How Are You Feeling About the "R" Word?

A few weeks ago, I had the good fortune to hear top core belief restructuring expert and author Julie Hutslar speaking to the women in my organization via teleconference. I promised friends here and elsewhere that I would summarize her remarks for those who couldn’t make it to the call.

Before I begin, though, let me ask how you are feeling about the "R" word? If you have any discomfort or fear around the current state of the national economy, this article is for you. Remember, whistling in the dark, stating proudly that you choose not to participate, and acting as if you have no fear does not mean it isn’t there. And that’s a problem…

Julie’s remarks began with the concept that the fear itself, expressed in the media and taken to heart by the general population, adds to the energy of lack in this country. Have you thought about this? One week we were on top of the world, enjoying prosperity and growth, and the next? BOOM, everything spiraled down so rapidly that people were talking soup kitchens and bread lines. Not surprisingly, conditions worsened.

However, this isn’t an essay about economics. It is about taking personal responsibility for not adding to the energy of fear and lack. If you are 50+, you know from personal experience that economic cycles go up and down, and tough times pass. If you are younger and haven’t yet experienced that, just take our word for it. This too shall pass. Meanwhile, why are we so attuned to the economy anyway?

Julie believes it’s because we are so attached to money as the yardstick in measuring our success. Think about how we were as children. Did we care at all about money? Or did we count it a good day when we found a new friend or got extra dessert? As we grew older we gradually learned that having money was good and not having money was bad, in terms of what we could do or not do that we wanted to. Sooner or later it wasn’t what we wanted to do--it was the money itself we used to measure our success.

Now that the money has been threatened, we feel fear. If we dissect our fear and really get to the bottom of it, we will probably find that it is really just anxiety over something we can’t control. How futile is that? Fear is a lie. It’s a story we have told ourselves about the consequences of certain circumstances. All we have to do is change the story. If we are going to believe a lie, why not make it an empowering one instead? (Sorry, digressed a bit into another mentor’s advice. But I think Julie would agree!)

Here’s the important point: what you focus on you attract. The Universe doesn’t recognize that you categorize what you are focusing on as good or bad. It is simply a signal, i.e. energy, and like attracts like. Now, before you begin to experience fear over what you are attracting, let’s examine how to stop the madness!

Become a part of the solution. Remember that it isn’t your job to change the world, only yourself. Ask yourself, ‘Are there other ways that I can perceive myself as successful?’ Because you have to have the feeling of success before you can create what displays you as successful.

Here are four ways to begin:

First, change your thoughts. Simply think about the opposite of fear. What is the opposite? Love. Think about your family and friends. Think about your pets, the beauty of nature, music, anything that makes you feel joy and changes the vibration that you are sending out into the ether. If you are unable to generate inspiring, encouraging thoughts of your own, read something that inspires you.

Next, do things you love doing. Again, the objective is to feel joyful. If you must do something you don’t want to, choose to do it from a place of love. Summon the thought of the people or cause it is benefiting, and focus on them.

Be attentive to your spoken word. Avoid the negative. Challenge yourself to go a whole week without discussing things over which you have no control, like politics, world conditions or other people’s decisions. And speak only words of empowerment about yourself.

Finally, give something every day. It doesn’t have to be big, and it doesn’t have to be money. Make it about the recipient, and if all you can give is a smile, don’t fail to do that. Your time, your positive attitude and your love are the most impactful gifts you can give.

I hope I’ve done some justice to Julie’s remarks, even though I have editorialized somewhat. I also encourage you to visit Julie’s website. The art alone is worth the trip! Find her at www.jrhutslar.com.