Economists had predicted in 2018 that we were going to be in an economic recession. Leaders in the financial and economic sectors began to sound an alarm about this pending recession, predicting 2020 to be the year! They were correct with the forecast asCOVID-19 has forced businesses and employers to close their doors and go into social isolation, leaving millions of Americans unemployed. A cruel outcome of mission COVID-19is that is has left us uncertain about how many of us move forward. Our homes have become makeshift offices if we are fortunate to still have jobs. We have found ourselves in financial positions that we’ve never been in before; we are seeing scarcity, hoarding, rioting, and looting. Many of us are fearful, doubtful, and afraid of how we are going to make it through. I have even experienced some financial fall out and am currently in the midst of catching up, and money is the thing that I do professionally! No one has been exempted but I have begun to see glimmers of hope and rays of financial sunshine lately because of my professional life. I am seeing pockets of abundance and prosperity for others and for myself. Why is this phenomenon occurring during a pandemic, economic recession, and social unrest? It seems counterintuitive but, nonetheless, a reality documented by higher incomes and increased bank accounts. There exists what I’ve deemed “Bliss Money”; that is, money that creates joy, happiness, and fulfillment. Let us explore five ways that we can get bliss from our money starting today.

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Breathe

        Verb. To draw air into and expel it from the lungs. The power of breathing is often overlooked and the impact of breathing with intent is oftentimes underutilized and misunderstood. Science has proven the benefits of meditation and breathing, the effects they have on our body and mental health. Science has found that mindfulness (being present), which utilizes breathing with intention, produces positive biological responses and produces a calmer state of mind. An oxygenated brain produces increased energy to think with clarity and make decisions from a place of peace versus anxiety or a stressed mindset. When we are dealing with any economic or monetary matters, positive or negative, we have to position ourselves to be clear of mind; breathing with intent can help us start the process and activate “Bliss Money” in our lives. Most people and businesses that are currently successful in this environment promote self-care and being spiritually grounded, which can be achieved with the support of breathing and practicing mindfulness.

 

 

 Mindset

          Noun. The established set of attitudes held by someone. Shifts in our mindsets about and around money are a major turning point to getting to blissful money. Our mindsets are the key determining factor as to whether we achieve anything in life and finding the joy in our money. It is a must that we begin to take control and pivot our mind, thoughts from anxious, worried, fearful, and stressful mindsets, to calm, peaceful states of mind. We need to monitor our thoughts about lack, scarcity, reductions, losses, eliminations, especially during these uncertain and unprecedented times, as they pop up. We are only human, and we are sensitive to the influences in our environment and sometimes find that we can be overwhelmed by what we allow to seep into our consciousness. We may find out that we need to distance ourselves from those influences. Along with monitoring our thoughts, it would be in our best interest to examine what we are thinking about and ask ourselves if what’s on our mind is the truth. We all experience what mindfulness practitioners call “the monkey brain”; that is, the feeling when our minds just go on autopilot. Most times, we are not really paying attention to our thought sand we begin to think things that are left unchallenged, which may leave us thinking and acting in error that turns into our reality. Let’s challenge this by the example of a person who states that they are “always broke”; this is what the person believes about themselves, but if we were to challenge how poor the person really is, we’d probably find that this is a false belief and thought. Most Americans living today are not poor; we live better than most in the world, so if the “broke” person were to take inventory of their possessions, they would probably find that they are more well off than what they think! Let’s reframe the “broke” person’s financial situation to this affirmation: “I may not have money at the moment to partake of or participate financially at the moment.” Making this mindset shift about our financial conditions will give us goals and/or a target and keeps us hopeful vs. being “broke.” Simple shifts in our mindset will allow us access to blissful money, and a blissful mind can produce blissful money.

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 Alignment

             Noun. A position of agreement or alliance. To be in agreement, “Bliss Money,” most times, requires the practice of alignment with our values, life goals, religious perspectives, but mostly, our purpose. Purpose is to understand what we were created to do; here, the perfect alignment exists between it and money. The blending of the two - purpose and money – makes for the quintessential existence. It is a privilege to discover our purpose and why we are here. If we were to look around us, we will see nothing but fulfilled purpose, creations by creators. When purpose aligns with money, it produces and manifest the images we see in our minds. The gift of creating and producing what is inside of our purpose is a divine gift from God, and when it’s revealed, we find a place of peace – a sanctuary that only the receiver of the gift can enter. All of us have divine gifts inside of us waiting to emerge once our purpose is unlocked and authorizes our prosperity to flow. “A man’s gift maketh room for him and bringeth him before great men” (Proverbs18:16, KJ21). We can be encouraged by this scripture today as it is still true; as we activate our gifts, we become unstoppable and it will generate prosperity. Alignment causes doors to open as great men and women will want to invest in our purpose, and as we bring forth our gifts, it will begin to produce “Bliss Money.” Affirmation Noun. the action or process of affirming something or being affirmed. The attainment of “Bliss Money” often requires positive statements and declarations in the form of affirmations about us, our conditions, and our money. Let us return to the example laid out in the second key about mindset and how the impact of “broke” thoughts affirms negatively about our condition; this works in the inverse when we declare positive statements to ourselves. We are creators and most creations begin with a thought that are then followed by words; a powerful dynamic begins to move what we speak. “For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, ‘Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea,’ and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass, he shall have whatsoever he saith” (Mark 11:23, KJ21). It is imperative that we truly check what we say especially about who we are and our financial status. When we speak broke, we affirm it and it affirms lack and scarcity in our lives. Today, let’s begin practicing positive affirmations about our purpose and financial conditions; it will produce “Bliss Money,” expecting opportunities to start flowing in our direction. Affirm that “favor and blessings are flowing freely to me today.”

 

Gratitude

           Noun. the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. Being grateful can be a shortcut to having “Bliss Money.” When we take a pause and offer gratitude for the present moment, our past times, and futures to come, we position ourselves for “Bliss Money.” Gratitude in the present moment creates contentment and puts us in the position of humility to be able to receive from a reservoir of prosperity and abundance. Gratitude begets more and the opposite holds true as well. Generosity is an outcome of gratitude; it is an acknowledgement that we have more than enough, and to be able to share with others usually brings about peace, contentment, and more gratitude will overflow. Continual offerings of prayer with thanksgiving to our Divine Creator God, assures a lifetime of abundance of favor and prosperity will produce bliss money amid a pandemic, recession, or social unrest. May you experience blessings of bliss money!