For anyone who is paying attention, the crisis in the financial markets feels like a dizzying ride. Up and down (mostly down), with no clear end in site. And we keep hearing the words “Worst since the Great Depression.”

Other messages can be downright confusing. Monday, just as the stock market closed down 777 points, I heard a number of financial commentators say things like, “What we need is less regulation and cutting corporate taxes,” which is what the house Republicans want and why they blocked the bailout bill.

This tactic is part of the “trickle down” theory that states that the market will regulate itself and more freedom on the top will trickle down in the form of profits to the bottom… We see how well that has worked.

What’s the average person to do? Hopefully, if you have investments in the stock market, you also have someone who knows more than you do who you can talk to and get advice. From my point of view, things started getting a bit dicey six months ago and that seemed like a good time to get out of the market.

For those of you who function at a just-enough level, you are probably in ok shape, assuming you haven’t used a lot of credit. Just enough means you’ve had enough to cover your bills and financial obligations. You are the ones who can take a big sigh of relief–no debt, enough to pay your bills. This is not the time to take any chances.

If you function at a less-than-enough level, you’ve probably been borrowing over an extended period of time and may have paid some of your cards late or are maxed out on your cards. This will have compromised your FICO score, so you better stop using credit right now and do whatever you need to do to pay down some of your debt. The good news for you is that you may be forced to get your finances in order so you don’t have to go through this again.

If you are worried about the price of basics, losing your job, or any of the other potential fall out effects of this crisis, worrying isn’t gong to help. It never does. Take a deep breath and spend more time than usual meditating and tuning in to the part of you that sees a bigger picture and can lead you to solutions that will work for you.

Since you haven’t got any control over what going on around you, take control of your home environment. Create order out of chaos, if that’s what you have. Review your financial habits and decide what you are going to do differently.

This is a great time to analyse your past behaviors and decide what’s not serving you and what you want to change.

Here are some resources that can be helpful
Basic Meditation Instructions
Economist Paul Krugman’s column
Some levity at JibJab.com
And a bit more at The Daily Show

According to Senator Bernie Sanders (D-Vermont) who was interviewed on the Thom Hartman Radio Show on Air America (9/26), during the Bush administration 400 of the richest Americans increased this wealth by a total of $670 Billion. That’s an astounding concentration of wealth.

The news is not all good for the uber-rich because the value of their assets are decreasing during the current economic crisis. But their lifestyles probably won’t be affected.

The people most affected by the market downturn are apparently those who are retired or nearing retirement who depend on their market holdings as a base for their reitrement income. Some have to go back to work, others who don’t have that option, are scared and struggling.

There’s no way of knowing if the rescue package is going to stabalize the market or not. Clearly traders are jittery. And because the financial crisis is global, no one can predict the eventual outcome.

I heard a quote yesterday (don’t know who said it)–Everything is going to be ok in the end, and if it’s not ok then it’s not the end.  We’ve got a long way to go until the end.

In the meantime, we can’t wait for someone to save us. It’s up to us to educate ourselves about the financial world and develop stellar financial management skills. Doing this can help us straighten out our own finances and make rational financial decisions for ourselves.

If, Instead of giving into the fear you take action, you can find your own way out of your fianncial mess, if you have one. Count your money, don’t use credit, create a rational spending plan, cut back on non-essentials, work with othes to find local solutions.

Personally, I think that it is important, at this time, to get beyond the fear and spend time being still so you can let your intuition be your guide. Times are tough for many, and we all have the opportunity to come out of this stronger, wiser, and much better at managing our finances.

It’s also crucial that you understand the economic policies of the presidential candidates. Find out who their economic advisors are and what they believe are the solutions. It’s the advisors who will affect the judgement of the person who is going to be in charge. Paul Krugman has an excellent column on this topic.

In 1975, when I was doing a lot of intense healing and meditation, I had a strong vision–actually, it was something I “heard.” The gist of it was that we were headed towards a period of great chaos on the planet, that many people would leave, and that the violence in the middle east would get so bad that people would ask, “How can a benevolent God allow this to happen.”

The second part of the message was that people were being trained to act as points of peace in the midst of the chaos in order to help those who would become befuddled and scared.

