*** “Worried about your Financial Future? Give your worries a summer vacation with “When Money Talks, Listen!”,

“We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give”. Sir Winston Churchill

Ok, here is your chance to be put into the history books. Quotes can come from anyone, even our friend “anonymous” has his or her share out there. Today it’s your turn. I am going to compile a list of “new” quotes, and they will come from all of you. Anyone who reads this has their chance of being quoted for the rest of time. The 10 best will be listed as “The 10 Best Quotes of the 21st Century” in a future post, and hopefully on tv. Below are the rules.

1) Authentic: This is an opportunity to strut your stuff! Please, no plagiarizing. If you choose to be anonymous, sign your quote as “anonymous”.
2) Submit: Write your new, awesome, soon to be classic quote as a comment to this post on www.mystermoney.com/blog
3) Spread to word: Digg it. Stumble it. Blog it. Email it. Whatever your method, make sure you do your part to increase the number of entries so you can see how you compare to the best of the best.
4) Number of Entries: You may submit one quote per day for the duration of the contest. Contest ends Feb 29th, 2008.
5) Judging: I will be putting together a list of judges to determine the 10 best quotes. The judges will include yours truly, some fellow bloggers, authors, and perhaps even a celebrity or two! (sshh).

Oprah

Ok, I can’t promise this, but we will attempt to get the new “10 Best Quotes of the 21st Century” announced on Oprah. You never know.

To get us started…

“Should we fail to reach any of our hopes and dreams, it will be due to only one reason. All the time we spent trying to find that reason” Richard Ezzo, author, “When Money Talks, Listen!”

Best of luck to you, and here’s to seeing your quote referred to in the 22nd century!

Rich

Tags: General // 21 Comments »

Allowance: The act of allowing: Permission

Isn’t it funny that the word allowance, which most of us link to receiving money from our parents, has the word “allow” in it? And, according to Merriam-Webster dictionary (above), one of its meanings is to “allow”, or give “permission”!

This is the key to the law of attraction. I know that many, many people are struggling attracting the things that they desire using some of the tools and techniques that are suggested for the law of attraction. They get frustrated and give up. The main reason for this is that the last step is usually to “let go”, or just “allow” it to happen. And this is where people fail. Thus, no results are had.

Let’s first agree that the law of attraction is real. Feel free to change the wording, and call it belief, faith, ability to attract, etc. But, look around you. Do you seem to always “attract” money problems? Or, do you always “attract” the same type of person as a partner? What issues consistently come into your life? How can every guy/girl you date treat you the same way?? Are you attracting this? Yes. Ok, enough convincing. I assume if you’re here you already know it works.

Change the Game!

Ok, so you’ve tried to attract money, a better mate, a better job, but all you seemed to attract was depression from failing to attract them. So, let’s change our game plan and get this to work for us. Instead of focusing on the desire outcome, such as an amount of money, or whatever you desire, focus on living in a state of allowance. Just being in this state will bring your desires to you. Let’s face it, you’ve already “asked”, right? Haven’t you asked enough? Now let’s give ourselves the permission to receive.

Try and identify that feeling you get after you’ve received something you wanted. A great gift, you won some money, you were asked out by that certain someone, you got the job offer, whatever it may be. Isn’t there a lightness? Doesn’t it feel like a pressure valve has been opened, and your whole body just relaxes? This is the state I’m referring to, not necessarily the excitement, but the relief feeling. That’s being open. That’s what it feels like to not be in the state of “wanting”. Once you’ve identified that feeling, welcome it. Then, catch yourself when you feel stress in your body. This means your mind has just thought about something you don’t have and has gone into wanting again. Fear is the same thing. The tightness will usually hit your chest, your stomach, or your neck and shoulders. Go inside and look at it. Then imagine a valve on the outside, and just open it. Let that pressure out. Hear it come out if that helps.
Then say to yourself, “Ahh, I love being so open”. Use reminders as you go about your day. When you open a door, remind yourself to open up and let go of any pressure. When you see a green light, do the same. When you open a bottle or can, just pause, and let it all go.

