Quips and Tips for Spiritual Seekers

Many find it difficult to receive money easily for their services, gifts or talents. They love doing their work, but they end up underpaid. Underneath some people carry limiting money beliefs such as money is heartless, corrupt or causes people pain. Even as people neutralize their judgments and create supportive beliefs, they still get caught on subtle rules about giving and receiving. The saying, “It is better to give than to receive,” blocks many people from receiving money for their time and energy.

In a recent article, Empowering Ways to Improve Financial Health, I offered exercises to help change limiting beliefs about money. A reader commented on her dilemma: “I seem to think money should be for giving not taking (for example, I have a difficult time ‘taking’ someone’s money as payment for work I have done but I’m happy to pay someone for their work and I’m very good at bringing in money for other people when I don’t benefit financially).”

I recognized this pattern in myself and realized it came from two societal messages: 1) a gift is meant to be given without expectation of receiving anything in return, and 2) acts of service are a part of charity. If I view my work as a gift or talent or as an act of service for humanity, how do I receive money for it and not feel as though I’m breaking a cardinal rule? I instantly saw the dichotomy inherent in this situation and explored ways to transcend it.

If you can relate to this predicament and have difficulty receiving money easily for your time and energy, read on for my suggestions on how to transcend limiting money beliefs and dichotomies. For further insights into creating a comfortable relationship with money, read the book, Conscious Finance: Uncover Your Hidden Money Beliefs and Transform the Role of Money in Your Life.

What is a Dichotomy?

A dichotomy is an all or nothing belief. There are many dichotomies in life – good/bad, right/wrong, nice/mean, and success/failure are a few polar opposites that people get caught on when they are operating from their ego. If I’m right, then someone else must be wrong in a disagreement. If environmentalists are good, then developers are bad. If being agreeable and polite is nice, then speaking my truth might be viewed as impolite and therefore I’m being mean. Now of course, these are only extremes and there are many views in between, but when a person gets ‘caught’ on one side of a dichotomy, they tend to view the opposite side as unpleasant or bad in some way.

Money Dichotomies

Money beliefs can create dichotomies. If I believe that money is bad or evil, then I may sway to the opposite side of the dichotomy of not having money because I’ll feel pure, spiritual or good. In reality, neither side of a dichotomy is good, pure or spiritual. Both sides are ego perspectives. Transcending a dichotomy means rising above the ego to view and live life from a spiritual perspective.

Where do you get caught on money dichotomies? Do you recognize any of the following?

• Giving money is generous VS Taking money is greedy
• It’s nice to give to others VS It’s mean to take from others
• Offering my services is ‘giving’ and feels good VS Receiving money is ‘taking’ and feels bad
• My talents are gifts I give to others freely VS I’m not giving cleanly if I receive money in exchange
• Work is meant to be hard and not enjoyable VS I can’t receive money easily if I enjoy my work

What money beliefs do you carry and what dichotomies do they represent?

How to Transcend Dichotomies on Giving and Receiving Money

If you view giving as good and taking as bad, it’s helpful to look at giving and receiving as two parts of a whole. Similar to the Yin/Yang symbol, where the two flow into each other by joining at the center, you can’t have giving without receiving. If everyone agreed to only give, who would they give to? You need someone to receive in order to give. Receiving from another gives them the opportunity to give, so receiving is a way of giving and vice versa. They are two sides of a whole.

If wrapping your brain around that concept still doesn’t help you to receive money easily, then try this spiritual energy exercise for transcending dichotomies.

• Close your eyes and center within. Be aware of yourself as a spiritual being, bigger than your mind and body.
• Create an image of a rose a few feet in front of you and off to one side. Let the energy of this rose represent one side of the dichotomy you get caught on (for example, giving is good). Notice what the blossom looks like. Look past the appearance and look at the energy, mood or tone of the rose and any judgments that arise.
• Draw a horizontal line from this rose to the other side. Create an image of another rose on this side. Let the energy of this rose represent the opposite part of the dichotomy (for example, receiving is taking and is bad). Notice the blossom as well as the energy, mood, emotion or tone of the rose.
• Transcend this dichotomy by raising both roses up from the horizontal line. Have them follow two diagonal vertical lines that join at the top (creating a triangle from where they both started).
• When both roses meet at the top of the triangle, have them overlap and transform into a new rose that represents a higher, spiritual perspective of the wholeness of giving and receiving.
• Let your body match the vibration of wholeness you are looking at. This will help your mind and body to view giving and receiving money from a new perspective. When you feel complete, let go of the images and open your eyes.

This exercise can be used to transcend any dichotomy you get caught on. It’s a wonderful way to step out of an ego viewpoint and into a spiritual perspective. See if it helps you to view giving and receiving money from a more balanced perspective so you can start to receive money easily for your gifts, time and energy.

You might also benefit from reading, 6 Spiritual Ways to Create Financial Abundance.

And if you want to change your money beliefs, explore Brad Yates and Joe Vitale’s powerful program, Money Beyond Beliefs!

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