With Money

Every time I get an email with "fw:" in the subject line, I role my eyes at the complete waste of time that reading it is going to be ... I maybe I was wrong) . So why then, would I or anyone else for that matter ever bother to read one of those annoying things Let alone respond to it? Although I can not read all of them (or someone might get hurt), I always have hope; hope that occasionally, if I take a chance, one of them may contain something interesting or in some way valuable ..... maybe.

Since when does "hope" come in the form of an email chain letter? Actually, it can come in any form and often, unexpectedly. When it comes to reading emails, who can afford not to choosey with our precious time? But, on the other hand, we all need to be inspired. And making the decision to be open to inspiration is really important. Inspiration can mean the spark of an idea, or an idea for an idea-what could be more valuable? I may read a chain letter, listen to a radio show, or talk to a random stranger because of the opportunity that this moment may afford to reveal something valuable to me. The choice of where to put my attention I leave to my intuition (the unconscious) because I've made a conscious decision to stay open and I trust that guiding force-because that is all there is.

Inspiration, of course, does not do anyone any good if it is not acted on. All great things start with an idea; and its fine to dream. You should indulge in it. But then you have to act on it. If you're honest with yourself you realize that if you're not actively involved in getting what you want, you do not really want it. Emile Pereire, one of the Péreire brothers, prominent 19th century financiers in Paris who established railroads in France and Europe said "it is not enough to outline gigantic programs on paper. I must write my ideas on the earth." Get it? Railroad .... write on the earth .......... It's not enough to say "I want to lose weight" or "I really want to get in shape" and think that it's somehow just going to happen . You may think this is obvious but trust me there are many people who, "somewhere in there," believe it will just happen. If you apply the "if you build it, they will come" theory to this, it's like hiring a trainer and then believing that just because you've written her a check, your body is going to transform. Do I wish it was that easy! I'd be really, really rich.

When you remain open and receptive, great things can and often do come your way. The world comes fully loaded with opportunities all you have to do is recognize them, like one of those drawings that has something hidden within it. But then, you've got to act on that gift of inspiration. This email chain letter arrived in my in-box with dramatic graphics and bold colors which earned it a sigh in addition to the eye-roll but in the end, it inspired me to write this little column (case in point). You may have seen it before but it bears repeating. So, whoever it was who forwarded this, thank you for sharing.
With Money ...

-you can buy a house, but not a home.
-you can buy a clock, but not time.
-you can buy a bed, but not sleep.
-you can buy a book, but not knowledge.
-you can buy medicine, but not health.
-you can buy a position, but not respect.
-you can buy sex, but not love.
-you can buy blood, but not life.