Parenting Pointers: Following Your Heart

Have you been told that if you follow your Heart, the money will come?  And did you find out that this wasn’t quite true for you?  

Like many of you, Jennifer Noel Taylor quit her “real job” to embark on a career in healing work.  And she was dismayed and surprised to discover that the money did not come!  

What did come was debt and stress about money!  Here she was - following her heart, helping others, and yet wondering where was the love for her!  

Jennifer asked herself.....

"Why was I struggling financially?"   

"How did I manage to accumulate $135,000 in debt?!!"

"Where was this magical support I was supposed to receive from the Universe?"

She was definitely angry at the Universe and angry at God for not providing for her when she was working so hard to help others. 

 

And then she had a wake-up call.  Jennifer had an “Ah Ha” moment at one of the lowest points in her life.  She realized a key mistake that she was making with her relationship to her mission and my money.   Once she had this realization, she started to turn things around…

I had a chance to interview Jennifer to learn more.

How can people discover their true calling?

 

Step 1:  Recognize Who We Truly Are

 

Recognize that we are spiritual beings in a human body.  Our true calling is based on our spiritual mission here on earth.  Once we acknowledge this fact, we have then paved the way to open the channels of communication between us and the Universe (God/Spirit/Higher Self). 

 

Step 2: Ask for Guidance 

 

Our true calling is our spiritual direction here on earth. It’s what we LOVE to do naturally and also our greatest service.  If you are having trouble figuring out what you love, ask for Guidance from the Universe to help you discover your true calling.  Also, reflect back on what you loved as a child.  I believe that young children are very connected to their Guidance and so this may provide you with some clues! 

 

Step 3: Open Your Heart      

The Guidance from the Universe speaks to us through the Heart (not the head!) So do something every day that you love – even if it’s just for 10 minutes.  Set the intent to hear your Guidance during that time.  It could be something as simple as petting the cat or working in the garden.  

 

 

Why can it be so hard to trust our intuition?

 

I totally understand how hard it can be to trust our Innate Wisdom, our Guidance and our Heart!  Typically the information that we receive is not logical or rational so it may seem “unrealistic.”  I believe this happens because we’ve been trained that the Universe is a rational mathematical place.  But from my experience, the world really is a magical, non-linear experience!  Children still believe in magic but by the time we make it to adulthood, our belief in magic is usually squelched by practicality and stress.  So many times our intuition will feel that it’s at odds with our logical mind.  

 

But if your intuition feels good, if it lights you up, then you know you’re on the right track! 

 

 

What are some important financial considerations when following your heart?

 

Your true calling may either manifest as working for someone else or working for yourself.  I believe in always following your innate wisdom even in the area of finances.   Many people go and follow their heart, yet still struggle with money.  Some of the things that have helped me through my struggles with money are: 

 

·       Always live below your means and invest and grow your savings every month.  I used to live above my means and what I discovered is that when I started living below my means and developed a savings account, my whole energy around money changed – which attracted a higher level of income.  I felt more abundant living below my means and so my energy attracted more abundance. 

·       If you feel drawn to create a business of your own, be conservative with the development of infrastructure (rent, staff, website, etc).  One of the biggest mistakes I made was overdeveloping my infrastructure before my business was ready.

·       If you are creating your own business, don’t neglect your source of funding.  I would advise having 1-2 years of living expenses saved before going off on your own.  Have patience with the process of growing a business.  Removing the pressure to make a profit right away can help you grow your business in the right way and focus on your love rather than stressing about money 

·       Always follow your Heart.  If something doesn’t feel right to you –such as a particular marketing technique, employee or vendor, pay attention to this feeling.  You will save a lot of money if you only invest in products, services, or people that feel right.