Money will come when you are doing the right thing. (Mike Phillips)
happy Monday everyone! i hope you all had a great weekend. how are my east coast friends? i was thinking about you all weekend and hope you are all safe and healthy!
today’s post is pretty short and to the point…as short and to the point as i ever am 🙂 the focus for this week is “Recovering a Sense of Abundance.”
i think we have all heard this phrase, or even said it ourselves at some point…”i really wanted to be a (writer, actress, photographer, musician, etc), but i didn’t want to be poor” 🙂 i think almost every single one of us has it ingrained in our minds that pursuing an art form should remain a hobby, because it’s pretty much impossible to make a living doing so. i think it’s especially hard for men (who feel the need to provide for their families) to pursue being an artist as a career. i know i’ve seen this with my own husband, and i hope he doesn’t mind me mentioning this (love you, baby!). he is one of the most gifted and talented artists i know. whether he is playing guitar, writing, taking photos, etc. he is the kind of person that makes most people sick because he is just naturally talented in these areas! he is an artist. but the need and desire to provide has overwhelmed and overshadowed his gift. one of my deepest desires is that he finds a way to be a full-time artist, while being satisfied as a provider.
a lot of us tell ourselves that we will pursue our art when we have the money to do it easily. when will that be exactly? i like to operate on the belief that my desires are God’s will for my life, rather than believing that God’s will and my will are completely opposite. i don’t think that money itself is evil, or that God abhors money. i grew up in a church where quite a few people believed that money was “bad” because it reduces our need for God. basically, if i have money, why do i need faith? why do i need to rely on something or someone else? it sounds funny when you put it that way, but that’s how they felt. my perception on the matter was always opposite. from the time i was about 9 years old, i truly felt like God wanted me to be successful and have money so that i could help other people. as i’ve gotten older, i’ve come to appreciate other benefits of the luxuries of having money…time. we are only here for such a short amount of time. this time is so precious. how many of us wish we could have more of it?! instead, most of us work at jobs we don’t like and bury ourselves in obligations, then end up too tired to do the things we enjoy or spend much time with the people we love.
Always leave enough time in your life to do something that makes you happy, satisfied, even joyous. That has more of an effect on economic well-being than any other single factor. (Paul Hawken)
what gives you true joy? the answer is completely different for everyone. for some of us, it might mean going to get a massage or pedicure or something else to pamper ourselves. for others, it’s going on a hike and reconnecting with nature. and for others, it’s buying new music. whatever it is that brings you true joy, practice treating yourself to this luxury once a week or once a month. don’t become one of those people that just accepts that getting older is about doing less and less of the things you enjoy and more and more about doing what you must. carve out 15-20 minutes for yourself every day. make space for your artist 🙂
most importantly, try and re-train your mind to believe that God’s will is in line with your own. not to sound cliche, but listen to your heart. those desires are there for a reason.
hope you all have a wonderful day!
xoxo
jess