Taking your mind off of what you’re lacking, and focusing more on being open will make you feel great, and will allow your blessing the chance to come to you. A good habit is to remind yourself each morning that you will be open today. Try and do this with each bite you take of your breakfast. Your mouth has to “open” to receive the food. So open yourself up too with each bite, and decide that today you will be open. At night when you go to bed, think back on your day and remember how many times you remembered to open up and allow.

Your allowance is waiting!

Rich

Tags: Law Of Attraction // Add Comment »

When nice things happen to us, I think we need to stop and say thank you. And mean it of course.

Yesterday I was fortunate to have my book reviewed on a very popular blog, Self Help Daily.
Joi (pronounced Joy, as it should be) wrote such a nice review of my book that I am truly humbled. No, we are not friends, or even acquaintances. We’ve never even spoken.
But I do want to stop and say thank you, Joi.

She’s put together a great site, so please stop by and browse, it will do your mind good. She also is encouraging us to help those who are much less fortunate, as she has done by sponsoring a young boy named Theoneste. I think I’ll go do the same.

Thank you , Joi…

Rich

Tags: Gratitude // Add Comment »

As many of you know who read my book, “When Money Talks, Listen”, I mention the existence of “mystery money”. In fact, I have a chapter devoted to it, and wrote an article regarding this, myster (y) money.

Another story just popped up out of Japan, and I thought I would share it with you. Nice to know that people still give, and it is even more impressive to see it done with the commitment and anonymity of the person in this story.

Some news is good news! Have a look and forward along…

Mystery Money Pledge

Rich

Tags: Mystery Money, News // Add Comment »

What do you want?

Sometimes we find ourselves asking questions such as… Do I really want this job? Do I really want this relationship? Do I really want to be rich? Well, I have a very simple answer to these, and all other “what do I really want” questions.

Look around. Whatever you “have”, you “want”.

Yes, ask and it is given. Now I know this doesn’t feel good to hear, but it is true. If you are broke, you want to be. If you are alone, in a bad relationship, overweight, or stuck in a dead end job, that’s what you want! Still reading? Good. Intuitively, this is tough to grasp. It reminds me of a great line from the movie “The Breakup”, with Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn. In the scene, she asks him to help her with the dishes right after dinner. But he has just plopped down on the couch, and wants to just relax and play a video game. An argument ensues, and finally he reluctantly gets up and agrees. She’s not happy now, and he asks why. She says, “I want you to want to do the dishes”. He looks at her as though she’s grown a third eye and brilliantly replies, “Why I would I want to do the dishes?”

Because I Said So!

As a kid I would often pester my father with “why” questions. Especially whenever he said no to one of my many requests. After much deliberation, he would finally put an end to the discussion with the famous line, “because I said so”. I am certain I am not the only kid who ever heard that one. And how many of you who used to hear that as kids are now using it on your kids?? But, this is a good example of how our mind works. When it came to voting rights, I’d say my father had 90%, to my 10%. Ok, he had 100%. Does that mean I was powerless? No. I could decide how to react to his decision. Perhaps I could spend time figuring out why he decided that, rather than fighting against the decision. Or, I could just accept it, and go back to playing with my electric train.

This is how the mind works. In the end, the subconscious mind has 100% voting rights. We can argue, fight, want, wish, beg, but we will lose every time. So, are we powerless to it? No. Again, we can accept it and go on enjoying our “electric trains”, or better still, we can figure out why we want that. I say “we”, because in the end, that is what we really want. And that’s the good news. We do get whatever we want.

The best way to work with this is to figure out why. Our minds like to manage and figure things out. Use this to your advantage, and play Sherlock Holmes for a while. Let’s use the example of my father and me, assuming he is taking the role of my subconscious mind. I want a mini-bike. The kind with a motor. He says, no! I beg, cry, whine, scream, pound the couch, threaten to run away, you know em all. Still, no mini-bike. Frankly, my chances have diminished with every move I make. Does any of this sound familiar? Is this still how we are behaving as adults, but asking God instead of our parents?

My Dear Watson…..

