10 Spiritual Money Practices To Eliminate Poverty
October 14, 2008 by Akemi
This post is for Blog Action Day 2008 that is about Poverty.
It’s also a supplement to my last post on how to start your own business because the issue of money is unavoidable when you quit your job and make the leap of faith. (Photo by Kaptain Krispy Kreme)
Real cause of poverty
When we think about poverty, it’s so easy to focus on the existing tragedies such as the homeless people or the starving children in Africa. I feel for them, but I’m asking you to put those issues aside for a moment and think why poverty exists. Let’s take care of the root cause first.
Now imagine two individuals – two brothers, with the same educational background. Will they achieve the same level of financial status as they proceed in life? We’ve seen similar cases and know they won’t, right? So what makes one succeed, while the other fails miserably? It’s their thinking. One is focused on wealth, abundance, and success, and the other only sees lack and poverty in and around him.
In my previous bank job, I was told never to judge customers by their appearances. A stinky homeless-like guy may have tens of thousands of dollars while the guy in nice suit may be deep in debt. (As bank employees, we knew this.) I also read that Donald Trump once said, when the economy was down, that the homeless guys had more net worth than himself because they had some coins in their papercups while he was deep in debt.
So what makes Donald Trump rich? He focuses on abundance and success. While the guy on the street worries like crazy and never touches his savings.
Kiva: Empowering the have-nots
This understanding that poverty starts not from external lacks but from the internal scarcity thoughts has taken roots in our social awareness. For example, charity. Charity used to be about sending money to the needy. This only helped the needy superficially and temporarily. Now organizations like Kiva lends money to the people who currently don’t have the money but are willing to make some. They treat the people as those who have the full potential to become rich – just not there yet. This is empowering.
Do you still think there are absolute poverty? People who just can’t climb up from poverty because of their outwardly circumstances? Well, I’m not going to argue – there may be because this physical world is not perfect. For those of you who think that way, however, the real question may be: Are you using their poverty as an excuse for you to stay stuck?
I’ve seen this pattern of thought. For example, Po Bronson’s book, What Should I Do with My Life?: The True Story of People Who Answered the Ultimate Question
10 principles of spiritual money practice to eliminate poverty and to become rich yourself
There are a lot you can do right here and now to decrease the world poverty, and only you can do them because they are about your own spirit. In the meantime, they will make you rich 
Here are the principles of spiritual money practice (I will be explaining them into more details in my future posts):
- Let go of your scarcity thoughts. One by one, as they surface in your mind.
- At the same time, expand your spirit to allow higher level of abundance for yourself and others. (My Dream Money Project is a fun way to do this.)
- Accept money as a form of natural abundance. There is nothing dirty or evil about money. We can do a lot of good things with money.
- Learn to see the current situation, financial or not, as a vehicle to learn the valuable lessons rather than being stuck in it.
- Learn to see the possibilities behind what meets your eye. There are a lot of opportunities to make money.
- Take responsibility for your own life. Don’t wait until you win the lottery to do what you want to do. Use the power of your free will and free choice to create your own life.
- See abundance in nature. Be amazed how God (or any name Divinity) has made this physical world so abundant and beautiful. Isn’t the sunrise literally priceless?
- See everyone as your equals and treat them with respect. Money goes around and comes through people.
- Start your day with gratitude and end your day with gratitude.
- Enjoy giving.
If you are an aspiring entrepreneur – the startup money issue
You might want to do some math how much money reserve you need to quit your corporate job and start your own business. Alternatively, you can take a part-time job or rely on your family’s income. But still, there is a point when you cut your umbilical cord and step into the unknown. No amount of money can make this transition completely safe.
When I was starting as a new entrepreneur, I often thought about the Kiva beneficiary in another country that I was supporting. Or about Muhammad Yunus, the banker to the poor, and his story of lending money to a woman who wanted to buy a goat to eventually sell its milk. (If my memory serves me well, she expanded her business further and later became Mr. Yunus’ business partner) It gave me tremendous courage in the uncertain days of early entrepreneurship.
