Money is Spiritual - The Cake or Candles Principle

Money Is Spiritual

I remember growing up feeling that it was 'wrong' to have money. I deeply regarded poverty as a spiritual experience that was a gift. I realize that some of the reasoning behind this kind of belief is valid in the sense that we learn to treasure the most simple things in life through adversity. I don't know that I would trade the experience if I also had to trade the lessons. However, at some point in time, that kind of thinking becomes a burden rather than a blessing.

I was told '...don't get your hopes up..', which was a well meaning desire for me to not be disappointed if things didn't turn out the way I might hope for them to. The problem with this kind of thinking (my interpretation of it - my processing of it), in contrast to the laws of attraction, this kind of thinking is out of sync.

Balance comes when a hope is partnered with purposeful action. I didn't hope, so, for many years I was stuck believing that things were 'the way they were suppose to be.'

I recall the first time (relatively recently), after a major change in my life, I realized that at the rate of earning I was going, I would become about $400 a month behind month after month for the rest of my life. By the time 10 years passed, I would be over $40,000 in debt and would have slowly lost everything to debtors. What was even more disturbing, was the thought that my children would need to pay my debts, take care of me in my old age, and seriously put a strain on them financially.

I began to re-evaluate my belief system. I discovered that a deep seated belief had held me back from reaching for my true desires. This is another paradox really. I became willing to surrender all, and in return, I received a perverbial key to the hidden treasure.

Disagreement or Paradox

I will admit, I disagree with Rabbi Lapin on the subject of living your passion(s). He said we need to "find what people in our world need and become passionate about that." That is great advice, yet, when he added '...if we simply live our passion(s) we might be like the person who is passionate about being a tug boat operator in a world where there are no boats and no water. He stated that this would be selfish.' (this statement has been very paraphrased - but I believe that the meaning of his words are in context).

I believe that part of what he says could be true, however, I also believe that what our heart desires is a calling to our purpose and our service to others.

Perhaps the tug boat operator desire is simply about a person who's desires are preparing someone to be ready for the boats and the rising waters? How many people believed that Noah was actually following a calling? At the time before there were flood waters?

I am a very firm believer that we generally do not live out our passion(s). We tuck them away very early on (when we are children-and we forget). We generally serve those around us and do not 'listen to the still small voice within that is whispering our calling, waiting for us to listen and waiting for us to trust.' I believe that our passion(s), our heart's desires, and our talents are directly linked to our calling.

When have you ever felt that you were a slave to the next knock at the door, the next ringing of the phone, the next crisis that you are called upon to solve? When we live to serve in this kind of 'on demand' manner, something eventually will break. We will become ill or have our own personal crisis that takes us away from helping everyone.

Our body is telling us that we need to nurture ourselves - This, I believe is not a selfishness - It is our answer to the still soft and quiet calling of our heart's desire.

The whispers quietly speaking softly within us [within our hearts] are trying to tell us something. The passion and desire within our hearts was a gift of guidance put there long before time began, by the very essence that we long to be in alignment with.

"Serenity Speaks Softly"

While Rabbi Lapin's perpective would be absolutely valid, if we were simply going around seeking selfish desires... on the other hand, have we not seen with our own eyes that the most successful examples of our highest good have been a direct result of our implementing a project or venture that at the time didn't seem very interesting to anyone else?

We just followed something deep within ourselves and our success followed. We didn't plan to succeed, we simply served by using the talents that we have been nurturing.

If we had looked for a need, rather than following what our inner guidance was telling us, we may have not been prepared when the time was right.

Simply put, perhaps our calling to service, pre-dates the need(s) of the world around us. How many times have we said or heard someone say "She/He was way ahead of her/his time?" I believe that the answer to a need was prepared before the need was evident. I also believe that every question has already been answered. That would be another lens presentation.

Think about the people who invented the most innovative concepts and seemingly were 'out of sync' with the rest of the world. I remember when talk of the world wide web was not only difficult to imagine, it seemed impossible and even a worthless waste of time and energy. Who in the world would use such a thing?

Is this a disagreement or a parodox?

If we think of money as cake, we are thinking of it as a limited resource that if we take of it will take away from someone else. We do not want to take the best or the biggest piece. We feel obligated to let those who have a greater hunger to take the largest part. Most curious, we believe that when the cake is gone, that is that. No more resources for anyone to take part in.

If we think of money as candles, we discover that one candle can light another without taking away from the first. We discover that the more candles that are lit, the more the resource glows. This glowing light reaches more and more candles.

Imagine you are holding a candle. Every soul on the planet in human form is standing side by side encircling the planet. One candle is burning. The one that is burning bends ever so gently to light the next candle. In turn, each in the line follows this example. Within a few hours, every candle on the planet is glowing brightly as a result of the service bestowed upon 'one candle at a time' in the process.

But, wait... what if any of the candles begin to go out? Any candle in the world can relight it...
This is the basis of the concept that money is spiritual rather than physical.

Service is a way to light other candles. Service shows that "...we value each other and empower each other to fullfill our hightest good." ~ Paula White

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