So let’s say instead that I decided to figure out why he didn’t want me to have one. I take out a sheet of paper and a crayon, and scribble “me” on one side, “Dad” on the other, and then draw an almost undetectable picture of my mini-bike above. On my side I write that it would be fun. On his side I right that I would crash. Break my arm. Break my nose. Bleed. Go the hospital. Get hit by a car. Get hit by a tree. Chased by neighbors dog. Caught. Bit. Bleed. Back to the hospital….Ok, thanks Dad!! See. I didn’t “truly” want the mini-bike in my mind, so I wouldn’t allow myself to get it.

Try this with whatever it is that you want. If you are broke, figure out why you want to be. Yes, you want to be, for some reason. Could be you want to rescued, you want others pity, you want to feel the need for God. Any number of psychological reasons that I don’t dare try and figure out, but they are there.

The Good News!

Yes, there is good news. As soon as you figure out why you want what you think you don’t want, the safe has been cracked. You are now in alignment, and the situation will reverse itself. Imagine this….”Dad, I figure that you don’t want me to have a mini-bike because you think I will get hurt or hit by a car. Thanks for worrying about me. Ok, I promise that I will only ride it in the field where there are no trees or potholes. I will walk it whenever I am on the road, and I will only ride it when Mom can come and watch. And I’ll always have my helmet on”.
I’ll bet my chances of now getting the mini-bike just went way up. The same is true for you. Just identify the bully, say I’m not afraid of you now, and away he goes.

Until I walk in the garage and see that mini-bike with a ribbon on it, I’ll be here enjoying my electric train!

Rich

Tags: Law Of Attraction // 2 Comments »

Make an Invitation

During the holiday season we tend to get many invitations to gatherings of one sort or another. Perhaps we are the ones who are doing to inviting. We invite friends, relatives, co-workers, neighbors, or members of some group or organization. Do you see anyone missing here? I think God invites us to be with him all the time, but how often do we think of doing the same. The nice thing about that is, you will never get a “cannot attend” response.

Breaking “Fried” Bread

One day over the summer I tried an interesting experiment. It was a beautiful day outside, and I was going to go and hit golf balls at a local driving range. I decided to ask Jesus if he would like to join me this morning. Not sure why I did that, I just did. The first thing I did was to clean out my car. There were some things on the passenger seat and the floor, so I figured I better make some space for my special passenger. So off we went. I must admit, just imagining Jesus sitting there did make it feel like there was the presence of someone in the car.

It was morning, so on the way I stopped for a coffee. As I went to open my door, naturally I thought, “you’re welcome to come with me if you like”. I order my coffee from the young girl behind the counter, and as she was getting it, my eyes caught the thick chocolate frosting on the Boston Cream donuts in the glass case in front of me. She handed me the coffee and asked if I would like anything else. Figuring I’d get some exercise hitting balls, I ordered a Boston Cream. And here is where it got interesting. She reached down and put the donut in the bag, stood, looked at me, and then reached back in the case and got a second donut!
She never said a word, and only charged me for one coffee, and one donut. Yes, I got goose bumps.

Be a Good Host

They say there is no better way to get yourself to clean your house than by inviting someone over. If you were inviting God to come to your house, would you clean it? If so, then why not clean it now. The same for your car. I find when I clean with this in mind, the cleaning gets done, and it gets done with a smile. The same is true for your body. If you wanted God to live inside of you, would you feed him junk food? I think we should make an effort to treat all things as though they are God’s, for in reality they are. We don’t really get to own or keep anything. From our homes to our own bodies, all will one day return to dust. So treat them well while we have them.

And who knows, by inviting God into your home, he may one day return the favor.

Wishing you a very happy and healthy new year!

Rich

Tags: General // Add Comment »

In July there was a news story coming out of Japan regarding a very strange occurrence. It seems that someone was giving money away. Randomly. To Strangers. Wait, it gets better. Anonymously. They were leaving the money in envelopes in mailboxes, without even wanting credit for it, or to see the delight in their “victims” faces. I don’t mean to sound like Seinfeld here, but what’s the deal with that?