I’m fully aware that messages received in this manner are not infallible–our humanness can get in the way.  Even so, I have spent the last 30 years or so learning how to detach and watch the drama while holding on to a faith that whatever is happening is ok. It’s not good or bad, it’s only what is.

It looks to me like we have moved from the outer edges of the chaos and are now moving towards the eye of the storm. Because of the speed (or lack of it) with which universal events take place, this could take years.

From my point of view, it looks as if a viable strategy is to find a place of peace within ourselves in order to cope with the chaos and uncertainty. Easier said than done, I know, but well within the range of possibility.

It looks to me as if we have two choices. We can either get caught up in the fear and chaos, or not. Each of us can choose which direction in which we wish to move and we can take action to go there. 

Lots of people have already chosen the path of peace and we can surround ourselves with those who eschew judgement, hate, and violence and embrace acceptance, love, and peace. For me, that’s what prosperity is all about.

The truth is, there is very little in human affairs that is certain. Yet from everything I have observed, people do everything they can to bring some semblance of certainty into their lives. From daily routines, to various levels of risk aversion, creating stability has become important to many.

Thus the uncertainty in the current economic environment can be maddening. Many who thought their future was secure are watching their wealth melt away with no indication of when the problems will end.

The bailout program being proposed lives side by side with commentary explaining that no one knows what the outcome would be if this drastic plan were put into effect. Massive uncertainty.

If you watch the movement of the stock market these days, it’s a wile ride up and down, up and down, not on a daily basic, but on an hourly basis. This reflects a high degree of uncertainty.

So what’s the average human to do in the face of such overwhelming uncertainty. Here are some suggestions.

•  Accept the situation for what it is. Remember the Serenity Prayer: Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
•  Stay focused in the present. How are you doing today? Do you have what you need today? Are you physically comfortable today?
•  Educate yourself. The more you know about money and the financial world, the more control you will feel you have over your finances. You will also have the wherewithal to figure out solutions to problems that arise.
•  Limit your risks for now. Don’t take on new, risky projects or investments–unless, of course, you thrive with uncertainty.
•  Don’t take on any new debt.
•  Breathe. Whenever you feel anxiety building up, take a series of deep breaths and repeat your power word.

In Month 1 of the new six-month program, Build Your Money Muscles for Financial Strength & Security, there is a helpful audio called Overcoming Financial Fear. The first month of the program also includes detailed instructions for using EFT and the Power Word to help you through difficult times.
 Learn more…
 
Because of the current turmoil, members of the BYMM Program will be able to paticipate in weekly teleconferences.

When the administration tries to rush something through congress, I worry. I also get a queezy feeling about the huge bailout that is being proposed.

The numbers are staggering, so much so that it defies comprehension. Our national debt ceiling will be rased to $11.3 TRILLION dollars. The bailout will cost $700 BILLION dollars. Maybe. It could be more, and there’s no guarantee that the plan will work. So far, the proposed bill doesn’t offer relief for homeowners.

I highly respect the opinions of economicst and NY Times columnist Paul krugman. He has an excellent column today called Cash for Trash that I recommend if you’d like a more sober view of what is going on.

It sure does look like the financial world is falling apart. Major financial institutions are going bankrupt, smaller banks are in danger of closing, government bailouts are taking place, and the words “recession” and “depression” on everyone’s lips.

The immediate threat seems to be a serious tightening of credit, which would affect consumer spending. This in turn would hurt the US economy. At the same time, the problems in the US are affecting economies around the world.

So what’s the good news? This financial crisis has been a long time in coming as regulations were eliminated or not enforced, and greed took over. Those out for the big bucks made risky investments, and the more they got away with, the more risk they took. Then it all started to collapse as securities backed by subprime mortgages went bad.

Here’s the good news: I see the current situation as a major correction as the greed and corruption come to the surface, which will allow the system can start healing itself. The dysfunction goes very deep, so it could be a lengthy healing, but it will heal. And the system that emerges will be stronger–until greed and corruption take over once again. But that will be years in the future.

Should you be afraid? No. And you can minimize your fear if take steps to protect yourself.

• Do everything you can to reduce your debt and cut down on spending.
• Downsize if you have to in order to feel more secure.
• If you can’t stop spending or you keep living on the edge, find out why you hold on to these habits.
• Think through all of your purchases and ask, “Do I really need this?”
• Keep making plans for a positive future and developing strategies for income building.

