Turn Your 2007 Baggage Into A Treasure Chest for 2008

The New Year looms ahead full of promise and adventure for each of us. Yet, before popping the bubbly, many of us will take the time to review our financial 2007 and look ahead to 2008 with heavy sighs and furrowed brows. Perhaps your business didn’t meet its goals or has suffered a set back. You didn’t get the promotion or the raise you wanted. The bonus check was smaller this year. Your investments didn’t do as well. Or, maybe you’re one of the homeowners caught up in the sub-prime mess or have been met with a disaster or health problem that is sucking money out of your bank account faster than you can put it in.

Going through any financial difficulty can flood our emotions and present us with new situations and challenges. Often, in an attempt to gain control, we act in ways or do things that ultimately give away our power and our pocketbook – results that are exactly the opposite of what we want or intend. The good news: that doesn’t have to be the case. We always have a choice. And what we choose affects the way our life unfolds in the moment and in the future.

I can hear many of you asking, "Dr. K, how is all this mumbo-jumbo going to put money in my bank account?" And I’ll tell you this: In order to get control over your pocketbook, you have to find the control in yourself. In order to bring power to your finances, you have to find the power in yourself. Rather than dragging that heavy emotional and mental baggage into the New Year with you, give yourself the choice to turn the baggage into a treasure chest of information and opportunity – two valuable tools that you can use to break through financial limitations in the year ahead.

This past March, Jane’s husband served her with divorce papers. She never saw it coming. Gradually she reconciled that the marriage was over. She worked through the issues that caused the breakdown of her marriage, got used to living alone with her daughter, and even looked forward to her future. But whenever money issues popped up, she lost it. The settlement and child support negotiations, and having to take care of her finances alone, made her angry and overwhelmed her. Current money problems continually tripped memories of how she gave up her financial freedom and her personal power to her husband early in the marriage again and again and again. She constantly thought about and berated herself over how she wouldn’t have been in the predicament she was in now if only…

How many times do you over-think what has happened with your finances or any challenging time? How often have you kicked, screamed and whined: "It shouldn’t be like this… it shouldn’t have happened… it’s not fair… Why me?" Flash back to a time when you felt overwhelmed and uncertain about your finances. You feel terrible: anxious, heavy and depressed. Your chest may be tight and your breathing restricted. It may seem that the possibility of ever having a good and comfortable life disappears.

Now, think about a situation that you didn’t like at the time but one with which you made peace and ultimately decided to move forward. How did it feel the moment that you made peace with yourself, made that necessary decision, and got back into the flow of life?

When you over-focus on anything, you trap yourself in that moment. That tight, heavy feeling isn’t from the financial problem as much as it is from keeping yourself stuck in that situation. Over-focusing causes two more problems: you create more of whatever you put your attention on. That’s great if you’re moving forward, not good if your focus is on being stuck. Think you’re stuck and you will be stuck. And just as important, over-focusing makes you miss valuable information that you could use to move forward.

Now, notice how your body reacts when you decide to move forward: it relaxes. There’s acceptance. There’s clarity. You may have not solved the entire problem, or even part of it, but you are using your real power to take real control.

When you begin to replay "negative" events or thoughts, or, when you’re challenged with any stressful situation – personal, financial or business – get in touch with what your body is communicating to you and shift your energy. Then use these techniques:

· When you feel distressed, use that feeling as information that something is out of sync or there’s a place in you where you’re not free.

· Rather than dwelling on the tough times, ask yourself, "How can I use this to grow me? How can I use this to help others? How can I use this to get closer to the Source?"

· Choose to move forward. Rather than focusing on the "bad" times, celebrate the good. Celebrate what you did receive: celebrate your life, your children, celebrate the knowledge you’ve gained – even the knowledge you’ve gained through pain. It’s all part of being whole.

· Focus on a vertical line going down the center of your body, through your torso. The vertical line will shift your energy as well as help you "ground" yourself and come into greater balance. (for a more complete explanation of this exercise, visit www.drfernkazlow.com )

You can consciously use the memories that arise on auto-play to help you grow through any turmoil. Make choice your ally. Choose to allow your spirit to soar: inner doorways that are home to wisdom, love and understanding, will open and present you with opportunities to make major strides in owning and increasing your power and wealth.