The deal is that this can, and does happen. The deal is that most people are good, and most people are generous. We just rarely get to hear about good deeds because they are not juicy enough for the news to report about. This time it was.

Life Imitating Art?

Okay, this was weird. I wrote my book “When Money Talks, Listen!” in June of this year, and began selling it in July. Daniel Meager is the main character of the book, and he is taught 5 lessons from a wise, and mysterious old man named Myster (pronounced mister) Money. One of the chapters and lessons in the book is entitled “Mystery Money”. In this lesson, Daniel is taught how to keep his eyes (as well as his heart) open to receiving this thing called “mystery money”. Myster Money describes it in the book as “money that’s floating around out there just waiting for a home”.

A few short weeks later I see this story about the money in Japan of people finding money in their mailboxes, and they have given it the title, Mystery Money. (click to read story). I would love to say that the person or persons giving the money away in Japan read “When Money Talks, Listen!”, but I can’t say whether they did or not.

I thought with the holiday’s fast approaching, this would be a nice time to remind us all the power of giving, but also the willingness to receive. Be open to receiving the gifts that are out there waiting to find a home. And if you are fortunate enough to be one of lucky who will get presents this season, be a great receiver. There is no greater gift back to someone than accepting their gift with a smile, a hug, or if they’re really lucky, a tear.

Happy Holidays!

Rich

Tags: Money // 1 Comment »

Recently I was asked to do a reading at a friend’s wedding. Like most people, I find this to be both flattering and nerve-racking at the same time. I’ve done my fair share of public speaking, therefore I can’t say I was terribly nervous about this, but I know many people would be. However, I think even the most seasoned public speaking veterans all get those jittery butterflies as the moment approaches, and I am no exception.

There were two readings. A friend of mine happened to be doing the first reading, and I was doing the second. I felt pretty good about mine; I had rehearsed it a little the night before at the rehearsal mass, and was familiar enough with it to feel rather comfortable.

But as I sat there and watched my friend take that slow, lonely, quiet walk up to the altar, the butterflies began to stir. Then I noticed a slight raise in my heart rate and that my skin had joined in with a slight tingle, and then my breath shortened ever so slightly. Fear can be sneaky, and often shows up when you least expect it.

Those of you who have done any public speaking I’m sure are very familiar with this set of sensations. Perhaps you are even beginning to feel them now just reading this and imagining yourself being up next to read.

The Critical Moment.

When fear decides it’s time to pay you a visit, it’s in the early stages where you need to send it packing. If fear finds you to be a nice dwelling place, it takes over and then it’s “Katie bar the door”. Hands shake, breathing quickens, face gets red, temperature rises, and then fears second cousin “sheer panic” licks her chops just waiting for a shot at you.

So, what do you do at this critical moment?

Take a look at it. Huh? Yes. Go inside and look at it, or simply look for it. Ask yourself…Where is it? What is it? Try and find it inside, and identify it. Does it have a color or a shape? Begin to describe it to yourself as though you were telling someone what you were finding. Better yet, make it interview style. (If you’re really serious about this, make it Larry King, Barbara Walters, or your nosy Mother-In-Law)

Here’s how my conversation might have sounded.

Rich: I’m starting to feel some fear.
Larry King: What’s that?
Rich: Well, it’s hard to describe. Its kind of a tightness.
Larry King: Where?
Rich: In my chest.
Larry King: Where in your chest?
Rich: Sort of in the front.
Larry King: I need to know exactly where.
Rich: Well, sort of here in the middle. Wait, it seemed to move down some, actually, maybe more towards my back…
Larry King: Maybe it’s the suspenders?
Rich: Huh?
Larry King: Ok, let’s forget where. Tell me what it looks like?
Rich: Hmm…not sure. Maybe grayish?
Larry King: Gray, ok. And does it have a shape?
Rich: Sort of round-ish, maybe. Maybe not gray….

Ok, so the ratings would not be too good for that show, but I hope you get the point. All of this can take place in a matter of seconds, and you’ll find that as you are looking for it, you can’t find it, and it begins to weaken. You’ve taken your mind off of being afraid, and you are also exposing fear as being, well, nothing.

