| Some parents want to pass along positive, | | | | enthusiastic about life. Desire is real - and a good - part |
| abundance-centered money beliefs to their children. | | | | of this human experience that all of us "spiritual beings" |
| Recently, more and more parents are becoming | | | | are participating in. It's part of the reason that we're |
| aware that their negative money beliefs and baggage | | | | here. |
| have resulted in their lives being filled with financial | | | | Now, how the negative baggage demon keeps |
| problems. Maybe you have learned this from spiritual | | | | well-meaning parents in the poverty-conscious arena, is |
| teachings that are in alignment with abundance, law of | | | | by telling parents that their children will never "be |
| attraction materials/workshops, and/or financial gurus | | | | grateful" or "appreciate money" if they "want" things. |
| such as "Rich Dad, Poor Dad," Robert Kiyosaki, etc. | | | | That's a lie. |
| Unless parents actively teach financial abundance | | | | "Gratitude" is a completely separate animal from |
| mentality to their children, the children will be destined | | | | "desire." Gratitude gets taught at a heart-level, on a |
| for a life filled with one financial crisis after another. | | | | spiritual-level, not on a financial level. Gratitude covers |
| Parents want to draw "a line in the sand" and want to | | | | all of the areas of life (spirituality, health, emotions, |
| raise their children with a financial abundance mentality | | | | creativity, love, relationships, and joy). If your gratitude |
| rather than a poverty mentality. | | | | only exists when there's financial lack, or financial |
| You can teach financial abundance to your children | | | | prosperity, either way, your gratitude is short-lived and |
| even while you are still on your own path of moving | | | | not very deeply rooted. |
| from financial crisis to financial abundance, by | | | | So, rest assured, your children can know gratitude (in |
| becoming aware of the 4 Agreements about teaching | | | | all aspects of life) and have desires too. |
| your children about money and financial abundance. | | | | 3. Work-ethic teaches lots of things, but it doesn't |
| Let's take a look at the 4 Agreements of teaching | | | | teach financial abundance or about how money works. |
| your kids about financial abundance: | | | | Working "hard" at various tasks has all sorts of |
| 1. All abundance is good. | | | | benefits. The Law of Attraction community usually likes |
| We all have the possibility of enjoying abundance of | | | | to point out that we shouldn't work hard, because it |
| every kind - and abundance of spirituality, creativity, | | | | supposedly lowers our "vibration" (of joy). But that's not |
| emotional health, relationships, love, joy, physical health, | | | | necessarily so, and that's not what I mean by "working |
| and yes - financial abundance. Financial abundance is | | | | hard." Working hard means doing some physically |
| just as important as the other types of abundance. No | | | | taxing task, some menial task, some effort that is |
| one would suggest that a person should be able to | | | | connected with a joyous long-term goal but which |
| have "a good life" with just financial and physical | | | | "feels" boring or difficult now. See, working hard |
| abundance, but without spiritual abundance. And yet, | | | | causes growth of all sorts - physical, emotional, |
| society tries to persuade us (often) that "a good life" | | | | determination, self-discipline, inner strength, etc. No |
| should still be possible if you have every other piece of | | | | athlete becomes great without hard work. Stress |
| the pie - except finances. | | | | causes growth. What is important to remember (and |
| One reason for this is the long-perpetuated myth that | | | | where many people go wrong) is that hard work does |
| "money is the root of all evil," which is a misquoted | | | | not need to be filled with drudgery. Hard work that is |
| Bible scripture. The Bible scripture actually says that | | | | combined with a joyful spirit of determination and |
| "love of money" is the root of all evil, which really | | | | gratitude toward a common good, or a calling, or a |
| means that loving money to the exclusion of the other | | | | goal, is a very gratifying experience that builds a |
| kinds of abundance will lead to an empty dark life, | | | | person's character and energy (and raises their |
| which is true. In order to impart this to your children, you | | | | vibration) so that when he/she has goals or challenges |
| must be on the look out for evidence of this myth in | | | | in the future, he/she will have the self-confidence and |
| your own life, and point out the positive alternative to | | | | internal strength to go through it with gratitude, faith and |
| your children. For example, society loves to portray | | | | joy. This is why "hard work," and a "good work ethic" |
| wealthy people as shallow, self-centered, egotistical, | | | | is important to our children - not for the financial |
| love-less, unhappy, emotional failures. Remind your | | | | abundance that it brings, but for the character and |
| children (and yourself) that lots of financially wealthy | | | | inner strength that it builds for life's future missions. |
| people are happy, healthy, spiritually rich, humble, helpful, | | | | 4. Giving is good. |
| joy-filled people. And, the corollary to this Agreement is: | | | | The opposite of giving - hoarding - is viewed in |
| The financial abundance of others is good. Replace | | | | abundance-mentality circles as negative. Spiritually, |
| jealously with praise for them, gratitude for your | | | | hoarding is opposite to sharing blessings. In Law of |
| current financial blessings, and gratitude for your future | | | | Attraction circles, hoarding is connected with lower |
| financial abundance. | | | | fear and jealousy vibrations. With the financial gurus, |
| 2. Desiring things - having preferences - is all good. | | | | hoarding stops the flow of investing and investment |
| Again, our old negative money baggage will usually | | | | returns that keeps a strong economy - and your own |
| rear its ugly head over this financial abundance belief. | | | | financial picture - thriving. |
| But, in truth, your children saying, "I want," is a good | | | | Giving keeps the "energy" of money flowing. Giving |
| thing. We all want. We want happiness, we want | | | | "sows" money into another person's life. Giving affirms |
| shelter and comfortable surroundings and | | | | that money is just a thing, or a vehicle, it is not our ego, |
| circumstances, we want growth, we want peace, we | | | | not our love, not our God, not our faith or security. |
| want rewards, we want rest, we want our favorite | | | | Giving recognizes that money is just a tool to be used |
| people, places and things. Wanting is good. | | | | in life for all sorts of things - including helping others. |
| But, this is where poverty-consciousness parents say | | | | Just because we use money to help others does not |
| things like, "Who do you think we are, the | | | | mean that we should stop helping others on a |
| Rockefellers?" And, poverty-consciousness parents | | | | one-to-one basis, it is just an additional tool. Giving is a |
| think things like, "My children will become a spoiled brat | | | | symbol of our "gratitude" for all that has been given. |
| if I got him/her everything they want." What do | | | | Giving, especially to some Christians, is also a |
| abundance-mentality parents say? Well, they don't say, | | | | recognition that all of life's blessings are from God, and |
| "OK, I'll get it all for you." Abundance-mentality parents | | | | are not our creation, so our money should be shared |
| DO say, "Yes, that shrimp appetizer and lobster main | | | | because we are just a steward of it, rather than its |
| course sure sound delicious, and those shiny sneakers | | | | sole creator. In other words, giving helps keep our ego |
| look great, and that diamond bracelet looks gorgeous. I | | | | "in check," and helps keep our spirit grateful, humble, |
| can see why you like them!" | | | | and gracious. |
| Desire is good. Desire keeps people active in life, and | | | | (c) Copyright 2008 Theresa A. Markham, Esq. |