Humans have amazing creative powers. Look at what has recently been created in the financial world. An elite group of colluding individuals with a similar goal–to make as much money as possible–have managed to fashion a worldwide economic crisis.

The crisis wasn’t the work of some supernatural force or power. Humans did it.

Now is the time for “ordinary” folks like you and me to form our own cartel that allows us to prosper while respecting the rights of others as we work towards a goal for the common good. We have the same creative powers within us as the greedy wall-streeters, but we can decide to work together so that all can prosper.

How to do this? First, think globally, act locally. Band together with others in your community to form co-ops, develop community gardens, offer support to small businesses, and build outreach programs. You don’t need money to do this, just human energy.

Reach out to others across the world to form support groups, partnerships, and joint ventures. When you connect to others your individual power is magnified. Recently, on one of the weekly teleclasses for the Build Your Money Muscles program, participants inspired each other to action by sharing information and encouragement. Feeling connected stimulates positive action for change.

Spend quiet time with yourself so you can connect to your own inner direction and move beyond the fear that seems to be in the air right now. Deep within you lies strength and power that you can use to create a better life for yourself and those around you. 

Arm yourself with knowledge so you can make informed choices. Spend time each day learning about the world of finance and developing practical financial skills so you can make wise financial decisions and not be swayed by advertising messages or slick sales presentations.

On last Friday’s BlogTalkRadio show (10/25), Personal Power expert Jim Bouchard talked with me about how you can develop the skills you need to develop the ability to act effectively in all situations and how this can affect your prosperity. You can listen online or download. The program is now available as an I-Tunes Podcast–just search for Joan Sotkin in I-Tunes.

On the show, Jim and I also coached one of the participants in the Build Your Money Muscles for Financial Strength & Security program about working through shame and overcoming resistance. I hope you’ll listen and learn from Jim’s wisdom. www.BlogTalkRadio.com/JoanSotkin

We’ve all watched the movie: A terrible storm batters a ship at sea. Wind blows and waves build as the audience holds their breath waiting to see if those on board live or die. Sometimes there’s a happy ending as the storm subsides, the rough waters calm, and the ship and it’s passengers survive. Other scenarios end in tragedy.

Right now, the planet is the midst of a gigantic financial storm, and we are collectively holding our breath while the waves toss us about and we wait for the storm to end. Storms always do end, but we can’t assess the damage until it is over.

This is a really big storm, and like hurricanes Katrina and Ike will leave a lot of destruction in its path. We can’t avoid the fact that we will have to deal with the destruction and go through a period of rebuilding. It’s not going to be quick and for many it’s not going to be easy.

How well you ride out the storm depends, in part, on your coping skills as the world around you morphs into something new. You can choose to watch the movie–or not–and either stay detached or get caught up in the terror of the rough ride. 

For many years, I have been learning how to detach and watch the drama. It takes a lot of practice and a determination not to get caught up in the emotions of the moment while being able to empathize with those who do.  

I’d like to teach how to do this to anyone who wants to learn to thrive and prosper no matter what is going on. In the first month, in a portion of my new 6-month program, Build Your Money Muscles for Financial Strength & Security, I present techniques for overcoming financial fear.

And the teleclasses that are part of the program provide the opportunity for people to connect to each other and share solutions.

I’m also going to offer free coaching via a new show on BlogTalkRadio.com, which will take place on Fridays at noon Eastern, 9 Pacific, 7 pm GMT.

I hope you will check out the risk-free program today and listen to the show on BlogTalkRadio.com starting on Friday, October 17.

There was an interview on NPR  with a columnist from The Financial Times who pointed out that during past recessions, most people have held on to their jobs, their homes, and their income. His advice for now, be cautious but don’t panic.

I’ve spoken to a number of people in the last few weeks whose lives have mostly been affected by rising prices and/or dropping value of their investments. For many, this is combined with a general feeling of alienation from the niceties of life and the uncertainty generated by the presidential campaign. It’s difficult to feel grounded and focused.

Generally we’re in a wait and see mode, as we wait to get a glimpse of how the financial chaos is going to shake out. This is a time of caution. It’s not a good time to take great risks in either your business or personal life. Rather, it’s better to carefully consider any purchases or major moves, and if possible, wait. Unless you are faced with an emergency, wait.

It’s also a good time to plan for your future–to ask yourself what you really  what you really want to do with the next segment of your life, and spend time doing the research you need if you want to move in a new direction.

It’s also a great time to start improving your financial literacy and understanding of the financial world so when things do turn around, you’ll be ready. I know people who are poised now to buy things at bargain prices with the knowledge that they will benefit in the future.

Because times are leaner, staying in close touch with your money is a wise move. Now is the time, if you haven’t done it before, to start keeping track of your spending and earning and getting to recognize your own patterns. This is the time to cure your financial vagueness syndrome.

For a basic plan for doing these things, read my book Build Your Money Muscles. For a more advanced “course” in developing practical financial skills and overcoming issues like a not-enough or just-enough financial habit, read about Build Your Money Muscles for Financial Strength & Security.

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.

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!

In order to move to an improved financial position, you have to create a new financial identity. If, for example, your financial life is characterized by underearning, constant financial worry, or longing for more and you want to experience abundance and security, your concept of your financial self has to change.

In order to replace financial discomfort of any kind with financial peace and prosperity you have to develop the thoughts, beliefs, emotions, and behaviors of a person who always has more than enough and never worries about money.