Making Friends.

After you look for it, and it’s time to go do your speech, presentation, reading, or bungee jump, just welcome the fear. Tell it that it’s more than welcome to join you, and you’re glad it showed up. Compliment it. Say something like, “hey, I like how you make my skin tingle a little, and the fact that you really bring me into the present. No day dreaming with you around!”
Yes, I know this seems a little crazy, especially when you see it in writing like this. But seriously. Are you going to sit there and tell me you don’t have conversations going on inside your head ALL day long anyhow? Gosh, I hope it’s not just me.

By the time it was my turn, I walked up there to do my reading feeling fine, and almost glad that my old friend fear came to join me.

Wishing you all the best,

Rich…

Myster Money Mystery Series….

Q: Dear Myster Money. Why is the symbol Rx used to represent pharmacies or prescriptions?

MM: Ah, yes. Wonderful question my dearest. And a rather strange answer if I must admit. You see, in the olden days many people used to look into the night sky for answers. And much like they would create gods with different roles, they would do the same for planets. For health and healing, this planet was Jupiter. If you look at the symbol for the planet Jupiter, you will see the resemblance to the Rx. (Though it looks more like a 24 if you ask me). Now off to bed you go.

-MM

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The Red Sox won the world series….again…(Yawn). Wait a minute. After 86 years of a wanting, yearning, begging, praying, blood, sweat and tears-ing, they win a second one and Red Sox nation is almost blase’ over it. How can that be? I mean, they are not the Yankees…. not yet anyhow. So what is it?

I call it the Feel of Success. Sometimes when we want something so badly, for sooo long, that when we do actually get it, there is almost a let down. Now, in 2004 when the Red Sox finally won, it was different. There was pandemonium. But not this time. This time it seemed too easy. There wasn’t the struggle, the melt down, the “not again” moments that the fans got so accustomed to. Why do I bring this up on here? Because the same “Feel of Success” can hit you and me whenever we get something we really, really want. And the danger of this is that when we feel that we no longer “feel”, we may attract the lack back into our lives, just to “feel” again.

So what’s the answer? Ok, let’s say you want money. You need money. You’ve wanted to have a big bank account for so long you can’t ever remember not wanting it. What can you do so that when you get it, you don’t dislike the Feel of Success, and push it away? The best thing to do is prepare for it. Think about what you will “do” when you have this money. But also, think about what you will think about.

Let’s face it, Red Sox fans thought about nothing else for a long, long time. Chances are, the one thing you yearn for is something you’ve yearned for, for a long, long time. Where will your thoughts go when they can’t hang their hat on this want? Well, if you are not prepared, there is a good chance they will go out and seek the familiar, and try and bring that lack right back to you. So, start thinking now as though you have it. Play with it for a bit. See where your mind wants to go. And get comfortable with feeling lighter. Also, ask yourself what types of things you might start doing if your problem went away. Would you be more likely to write, paint, take walks, etc, once you have money? Would you laugh more? Would you be a better listener? Would you have better posture? If so, start doing these things now. Prepare for your success by getting used to this new, lighter feeling. Once you can accept feeling like a champion, you can continue being a champion.

Wishing you the best,

Rich

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I will be commenting on this from time to time, and have added a category just for the topic of the Law of Attraction. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this topic, the law of attraction simply states that what we focus on expands. Or, You get what you think about. This is not a new idea or discovery, it has just been given a new wrapper, with a clever title. It really is not different from positive thinking. The trick is to aim your thoughts at what you want, not what you don’t. This however is the hard part, and why many people claim that the law of attraction doesn’t work, or it doesn’t exist. I think the truth is that it does exist, and it works 100% of the time. We just don’t realize this, nor do we know how to use this to our advantage. In this section I will be breaking down some of the pitfalls, some of the books addressing this, and offering what I think are the best ways to utilize this law. I must admit I don’t like referencing this as a law. I would prefer that it was referred to as our Ability to Attract. Not as catchy, okay, but it sure seems friendlier.

Tags: Law Of Attraction // 5 Comments »