An Economic Address from the Universe

The holidays, the new year, and income tax arrive hand-in-hand; leaving a free one to slap you in the wallet.  It's the time of year when one's thoughts lightly turn to ones bank account, credit card debt, reserves, FASFA's, plus loans, and business projections for 2010. 
I don't know about you, but it's hard not to worry about the economy, both personal and private.  My question to the universe this morning was: "how can I be more productive in my approach to my finances."
Here is the first piece of information I picked up:

I looked at this little piece of purple prose and the first words my eyes fell on were "Spring Pictures" and then, at the bottom "no money".
OUCH!
OMG.
I needed help interpreting THIS more positively.  What I know for sure, in my heart, is that the Universe will bring messages of light, not darkness, or at least a way to find the light in darkness.  This felt dark, dark, dark; like a prediction of my financial future.
The word "school" let me know that there was a lesson here for me.  In dream symbology, that's what being in a school or taking a test or talking to a teacher means: that some where in the dream is an important teaching so pay attention.
I still couldn't shake the feeling of dread.  No money.


Then I saw a bit of white that had been run over and mushed into the road from the last rain but dry as paper mache now.  It had a bit of yarn attached to it, so I knew it was something that some child had made.  Those are always intersting to me, and often valuable, so I picked it up. 
Here's what it is:

 It's a little snowflake, and some sweet kid had drawn hearts and music signitures and arrows on it to make it more snow-flakey.  So cute!  And what struck me about it most forcefully was that it looked like a directional guide on a map.
Then the message became clear.
What I had been doing is picturing no money in the Spring.
What I had NOT been doing is charting a course towards more pleasant hopes and dreams. 
Some talk of what is and say "Why?"
I dream of what can be and say "Why Not?"
I'm paraphrasing this quote, and forget who said it, but the meaning is clear and very apt:  Staying with the reality of the situation keeps me stuck in it.  Dreaming of what might be moves you toward a better life.  Both ways of thinking have power.  Which power would I rather manifest?
A car is another dream symbol that indicates one's life.  The fact that this little snowflake was run over by, probably, several cars means that the "facts" about my economic life were multiplying and crushing my dreams.  I want and need to reactivate the powerful thought process that moves me in the direction of creating what I want in my life, not more of what I fear. Therefore, hope needs to be reborn to shed light on the darkness of my current economic thought.
Nothing in the future is gauranteed.  Nothing.  My advice to me and to you?
Start dreaming of what you want and stop fearing what you don't want.  Choose hope, eschew worry, and see what happens.  Why not?
 Love,
Kristine

Where is the "truth" sending you?

The Page of swords is today's card.

Pages are messagers, and the sword is the symbol of truth (with a capitol "T"). We see a young person on a hilltop. The blowing trees in the background and the flowing hair on his/her head indicate a blustery day. A flock of birds flies in the distance. Huge clouds mass on the horizon. Far away we see an indication of water and mountains. The young person's stance is guarded. Who or what is he/she looking at? Maybe at some version of the "truth".

The "truth" can distract you from your purpose. When you're off on your personal journey, towards a dream you've always wanted, and someone says something negative about you, you can be thrown off your path. You might, for instance, be told that "you can't have this thing that you want, because you're a _____ and no one like you can ever have this dream-come-true." "Well," they might add, "it's the Truth!"

Their truth hurts, and you may feel defensive, wary, like giving up, or even arguing with the nay-sayer.

We've all been turned from our true path by this kind of comment; that we're not focused enough, pretty enough, powerful enough, etc. etc. to have our dream, and that only extrodinary people get what they want.

Our parents might have told us this, or our teachers or friends or we may have said this to ourselves when life feels overwhelming.

Defending ourselves from someone else's opinion only distracts us from our purpose and, more insidiously, shows us our tacit agreement to whatever we've been accused of.

What we, or others, believe about ourselves is not "the truth". It's just a thought we've been trained to keep thinking. We can change our beliefs about ourselves by simply turning from the old belief and continuing on our path, trusting that we'll be guided to (and by) our best self.

The Truth is that we are all extrodinary, with our own way to move through the world and our own unique gifts to give.

All we need to get what we want is the strength of will to go forward even in the face of a storm of disapproval. Storms always end, the winds of change will blow the clouds of self-doubt away, and you will see your clear path ahead.

Go for it. Let your truth set you FREE!

Love,
Kristine

Too Many Choices

The 9 of wands is the card I've been contemplating today. A man holds a staff, eight others form a fence behind him, and he looks like he's eying them warily. There's a bandage on his head indicating an injury. The green world spreads out far behind him. For me, this is a card about choosing one's path.



I'm lucky to have an abundance of choice. I can do, think, feel, be what I want.



This is both an advantage and a disadvantage. The plus side is obvious, but on the other hand, I often question my choices, or feel like I'm stuck in an old choice made long ago that no longer seems to fit the new me. The implications around choosing rightly or wrongly seem very weighty indeed, especially in an uncertain time. I could get hurt, or hurt my loved ones, if I make the wrong choice.



If I take my life less seriously, then my choices don't seem so impactful. I can then choose with a lighter heart. Looking closely at the card, I notice that there are no paths in the hills beyond the fence of wands. Perhaps I could keep all my options open and wander around my life more freely. I can make a choice, and if that doesn't fit, choose again. I can also choose not to choose.



There is a part of me that finds security in making a choice, but a larger part knows that any choice I make is temporary. Change is the only certainty. I can learn to be flexible, and choose depending on circumstance, and only make a choice when it feels "right".



I'm learning that a big part of making choices is being able to let them go if they don't work out. Stubborn consistency doesn't make for enough flexibility. It's like a cement river. It doesn't flow all that well.



I will go with the flow.

Happiness is Contagious

Obama, 09, oh my.
I predict a year of incredible change, and in order to move through the changes gracefully, my intention is to continually look for silver linings.
It's so easy to be negative, but it feels so bad and it's not productive. When my thoughts dwell on things that frighten me, like the economy, I start to live the fear that I'm feeling.
I was caught up in negativity in the last few months of 2008. I got very ill. Upon recovery, I looked around and noticed what I had.
I discovered I had an abundance of love. I was supported by friends, family, business acquaintances, and hospital staff. I felt so grateful, and feeling grateful felt soooo good.
Lesson learned. I rediscovered an attitude of appreciation and I intend to nurture and cultivate this attitude throughout the next year.
In order to do that, I will look for and do only what makes me feel good. My life is this moment, and I intend to enjoy each one. In short, I intend to be happy.
I read that current research on the subject of happiness indicates that if you live near a happy person, your chances of being happy increase.
The "selfish" intention to be happy can change your neighborhood. Change your neighborhood and you can change your city. Change your city, well, you see where I'm going with this: World Domination!!
Despite what we read in the paper, despite what the pundits say, and even despite what your bank account says: as the great spiritual teachers say, "Don't worry, be happy."
Join me.
Really be the change you want to see in the world.
You do want a happy world, don't you? Together we can do this.
Yes we can! Yes, we CAN!