Archive for the ‘Musings’ Category

A number of people have told me that they deal with the current world situation by not listening to the news. That’s like saying, “If I close my eyes, I won’t feel the pain of my broken leg.”

Each of us is part of the whole. We are cells in the body of the planet. The country we live in could be considered one of the organs. As cells, we are affected by the health of the entire body, and in the case of The Earth, the body is ailing — physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Imagine, if you will, that every time someone ingests something that harms the physical body, like refined foods, cigarette smoke, or drugs, it affects the health of the entire organism.

And because emotions are the creative force behind our life stories, imagine that every fear reaction adds to the total amount of terror, and this brings into manifestation terrorist cells, such as Al Qaeda.

Read the rest of this entry »

With everything that is going on in the world, it sometimes feels to me as if the world is falling apart. The news stories often contain phrases such as “the biggest,” “the worst since,” and “never seen before.”

Yet despite what is going on in the world, each of us has to continue performing our day-to-day tasks for our business ventures or jobs. Few of us can just sit back and wait for it all to pass, especially since it would seem that it’s not going to pass.

Uncertainty prevails.

There are times when I just want to surf the Net, go for a nice long walk, or even hide under the covers. On some days, I find it hard to focus on the task at hand.

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One word that can sum up the current state of world affairs is uncertainty. No one really knows what’s going on and all of the old predictive models aren’t working.

For example, this week, an AP article mentioned that economists had expected a cutback in consumer debt by about $4 billion in July. Instead, there was a $21.6 billion drop. Totally unexpected. Good for consumers, bad for the economy which depends on spending.

People seem to be waiting and hoping that the economy will get back to “normal.”  Most people mean get back to what it was, and that just isn’t going to happen. Our economy depends on consumer spending and consumers are tapped out.

Also, because growth of wages leads to increased spending, that push for the economy has leveled off. With all of the job cuts and people finally learning to spend less and save more or pay down debt, no one knows for sure what will happen to our economy. Uncertainty prevails. If anyone predicts the future with certainty, don’t believe them. Read the rest of this entry »

I recently googled “new economy” looking to see what trends those in the know are seeing. One thing is for sure, our economic future is not going to be a repetition of the near past. The economy will slowly recover, but along with the recovery will be both a shift in priorities and a lot of downsizing.

In an article in the Christain Science Monitor, 10 ways the new economy will look different, value, savings, frugality, second-hand goods, and green jobs stand out as key ideas.

In a CNN series of short articles under the heading How to profit in the new economy  you find words such as downsizing, the rise of freelance nation, new regulations, and demise of the ‘ownership socieity.”

The whole mindset is changing as well, especially for Gen-Ys (16 to 19 year olds) who are our future. This group sees the importance of adopting changing the world as a primary value. They understand the need to work together for the common good, a shift from the rugged individualism that has caused some of our current societal ills. Read the rest of this entry »

Last week, I received a desperate email from a Prosperity Tips subscriber who I’ll call Sam. At his wits end, Sam stated, “I  am dead emotionally. and physically soon.” He went on to say that he had no job and had no way to pay his bills. “Death is best,” he said in closing.

I heard Sam’s hopeless cries and knew I had to contact him.  I googled his name and location, which was the only information I had, and thanks to his LinkedIn profile, discovered where he had last worked. They gave me his phone number and I left a message for Sam to call me.

He did call and we spoke for almost an hour. Sam had been out of work for 18 months, despite sending out dozens of resumes. With no good news, Sam spiraled into depression.

It took a while to help Sam see that he really did have options and opportunities for gratitude, and that what he was learning about himself during this troubled time was important. Finally, he laughed a bit and felt like he could face another day. He promised to call me the next day. Read the rest of this entry »

The current financial crises is forcing many people to become more aware financially than ever before. Financial vagueness and poor financial management skills have caused serious problems on various levels and many are moving toward greater financial responsibility in order to recover–or survive–financially.

Difficult times such as we are in now, act as the catalyst for deep introspection and an examination of values. In order to move into financial stability, what matters has to be defined individually and used as a basis for future behaviors.

Clearly the uber-focus on money and it’s potential as a stimulus for personal happiness and stability has proven to be inadequate to keep society glued together. Money is necessary for our economic survival, but when money becomes the primary focus and goal of our lives, something is lost.

