Spirituality

There exists today a major issue when parents are not preparing children for coming windfalls. In the business of family, children must be given ongoing messages about money and how to deal with it. They must know “money” has no meaning in and of itself.

When you see life with an expanded awareness, virtuous actions are the only ones that make sense. Every day is a spiritual awakening and a new lesson on life. Every day is a learning experience and a money decision pops up somewhere. Something spirituality has taught our family is that you cannot separate each of the pillars of life from another. A day never passes that doesn’t touch each one.

Spirituality is to be virtuous. We are seeking truth, looking within to our own heartfelt experience, free of limited desires. To be virtuous is to allow the moment and seek guidance by a divine growth, not necessarily religious. When our ego is kept at bay, our ability to forgive expands into gratitude for the perfection of everything that comes to us. To set an example of using money and the success of money, we must have an alignment with spiritual values or the use of money can be harsh and wrongly applied. Spirituality is meant to be put into motion and constantly developed. Modern spirituality is centered on the deepest values and meanings by which people live. It embraces the idea of an ultimate or an intangible reality. Of course, spirituality is only intangible until we relate it to what’s most important for us. Not all modern notions of spirituality embrace transcendental ideas. Secular spirituality emphasizes humanistic ideas or moral character (qualities such as love, compassion, tolerance, forgiveness, contentment, responsibility, harmony and a concern for others). These are aspects to do with life and human experiences which go beyond a purely materialistic view of the world. This can be without necessarily accepting a belief in a supernatural reality or divine being.

Developing spirituality has many benefits both emotionally and physically. Developing your spiritual life can give you a sense of purpose and help you figure out what you are most passionate about in your professional, social and personal life. Money can be useful to initiate desire or further evolve desire to serve a given purpose or need. What you do, what you earn and who you care about are reflected in how you save, invest and spend.

Many ideas for evoking the most rewarding experience is to think past the common questions or textbook discussions and instead engage in community services, questions and discoveries; write in a journal; dialogue with someone you respect; challenge yourself and reflect, then act.

Create a list of happy things; New York Times bestselling author and licensed psychologist, Dr. Joan Borysenko, suggests creating a journal of gratitude. This can help create inner peace for busy people.

Simple examples for which you might begin to discover how money does play a consideration might include:

• Who are the most important people to me?

• How have they affected me?

• Who do I feel comfortable with?

• What is my ideal job?

• How important is it that I love my job?

• Where would I like to be in ten years?

• What are some goals for me this year? Next three years?

• How can I avoid a stagnant life?

• Do things happen for a reason?

• What are my beliefs or life’s purpose?

• What specific experiences have shaped my beliefs?

• Am I a good person?

• Can I accomplish what I would like to and do I have the financial acumen to get me there?

Think often on all things. Relate money to your own spirituality and the rest will come more easily.