom of God first as a goal.
o How to recognize and be content that I have enough.
How about you? Where are you on the journey?
What does "grace" have to do with money?
Here’s my confession: As I write this blog—and entreat your comments as readers—I will also be writing the newest in my series of Grace on the Go books: It’s entitled Grace on the Go: Powerful Prayers to Ease Money Worries.
As I blog, I hope to share my own ideas and also receive your good ideas about ways we can change our consciousness about money. Isn’t that part of prayer?
“As a man (or woman) thinketh in his heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7).
So I suggest the first thing anyone who is caught in financial turmoil should do is re-think.
I come from a Christian background, but even those who don’t will acknowledge Jesus as a great Teacher, and he encouraged his followers to live free of worry about money. He promised that if they would seek the kingdom of God, all else that they needed would be theirs as well. (The Tao says, “If you realize you have enough, you are truly rich.”)
What is God’s kingdom? Author Richard McBrien says, “We find God’s kingdom in everyday personal experiences. Whenever people show love to one another, forgive one another, or bear one another’s burdens, there is God’s kingdom.”
Here’s what I’ve noticed—and I imagine you have too: when things get scarce--when we get scared that we might not have enough—the ideas behind “loving one another” may go right out the window. Suddenly, we’re most concerned about ourselves. How do I keep what I have? How do I get more before it disappears?
I titled this blog, “92 best ideas” and my second idea is probably the hardest to implement because it involves faith. Not faith in some religious doctrine, but faith in the laws of the universe, and one of those laws says, “There is a cycle of giving-and-receiving. As you give, you will receive. "
As I blog, I hope to share my own ideas and also receive your good ideas about ways we can change our consciousness about money. Isn’t that part of prayer?
“As a man (or woman) thinketh in his heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7).
So I suggest the first thing anyone who is caught in financial turmoil should do is re-think.
I come from a Christian background, but even those who don’t will acknowledge Jesus as a great Teacher, and he encouraged his followers to live free of worry about money. He promised that if they would seek the kingdom of God, all else that they needed would be theirs as well. (The Tao says, “If you realize you have enough, you are truly rich.”)
What is God’s kingdom? Author Richard McBrien says, “We find God’s kingdom in everyday personal experiences. Whenever people show love to one another, forgive one another, or bear one another’s burdens, there is God’s kingdom.”
Here’s what I’ve noticed—and I imagine you have too: when things get scarce--when we get scared that we might not have enough—the ideas behind “loving one another” may go right out the window. Suddenly, we’re most concerned about ourselves. How do I keep what I have? How do I get more before it disappears?
I titled this blog, “92 best ideas” and my second idea is probably the hardest to implement because it involves faith. Not faith in some religious doctrine, but faith in the laws of the universe, and one of those laws says, “There is a cycle of giving-and-receiving. As you give, you will receive. "
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