We are in the down side of a cycle, that WILL turn around in time. The people at the top don’t want the whole system to collapse and will do what they can to save it. It’s going to take a while, because the problem is global. This is a good time to find your place of peace in the midst of the chaos.

In the meantime, this is an opportunity for you to clean up your money mess and prepare for prosperity.

The first month of the six-month Build Your Money Muscles for Financial Strength & Security program has an audio, Overcoming Financial Fear, that can help you get yourself out of fear and into positive action.

In my quest to explore emotions that people express through their money, I recently tapped into feeling vulnerable and unprotected.

Feeling unprotected can lead to life stories in which someone takes advantage of you, or you are left feeling very vulnerable. I experienced feeling unprotected recently when my roof started leaking and I had to find a solution. I called a number of roofers, got a variety of responses, and felt really vulnerable because of my lack of experience.

A friend took me up on my roof so I could see for myself what was going on and he helped me make a decision. But I became aware of how vulnerable and unprotected I sometimes feel. And I realized that a lot of people feel this way.

Just last week a report came out that stated that over the last seven years, the United States has not done enough to protect its citizens against terrorist attacks. This could be something we created, as a group, because we feel so unprotected.

Remember, the situation doesn’t cause the feelings, the feelings are the force behind the situation.

How are you expressing unprotected through your stories? Which of your financial fears indicate that you feel unprotected? There’s a good chance that if you have any money invested in the stock market that you feel vulnerable and unprotected.  Or perhaps you have no savings or cushion for emergencies, inadequate health insurance, or enough debt to cause ongoing discomfort. I would guess that in any of these situations you feel vulnerable.

These feelings usually start in childhood and would certainly be present in people who were abused or bullied in any way, had one or more alcoholic or addicted parents, or who had narcissistic parents. Anyone who has experiences homelessness, eviction, or bankruptcy would probably feel unprotected.

• If you think that unprotected is something you are expressing, here are some suggestions:
  Get in touch with and process the feelings so you no longer have the need to act them out through your finances or other life stories. There are techniques for doing this in Build Your Money Muscles The new Build Your Money Muscles for Financial Strength & Security program focuses on these techniques.
• Learn about the financial world. If you make financial decisions without knowledge, you are leaving yourself vulnerable to loss or being taken advantage of–or just screwing up your finances.
• Think about actions you can take to protect yourself. You may need to learn assertiveness techniques or other communications skills so you can stand up for yourself, in other words protect yourself, in any situation.

Resources:

• The Prosperity Show: Podcasts #17–Changing Your Money Feelings
• Build Your Money Muscles for Financial Strength & Security. A comprehensive six-month program guaranteed to improve your finances and your life!

Your financial identity is made up of many elements including your thoughts, beliefs, and emotions regarding money and yourself. It also includes your financial behaviors, goals, and expectations.

Given this, the best way to approach building a new identity is to choose one item to focus on with intensity and observe the changes you go through. Altering one element of your identity will automatically alter others.

For example, if you tend to criticize yourself a lot and you alter that behavior, your self-image is going to improve and your relationships will also change. Because you feel better about yourself, you are bound to upgrade how you take care of yourself and your finances.

This can lead to improved health and vitality, which would alter what you attract. Better cash flow is bound to follow. And it all resulted from focusing on how you talk to yourself.

In the last Prosperity Tip, I suggested that you write down where you are now and where you would like to be in two years. Take one item on that list and work towards reaching your goal.

I realized a while back that I tend to make impulsive financial decisions. Because I’m a risk taker, my habit was to act first and worry about the consequences later. I realized that this behavior wasn’t serving me and wanted to change it.

I started being much more deliberate when making decisions about things like what to buy and who to engage to help me with projects. Instead of accepting what came along easily, I started taking the time to do research and ask many more questions. The results were rewarding on many levels, and in the long run, I definitely saved money and felt better about my decisions.

Which of your behaviors are not serving you well. Don’t criticize yourself for that behavior, just make a decision to change it. Try different approaches rather than settling on just one alternative. And keep in mind that you’ll have to repeat the new behavior over a period of time in order for it to take hold.