MONEY

By Lloyd J.  Thomas, Ph.D.

During the Holidays, most Americans spend entirely too much money.
It is so easy to believe that using credit cards is not the same as
spending money.   Yet, the amount of money consumers spend (or don't
spend) is blamed for the state of the national economy.   Our mistaken
beliefs about money have shaped most of what we call our current
society and culture.   Some of those same beliefs shape who we are as
people.   Likewise, common mistaken beliefs about money include ideas
like: money is power; bestows security; brings happiness; allows us to
be fulfilled; meets our desires.  These and other monetary beliefs
have generated national economic policies, world war, marital strife,
crimes of all types, and suffering beyond comprehension.

Mike Phillips, a Bank of America banker, instrumental developer of
Master Charge, and author of the book, "The Seven Laws Of Money,"
writes, "the wisdom of millions of our ancestors has been very
consistent on the point of money, the goal of amassing money is
traditionally called 'greed' and regardless of your motives for
getting the money (freedom, charity or anything else), results will
not be what you hope for.  Instead the wise teachers of tradition tell
us to go ahead and do the things we want and become good at them.  In
that lies our freedom."  It seems that collecting money out of a
belief that in so doing, something else will be developed within us is
in fact, a grand illusion.

There is a commonly-heard Biblical phrase that "money is the root of
all evil." Not true!  Not even accurately quoted.  What St.  Paul
actually said was that "the LOVE of money is the root of all evil."
It is our attitude toward money that generates the evil.  It is our
mistaken beliefs that money is the key to a fulfilling life that is
the problem, not money itself.

Just what is money then?  Nothing in itself.  Money is whatever we
make it to be.  Money always stands for something else.   It is a
symbol for something we each create in our own belief systems.   To
most of us money represents something we value.  But what value is
seems to be an unanswerable question...or at least one which is
answered differently by each of us.

Probably the most psychologically healthy way to symbolize money is
to make it stand for energy.  Money stands for the energy we exchange
between us.  It is not a thing but a transaction, a transfer, an
energy exchange.

When we begin to view money as energy, we begin to clarify and heal
our mistaken beliefs about it.  For example you can't hoard energy or
hold on to it.  Energy is not energy unless it is used, and you cannot
use it unless you let go of it.  Chogyam Rinpoche once wrote, "On the
whole we should regard money as mother's milk: it nourishes us and it
nourishes others.  That should be our attitude to money.  It's not
just a blank coupon that we have in our wallet.  Each dollar contains
a lot of past; many people worked for that particular one dollar, one
cent.  They worked so hard, with their sweat and tears.  So it's like
mother's milk.  But at the same time, mother's milk can be given away
and we can produce more mother's milk.  So I wouldn't hang on to it
too tightly."

Like mother's milk, money must be given away to nourish others, to
allow for the production of more nourishment.  Mother's milk, when not
given away, becomes a source of pain, and eventually dries up.

Perhaps we need to realize that money is not a question of whether or
not we make it or have it.  Rather it is a question of HOW we make it,
and HOW we use it.  If we see money as symbolizing energy, we realize
we can use it wisely or foolishly; generously or selfishly; freely, or
with greedy attachment.  Swami Kriyananda, once wrote in a booklet,
"Money is capable of doing a great good.  To use it rightly is to
perform a useful, even a spiritual service; it is not materialism."

Our common illusions about money lead us to live our lives backwards.
We try to have more things, more money, in order to be able to do
more of what we want, so we will be happier...we think! The way life
actually works is the reverse.  We must first be who we really are as
people.  We must do what we need to do.  And in doing what we need to
do, we get what we want.  There are all kinds of worlds within which
to be active.  There are many assets we can develop in ourselves which
will create happiness.

Again, Mike Phillips writes, "In thinking about old age, I looked at
my parents and saw that their most important asset in dealing with
being older was their ability to be competent, helpful, flexible,
curious, generous, and involved with others.  Money had very little to
do with it."  If we become responsible for developing ourselves, we
can generate our happiness.  And money has nothing to do with that
development.

Copyright 2004.   All rights reserved.

Lloyd J.  Thomas, Ph.D.  is a Certified Life Coach and Licensed
Psychologist, specializing in life coaching and behavioral medicine.
Contact him: 3421 Polk Circle West, Wellington, CO.   E-mail:
DrLloyd@CreatingLeaders.com, or LJTDAT@aol.com.

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Lloyd J. Thomas, Ph.D. has 30+ years experience as a Life Coach and
Licensed Psychologist.  He is available for coaching in any area
presented in "Practical Psychology."  As your Coach, his only agenda
is to assist you in creating the lifestyle you genuinely desire. The
initial coaching session is free.  Contact him: (970) 568-0173 or
E-mail: DrLloyd@CreatingLeaders.com or LJTDAT@aol.com.

Dr. Thomas also serves on the faculty of the Institute For Life Coach
Training.  In that capacity, he teaches advanced coaching teleclasses:
*Coaching Successful Life*s Lessons,* and *Intentional Creation:
Re-Shaping Your Life.*  To contact the Institute, call 970-224-9830 or
E-mail: doccoach@lifecoachtraining.com.  Check out the website:
www.lifecoachtraining.com

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