Penny pinching with a mindset of abundance?

Are we living in a time of creative abundance or scarcity? Keeping a positive mindset about money, doing what you love, visualizing success, utlizing the law of attraction - do these methods still work in an economic environment that others around you call a recession? Or is it more important than ever to "think and grow rich." Some may consider it new age "woo-hoo" but it is fascinating to read how many self created successful people from Henry Ford to Suzi Orman to Tony Robbins believe that your attitude and thoughts about money and abundance form the foundation of success. It becomes challenging to maintain that attitude when every news outlet proclaims recession, jobless rates and people all around you are seem to be losing their jobs or struggling.

I told the universe "no thank you, I do not accept your invitation to the recession." However, some of its unwelcome essence has oozed into my life anyway- a house in which what I owe and costs of repairs/upgrades needed to sell mean I would be under if I sold, leftover divorce debt, reduced income, and expenses that are going up as my girls get older. When I fall off of the "positive wagon", it can sometimes be hard to breathe as I think of college expenses looming in the future and current home repair dollars needed. Like so many others, finances are my biggest source of stress. I am not person who needs a ton of money or wants a bigger house, I just want to be comfortable and secure, able to support my family, make a difference in the world and pursue a few dreams.

However, when I do breathe through it, I try to get back to creating a plan to penny pinch and create abundance even when surrounded by economic negativity.

* Remember to be grateful for what I do have- a job, the capacity and skills to look for a higher paying one, a home, family, health and talents. I remind myself that the job market is opening up, headhunters are calling, and everyone I know from my company who lost their position last year has found a good job. I know a great opportunity will come my way.

* Remember the lesson that you should always have more than one income stream in your life. Your job may me be one but always have another iron in the fire - freelance, side business, something that could bring in additional dollars.

* Don't forget your dreams and passions - even if your current job does not provide you an outlet for them. Dream, visualize, research, write, plan, scheme, volunteer... do something to bring those to life. And look for a way to turn them into that second revenue stream. I will be writing, looking to publish and sell, working with a friend on a business idea and baking - buy your holiday cookies from me!

* Clip coupons, bring your lunch to work, comparison shop, swap books, shop consignment shops. I need to be smarter about the grocery store and we love to eat out which needs to be an occasional treat for us. So how do you reconcile living a life of visualizing abundance with pinching pennies. Spending money and valuing my resources is a way to express gratitude by not being wasteful.

* Read inspirational books and articles about abundance and try to stay away from reading the negative. There is a fine balance between understanding the reality of the world around and staying open to the fact that we are constantly creating and adding to the universe. There is enough to go around, the pie can get bigger after you take your piece.... or bake another one.

How are you building abundance??

creation, discovery or both?

Are we here to find ourselves or invent ourselves, find our purpose or create it, discovery or creation? So many of the wonderful texts that I have read on spiritual development, living your life on purpose and fulfillment seem to be at least on the suface at cross purposes on this question. On the one hand, I am encouraged to stop, breathe, relax, let it flow, meditate, dream, visualize, manage my thoughts and imagine. On the other hand, I am here to create and to manifest my reality and myself. I am a co-creator with God..capable of calling on the depth and width of the universe to improve my reality. Use your talents, fulfull your passion, your gifts and your desires to fill your life. As a magnet on my refrigerator says "life is not about finding yourself, but about creating yourself."

So which is it - create or discover..or a bit of both? I will admit that my natural tendencies used to be toward action and movement. The acts of introspection and discovery were challenging at first when I wanted to just get cracking and make it happen. Now, I have discovered the fun of peeling back the layers of life and of myself and revel in the aha moments - now a joyous part of my life. To dream about what might be possible, remember what brings me passion and happiness, visualizing my opportunities are all second nature now. So how do I make it all happen..is it time to step up and re-engage the creation portion of the equation? Have I gone so far to the dreaming side of the process, that I need to take more action? When do you let it flow and when do you act?

Perhaps life is about both - discovery/dreaming and creation/manifestation. Maybe, the first step is to spend the time and mental, emotional and spiritual energy to dream, visualize and discover one's passion, dreams, long forgotten talents and true soul's purpose. Step two is action - the creation and manifestation of those dreams and desires. The process is fluid, continual and never ending... The rub, I think- where we get screwed up - is in making sure thsat step one and two are in sync. Is what you are trying to create and bring into your life in alignment with step one? Will your actions and efforts to create, develop or build result in bringing to life your dreams, desires and life's purpose.

Writing seems like the perfect example. To tell a story, you need to dream, think, imagine the characters, do the research, let the story flow into and or through you. You also have to do the work- schedule the time in front of the computer, write, get the words on paper, edit, re-write, read, re-write again and make it happen. The process requires the whole equation.

When step one and two are in sync- life seems smoother, as though it has purpose and rhythm. You are more peaceful and content and full. Life doesn't seem to be so much about seeking, trying to make things fit that don't or looking for what's missing. Life seems fuller, more peaceful and on track. I have been on both sides of this equation at different phases of my life. Time to take a look at where I am now and celebrate both discovery and creation.