When asked about the financial crisis during a recent airing of Bill Moyers Journal on PBS, the Rev. Dr. Serene Jones, President of Union Theological Seminary said, “It’s a crisis of value. We have misplaced, in deep ways, the ruler that we use to measure what matters most in life. And it has become completely exhausted by monetary value.” Read the rest of this entry »

I had my spiritual “coming out” on December 26th on my radio show (http://BlogTalkRadio.com/JoanSotkin) and really appreciate the emails and blog comments of support that I received.Actually, lots of people seem to be focusing more on their inner development now that the outer world is falling apart.

The good news in all that is happening is that there is a new order emerging. The tough part is that the old structures have to be destroyed before the new can be rebuilt. If your dwelling has ever gone through a reconstruction, then you recognize the disorientation that so many people are feeling.

Part of the problem, as I see it, lies with those in charge of our governments who are hoping for things to go back the way they were. We aren’t going to be moving backwards. Gross consumerism is on it’s way out as people search for more meaning in their lives.

There are lots of young people who care about the future of the planet. They are the ones who have to grow up under the threat of major catastophes as our oceans rise and topography changes along with alterations in weather patterns. These young people realize that success lies with suvival not with aquisition of things.

It’s time to stop focusing on building individual wealth as our major goal. It is important for us to learn how to use money and other means of exchange like barter in order to faciliatate the movement of goods and services. One thing is for certain, we can’t function and survive alone and we need a functioning system of exchange.

We also need to band together to make sure that everyone has what they need. Perhaps the time has come for people to understand that each of us is a cell in a larger organism and that the physical, emotional, spiritual, and financial health of one affects the entire organism.

What can you do today, no matter what your situation might be?
Reach out to others. Become part of a functioning community–or help to organize one–where people work together towards a common goal. Or join a group that offers support and encouragement as people walk together through the chaos of change.

Spend time in quite contemplation as you search for your vision of a positive future. Then share that vision with others. I started this topic on the Build Your Money Muscles Prosperity Group on Facebook. I’d love to hear from you.

You haven’t heard from me for a few weeks and that’s because, as the world is dealing with the chaos of change, I’ve been going through my own transformation, and I’d like to share something with you because I think some of you can relate.

I don’t know about you, but I’m finding that I’m feeling a bit disoriented by the cloud of uncertainty that hovers over everything now. Since I believe that opportunity can be found within every situation, I asked how I could benefit from the evolutionary change that our financial and political systems are going through.

I realized that this is the perfect time to latch onto the energy of transformation and allow myself to be more honest about who I am and what matters to me. You see, I’ve been hiding a part of myself–it’s sort of my secret. And I finally woke up to the fact that if I’m not willing to be totally honest about who I am, then I’m abandoning a part of myself, which can only affect me in a negative way.

And I bet more than one of you out there feels like you’re hiding too.

Although I focus my work on money and emotions, it’s really the spiritual part of my life that matters to me. When I was “homeless,” I perceived it as a spiritual journey that allowed me to get in touch with the inner guidance that I know we all have. Because I owned nothing and was attached to nothing, I could let my mind and spirit roam into uncharted territory, which I did.

On my journey, I had inter-dimensional experiences that, if someone else were to tell me the story, I’d probably think they were delusional. I wasn’t, and the experiences were real yet totally unexplainable through logical means. I came away from that period of my life with a deep, deep knowing that we are not alone, and my personal journey now is about how to enhance my relationship with that Force that guides us.

I often have synchronistic experiences that validate for me how we are all connected through an invisible communication grid that we can learn to use at will. It takes practice and patience, but it is there for anyone who is willing to suspend their disbelief and open themselves to alternate realities.

My purpose for writing today is just to connect and let you know that I’m contemplating how I want to present the knowledge that I have gained over the last 30 years. My broadened point of view allows me to be in the world but not of it so I can experience what’s going from a detached point of view. This allows for being in a peaceful place in the midst of the chaos.

As the Build Your Money Muscles for Financial Strength & Security Program is evolving, starting in the fourth month, I’m introducing this new material. I haven’t mentioned it yet in the description of the program, but will by the middle of next month.

In the meantime, on Decemeber 26th at noon EST, 9 am Pacific, on my BlogTalkRadio.com show, I’m going to tell some of my story. I’ve been told by those who have heard parts of it that the story is inspiring and certainly interesting. If you’d like, you can listen live or download later at http://BlogTalkRadio.com/JoanSotkin

I hope you all have a peaceful holiday and look forward to communicating with you next year.

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.