What is your money hangups? Write them in the comment as a way to overcome them!
Further reading: This book review is about how to become a millionaire.
If you like this article, you might enjoy my eBook on spiritual entrepreneurship. Click here for free, immediate download
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Akemi, the p-word is not in my vocabulary. Abundance, however, is in my vocabulary, and for me, it’s a state of mind. I attract what I attend. I can ask myself: which of my inner/outer resources am I blessed to share with others to attract what I attend?
Christopher
Christopher,
I know! I was at first reluctant to write about poverty, but I thought this may be a good opportunity to express my spiritual money and success principles.
This morning, I received a message that, when I act from love, there is no fear. It embraces everything.
Akemi, I’m thinking that message is for me – or for me, also *wink*
Hi Akemi. My challenge right now is to believe that I will attract a prosperous stream of income from my new business. I know it is “supposed” to take some time, and I’m determined to keep working at it. Writing and developing a life coaching business is empowering for me. However, the fact remains that bills need paying and my fear is that, heaven forbid, I have to take a job again and fall into that comfortable trap of a regular paycheque. From past experience I know that when I am safe I become lazy and can easily abandon my passions. Yuck! I hate to admit that.
Davinas last blog post..Blog Action: Pass The Change, Be The Change
I commend you for this article. Poverty is an internal state of Being, a separation from the Abundance that comes from Source. It’s unfortunate that the concept of so much “charity” has become so disempowering – I do love organizations like Kiva for what they do.
Blessings,
Andrea
Davina,
Well, when you admit your shortcoming, or what you perceive to be your shortcoming, you are definitely growing! And you know the saying, “What you resist, persist”?
Why don’t you try the Dream Money Project for fun? It may feel silly sometimes to think up ways to use the Dream Money, but it works!
Andrea,
Thank you. The spiritual realization is spreading, and I’m honored to be part of it.
Hi Akemi – These are really good points. I like what Trump said too – he was being far more honest than a lot of folk would be in his situation.
If your theories are right, I guess that’s what makes it harder for folk in developing countries. It would be difficult to think of anything but poverty, if you were surrounded by it and had no idea that anything else was possible.
Some people’s attitude to money can be influenced a lot by the way I grew up. My parents used to make me feel guilty a lot – especially when it came to eating yukky things like smash, because there were people in other countries who didn’t have any food. And when I went on holiday more than she thought I should, she said it wasn’t fair on other people who couldn’t afford to go – as if I was depriving them in some way.
But denying ourselves of things doesn’t help other people and it doesn’t help us to help them either.
I try not to worry too much about money – one minute I’m making lots – the next minute I make a bad choice and lose it again. But, at least I know it can come back again. And life is still the same either way.
I love the dream money project you do. I’m thinking of doing it in a section of my site but I’m not sure how often I should do it. Seeing you do it definitely inspires others want to do it. I hate shopping but I can see that it’s helpful in making you become more creative and able to come up with more ideas.
Cath,
Seeing possibilities is quite challenging, especially when you are surrounded with people who don’t know abundance themselves.
I encourage you to do the Dream Money Project. It’s actually quite demanding — the money multiplies so fast!
Akemi-san,
Here I am, sorry I’m late.
Well, you and I are on the same boat. For my post on this issue, I never used the p-word. I did use the word scarcity, to describe a state opposite of abundance…. It’s a silly word play but I do get the point.
Kiva is an organization I’ve had my eyes on quite some time, ever since I learned the idea of microfinancing. I think it’s a brilliant idea, and I hope to support in the future — though I’m the one in need of something like Kiva right now, as I am preparing to start my own business!
In any case, I have been steadily switching my mind to operate from abundance and not from scarcity. I don’t know if my wealth is increasing literally, but I certain feel happier.
ari
Ari Koinumas last blog post..This Is the Sound of Your Ripping Yourself into Pieces (Digest)
Ari,
I know, I don’t like the p-word either. This post may well be the first and last time I use it. But it was for the good cause, you know
I’ll be watching your business growth.
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