The Money Whisperer

   I remember cleaning out my storage unit in Ithaca NY and separation pains that were part of that process.   Have you looked at your possessions lately? What do they really mean to you? Do they keep you locked in the past? Do they hold you back from moving into your future? Would you like to do a little experiment with me? Choose your office or just one room in your home,  where you often  spend your thinking time, and take down all the photos and memorabilia. Put them away where you are not reminded of them. At first, you may miss them. Or maybe you find yourself enjoying the unexpected serenity. After two months bring them back out and notice your feelings as they reclaim their space. Do you feel their pull? I am not suggesting that you get rid of them, but maybe find them a place where they do not  distract you from building your momentum.   Oh, one more quick question: what did you do with all the time you saved by not having to...

  I used to make that open-ended promise to myself all the time: One day when the kids are grown……….. Some day when I have the time……….. Once I am retired……………….    As a single mom of two kids I lived on a tight schedule. Time was precious, so putting of some great plan into the future was not unusual.  B y the time my kids left the nest, I had postponed so many good ideas I had forgotten what they were. I don’t feel guilty but a little sad that I can’t even remember now what I dreamed about then. I can’t help but wonder: could they have changed my life? Should I have made some time to give them some thought? Don’t make the same mistake I made.  Please write them down. Record what triggered the insight and why you thought it was a great idea. It may reveal a part of you, your ingenuity,  your creativity,  that may guide you later on… one day. Here is my whisper for today: Keep a little note book or a recorder within reach. When yo...

  Is your personal growth portfolio well diversified? Do you intend to invest in your Master Life Plan this year? Have you made a 5, 10, and 20 year forecast for your personal wealth? What return of investment do you expect in your Self this year?   How are your spiritual growth shares performing? Is your happiness portfolio appreciating in spite of the market? Are you just a fistful of money or is there more to you? And if there is more, how do you quantify that? Do you have a system in place?

How easy is it for us to name things, events, people, that bring us down, hurt us, depress us, or make us anxious: the news in its many forms, politics, wars, the economy, safety concerns, just to mention a few triggers. We have no problem creating a long list.   But how many ways do we know and use to counter-balance them, and to neutralize their negative impact on us?       How do we push back to restore ourselves? Balance is not automatic. We have to create it. We have to work on it.   There are options for every taste, every personality: You can go to therapy. If that is too time consuming there is meditation, or 2 minute breaks in the middle of your hectic day. I remember hanging over the fence watching the mares and their offspring frolicking in the snow, under a clear blue sky. Some people listen to music or make art.  There is always a piece of paper and a pen close by to vent and let go.   And then there are sacred places. I...

If you want to take a hard look at your life and plot your future, look at how you came to be where you are now.  Go into your past to find your future.  If your autobiography has to produce honest answers, you have to find honest questions.  What do you want from it? Analysis? The red line through your life’s story? The helicopter view? The out-of body-experience? The way forward?   The real motivators behind our significant decisions often hide behind routine explanations. Incident by incident they help us slip through the escape doors we invent to justify our actions.  If you're done with the chronological format, may I invite you to rearrange the order? Organize the events in your life in different context. Here are a few examples: List all the schooling, that is all education, continued education, mentoring, self-study you have done over the years. Include all the reasons why you engaged in them and their lasting effects. What attracted you?...