The Lessons of Financial Catalyst

[Plenum]

I think most individuals here have experienced 'financial catalyst' at some stage of their lives. Most probably, more than a few are currently still experiencing it now.

I wonder what some of the lessons of this are?

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I grew up in a poor household; pretty much as poor as it comes. My parents were immigrants from Hong Kong and China; my father had broken english (and its still pretty broke today lol) although my mother had a few more years of schooling, and in Hong Kong english was more common as a second language back then. But they had no professional skills, and both found work in the hospitality industry (chinese take-away food, small restaurants etc). It was all cash in hand, and many times 'off the books'.

money was most scarce during growing up. There were 3 kids spaced 3 years apart, and I can remember each christmas exactly, because that was the one time of the year we ever got gifts or new things (my birthday is in early January, and so I got a 'combined gift' god-bless my parents).

this situation of financial scarcity pretty much lasted up until I turned 15, when I was of the age where I could get a job. So I worked at McDonalds doing the proverbial hamburger-flipping, cleaning of the grease traps, changing the burning oil in the chicken vat, throwing around the boxes of produce when the supply truck turned up once a week, and connecting the gas hoses when I had the pleasure of starting a 6am shift (opening).

and yet ... what JOY!! I couldn't believe I was earning my own money, and now could buy whatever I wanted (well, within certain limits, granted). I could actually buy a Guns 'n Roses CD!! I could buy new clothes!! (oh my gosh!) I could 'buy' a haircut instead of having my mother hack away at my scalp! all the pleasures and wonders of actually having disposable income.

I experienced a childhood of poverty. I am sure there are worse, but by any objective measure, there was not a spare dime to go around. No frivolities. No excesses. Everything accounted for; down to the last cent, in many years.

but during this period, I found the wonders of the school library and the local municipal library. And these books opened my eyes to the wonders of the written word. I adored language and studied it whenever possible.

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so what was the lesson?

that money can buy many things, but it can't buy passion. When you deprive yourself of many material things, and all that is left is the self, all naked before the world, you will see more clearly the things that are deeply important to you.

these days, I live a relatively comfortable existence; even working part-time. Most of this is due to my having a fairly simple lifestyle, and so expenses mostly go to the essential bills. It is not that I begrudge spending money (I have done so in the past, and had many experiences made possible by having a 'pot' of disposable income), it is just that these days I concentrate mostly on the experiences where income is not a factor.

so I have not forgotten my childhood in any way. I understand what it is like to scrounge for every cent, and to be utterly cautious about putting every single item in the grocery basket, and sometimes taking something out and putting it back on the shelf because the money is not there. It is a very depleting experience on the self.

but I commiserate with you. I really do. It is a most challenging thing to experience and live through; especially if there does not seem any end in sight.

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namaste fellow journeyers; this is not an easy planet to experience.

plenum

[GentleReckoning]

It is catalyst that is plentiful on this planet that simply allows people to opt into the lessons of a scarcity mindset. Have or have not are distortions of the idea of being unloved or loved.

[Brittany]

I had a psychic reading once that indicated I spent multiple lives in a privileged state, being born wealthy and never really having to worry about supporting myself. In this life I arranged for the opposite, because things were getting a little too easy and I was getting complacent and not really working on my lessons. The goal isn't so much to be poor in this life, but to appreciate the value of work and sacrifice in order to attain a goal, instead of having it all laid out for me up front. Stress over financial matters is a constant catalyst for me, and has taught me a great deal about myself. Though I haven't yet managed to completely balance the anxiety I get from not knowing if we'll be able to pay the bills, I've certainly made great leaps in appreciating true abundance- the type that comes from self-knowledge and seeing the potential in each moment.

[AnthroHeart]

When growing up when I was not in group homes my dad (separated and divorced from mom) would rarely buy food for us. My brother experienced it more because he didn't live in group homes. Growing up I was provided for, yet my dad would spend money on kegs of beer which he kept in a fridge dedicated to it. I never resented him, even when he spanked me. One day he went crazy with the spanking because I had done something very wrong. After that I got sent to a group home when i was like 13.

But I wasn't poor growing up, nor was I rich. I now have a job that gives me a comfortable living, and the work is not too bad. It's an office job, so I have to work at exercising if I am to do that. I started working at 16, but sometimes my money went to my dad who had a bunch of bills and ended up having to file for bankruptcy. Fortunately I never have had to to do that, though I have defaulted on many loans or lines of credit. I hope that debt does not incur karma.

My preincarnative decisions have given me a relatively easy life. Of that I am grateful. Only a few regrets from my past, but I have forgiven myself for the most part.

[Fastidious Emanations]

Money is for slavery... We need food and water.
We are starting to live in a world of scarcity because we no longer trust the planet to provide us.

Edit; that was coming from a very cynical perspective.
I should at least add that to treat the planetary mother as best we can is to embrace and truly live as one with her.
This can be understood/applied at varying degrees, and I think may be related to the embracing of the natural flux/in-streaming energies that are apparently rather intense "now" from the Logos.

[Plenum]

thanks for sharing Gemini and Britanny.

very much appreciated!

I always value different perspectives on the same topic (its part of the infinite variety and delight of this Creator of ours : D)



plenum

[zenmaster]

I think most individuals here have experienced 'financial catalyst' at some stage of their lives. Most probably, more than a few are currently still experiencing it now.

I wonder what some of the lessons of this are?

Resourcefulness, frugality, planning, prioritizing, patience, sharing, power and their opposites such as impatience, humility, and excess. There is the analysis of desire, the evaluation of need, the feeling of lack, abundance, satisfaction, dissatisfaction, worth, value, control, charity, expectation, slavery, mastery, hope, triumph, fear and dread.

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I've said this before, but the only thing that would remove the need for money would be the recognition of the value of the individual in society. This may be forthcoming if there is an increase in awareness of "interiors" a la Ra's "color chip" analogy.

[Ashim]

I tried explaining to my landlord that "money is just energy", or "fiat currency is worthless" and "..it's all just concensus...bits of paper that we assign value to", etc.
Regardless he still insisted on the €660 that I owed him.
Dammit.

[Fastidious Emanations]

If we traded hugs for currency, we'd have a greater rate of energy transfer occurrence
"This item costs 3 lengthy, warm, heart-felt embraces of green ray energy transfer, or equivalent"

[Marc]

I tried explaining to my landlord that "money is just energy", or "fiat currency is worthless" and "..it's all just concensus...bits of paper that we assign value to", etc.
Regardless he still insisted on the €660 that I owed him.
Dammit.

The ignorant bastard! Lol