November Thoughts
Where is Your Energy Focused?

Oftentimes, in money counseling sessions with clients, I hear how they do not have enough money or that they do not have anything to show for their money. And many times I hear of the excess debt that they have as well. As I listen to them speak about their money I have noticed something quite significant and that is how much energy they have focused upon their money story. The question then arises in my mind, “Where is your energy focused? Is it on wealth, thriving, abundance and joy? Or is your energy only aware of perceived lack, limitations, survival, or on being overwhelmed?”

The reason that this is significant is I am of the belief that which you focus upon increases, especially if you put a tremendous amount of emotional energy behind it. This is true for the things you want or do not want in life. Many times when I speak of this for the first time to a client it is not seen as significant. Yet I cannot stress enough how important it truly is. “Where the mind goes, the man (or woman) follows!” (Joyce Meyers.)

Many of us have been made aware, these days, of the Law of Attraction and of this I speak. However, let me delve a bit deeper into how this works for us. In fact, this very lesson has been taught to us over and over in many arenas, for centuries. Yet we do not even realize we are putting into practice the very law in everything that we do, say, and desire. Let me share with you the areas in which we tend to accept the law as fact. We accept as fact and rely upon the Law of Attraction in prayer. We speak our truth, our desire, and rely upon our Source (or God) to provide the answer. Somehow we are of the belief that if we ask, we will receive. Another place we accept this law is in goal setting. We set our intention, speak it, write it, and have an expectation of it coming to fruition. As any successful person can tell you, setting an intention, a goal is the only way to get or achieve something.  The Law of Attraction is working in both of those areas, and we rely upon it to make things happen.

Whether you believe in the Law of Attraction or not does not matter. We can still have a meaningful discussion about our focus of energy. Notice what happens in your life when you give it focus. Does it go away? Does it magically disappear? No, it increases and becomes overwhelming. Sometimes that is a good thing, as in a joyous, fun adventure. However, when it is fretfulness about money, it is not joyous and we desperately want the fretting to disappear.

Recently in a session with a client I noticed this very thing, the fretting about her excessive debt (her opinion, not mine) and that she was not achieving much success in her business. She felt as if she was working harder and harder yet seeing more and more debt and less and less profit. As I heard her speak her money story I noticed how much energy and passion she was putting into this story. She and I spoke of this very thing, noticing how much of her focus was upon what was going wrong and not on what could go right.

As the session progressed, this client spoke about how much she was spending and her great desire to save instead. As a way to help her see how much energy she was putting on the very thing she did not want (spending), I used a very simple process. I had her draw me a picture of her cash flow. I asked her to show me by drawing boxes on a piece of paper, how many accounts she had and how the money came and went. She drew three boxes, each were labeled checking accounts. She did not draw a box for a savings account. I then asked her to explain the flow of her money, which she did. I then asked her what the intention was for a checking account and she replied that it was a vehicle from which to spend. At this point she had an awareness of the fact that it was rather difficult to save when all she was using was a spending vehicle, a checking account. She became aware just by this simple exercise that by using only checking accounts she was setting herself up to spend.

With this example it can be seen how powerful a simple thing can be, much like a checking account can focus your entire energy on spending. It does not seem possible that something so everyday could affect your money in such a powerful way. YET, it does. And the way to change this outcome is to change your focus of energy. As I suggested to this client, put it on saving instead.

Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Yet most will balk at the very simplicity of it. I can attest that time and again when we simply move our focus and energy to something that we want, it happens. We humans seem to want to make it more difficult. I know I have done so throughout my life and yet at some point I find that it is the simplest approach that works. Struggle is not necessary.

As to the client, she is doing a couple of very simple things to change her focus. First she has opened a savings account. I have asked her for what purpose does she want this savings account to serve. She decided to make it her trip to Greece account. It is important to focus your intention on what you want, name it, speak it, and then put action to that intention. She is now sending funds automatically to this account, without exception. She is starting with a dollar amount that is comforting to her and does not cause stress. It is important to know that it is NOT the amount that matters but the intention.

The second thing that this client is doing is setting up Gratitude Jars. Each day she is dropping change into these jars putting her intention into action. This simple idea will create a shift from spending to saving. Yes, it is that simple.

And finally, this client is automating her monthly payments to her debt. This brings her focus off the debt and allows her to put it onto something else that she prefers or wants. There is no need to focus upon the debt, reminding yourself of what you did. It is time to focus your energy on what you WANT.

I leave you with this thought …. What is it you WANT? Are you focusing your energy on this or on something else? If you desire it then put your energy and focus upon it and not the opposite … easy to say, not so easy to do. Sometimes having an accountability partner is helpful. That is where I am an expert. I help people recognize where they are sabotaging their success and help them refocus their energy on what they want.