For many people, this means making major alterations in how they deal with themselves and the world around them. I don’t think, for example, that a person who has been underearning for many years, can rapidly evolve into a person who is well-paid or runs a consistently profitable business.

That’s why, for the majority of people, prosperity programs don’t work in the long run. Altering the characteristics of your financial life takes commitment and conscious attention, over an extended period of time.

You need to know two things: where you are now and where you want to be a few years. Not just financially, but also emotionally. Then you can develop a strategy for gradually altering the thoughts, beliefs, emotions, and behaviors that contribute to your current position.

Start by honestly defining where you are now. Perhaps you have already started altering how you deal with money. Start with where you are now, not where you were when you first started changing. Write down how you think and feel about your finances, what beliefs you harbor about what you deserve and what being wealthy means, and how you behave with money. (See the chart in Exercise 1 in Build Your Money Muscles.)

Then write down how you want to be thinking, feeling, and behaving two years from now. Also choose a realistic goal in terms of increased earnings or net worth. Doing this opens the door to decided which steps you want to take in order to develop your new financial identity.

There is no magic answer and unless you are expecting a large inheritance, no one is going to swoop down and drop a load of money into your life. You have to move in a new direction and planning how you will move is up to you. Once you make the plans, it’s up to you to take action.

Coming Very Soon:
Build Your Money Muscles for Financial Strength & Security. A six-month program guaranteed to move you to a healthier financial position.

Moving to a new financial position, no matter what your starting point, is an ongoing process that happens over an extended period of time. Although people often dream of winning the lottery, inheriting a lot of money, or somehow being transported into a new economic reality, that happens only rarely.Those who do come into money suddenly often deal with a wide range of problems as they adjust to their new position, with some never fully making the adjustment as their new-found fortune dwindles away.

• Reading a new financial publication or paying more attention to the stories in one you have read before.
• Learning something new about financial markets
• Paying more attention to your own finances by either keeping better records or, if you already keep good records, learning how to use the data strategically
• Improving the energy flow through your life by gradually eliminating clutter, toxic people, junk foods, complaining, and anything else that can negatively affect your energy.
• Replacing negative energy with positive people, food, exercise, and entertainment.
• Noticing your internal dialog and phasing out the critical parent in your head.
• Spending a few minutes each day either meditating or doing nothing

Your financial position can only change if you change it and you can insure your success by doing it one small step at a time.

Need more ideas for actions you can take to alter your finances? You’ll find plenty of helpful suggestions in Build Your Money Muscles. Read more about BYMM now.

Yesteday, I saw a promo on TV for an upcoming program and the announcer said, "Find out how to make the Law of Attraction work for you!"

That statement doesn’t make sense because the Law of Attraction always works and is working for you at this very minute. Whatever you are experiencing in your life is what you are attracting. You are never in a position of non-attracting.

The promo really should have said, "Find out how you can use the Law of Attraction to draw in a more comfortable life." Or more money, a better relationship, a healthier body. When most people talk about the Law of Attraction, they are thinking about bringing in more money–as if money is going to solve their problems and make their life perfect.

For me, it’s not about focusing on money. It’s about drawing in love, acceptance, acknowledgement, and appreciation. I know if the world is mirroring those for me, I’ll get paid because the money in my life is a reflection of how I feel about myself.

So the key to attracting more of what you want starts with loving, accepting, acknowledging, and appreciating yourself. All the positive affirmations, treasure maps, and goal setting will be of fleeting value if deep inside you feel alone, ashamed, angry, and deprived and if you can’t honestly imagine yourself–fully and completely–experiencing a positive life.

In addition, attracting what you want requires totally accepting the idea that you are the creator of your reality. Whatever is going on in your life is congruent with your throughts, beliefs, emotions, and behaviors. Adjust those, and you will attract new energy into your life.

Where to start? There are step-by-step instructions in Build Your Money Muscles. There is also lots of helpful information in my podcast archives at www.TheProsperityShow.com.

With the global economy behaving the way it is, there’s no doubt in my mind that a new paradigm has to emerge in order for everyday folks to move into a more prosperous financial state of being. The system that exists now helps the big get bigger and the small get smaller.

To me, it looks as if the job market is becoming more and more narrow and that in order for  ordinary people to see their incomes rise, there has to be a greater movement towords self-employment. The problem is that many don’t have the skills or personality to succeed as entrepreneurs or solo practiontioners.

What has to change is the each-man-for–himself that prevails in our system. Competition from an individual mindset has to be replaced by cooperation with like minded people working together.

There’s a novel by science fiction wirter Theordore Sturgeon called More Than Human about a group of misfits who couldn’t survive alone in society, but together they formed a strong, viable unit. I read that story many years ago, and it keeps coming to mind as I think of where we have to go in order to prosper. Now that I’ve really gotten into networking on Facebook, a picture of how we can create a network of individuals working together in order to thrive is emerging.

Rugged individualism and extreme competition is on its way to becoming yesterday’s story as people will be forced to find more cooperative ways of building comfortable, sustainable lives.

At the same time, people who now  look to others to support them, keep them healthy, and offer them security will have to become more proactive and take responsibility for their own health and well-being. This will require a major but ncessary shift in consciousness–and behavior–for many.

Taking responsibiity for one’s own health and well-being, does not mean doing things alone. It requires working with others who have complementary talents and abilities so all can thrive.

Is this idealistic? Perhaps. But i see it as a necessary step in our evolution.