One of the biggest and most important issues facing everyone right now is the state of their financial health. Let’s face it, money matters. Financial stress is the number one killer of relationships. Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that suicide rates in the U.S. tend to rise during recessions and fall amid economic booms. So money is obviously important to people.

But what is money?
Most people don’t know. Either they think it’s esoteric—a piece of paper or a coin to purchase something—or they have never even thought about it. But the fact is that is money is something. It has energy, and it has an energy exchange.

The energy of earning manifests itself in the money, and the energy is exchanged through spending. Therefore, it’s important that we not only make money, but that we spend it as well. Anything that is static will never reproduce, and that includes money.

Your Relationship with Money
We are all intimately connected to money. Whether we’re spending it or making it, money is a part of our lives. How you perceive money has much to do with how much you have and are able to create. While it’s not healthy to be preoccupied with money or to lust after it, it is important to appreciate its value and the positive things money can do for your life. And, like anything, the more you appreciate something, the more you invite it into your life.
For example, if you express appreciation and gratitude toward love, health, and money, you’ll attract more of those things into your life. Likewise, if you have a negative attitude toward such things, you’ll attract less of them into your life. Therefore, if you’re constantly worrying about a lack of money, then you’ll constantly have money woes, even if you earn a good income.

The key is to be conscious of your thoughts toward money. Do you feel like you deserve to have money? How were you raised to deal with money? Were you always told to save and never spend? Were you always told there was never enough?

Although the rich, the powerful, and the accumulation of wealth are often demonized in our society, the truth is that money is and can be a tremendous force for good in the world. Take Warren Buffett, for example. Buffett is the third richest person in the world. His personal fortune measures over $52 billion. What is he doing with all that money? He is giving 85 percent of it away to charity. That means he’s giving away over $44 billion dollars.

How many schools could you build with $44 billion? How many mosquito nets and clean water wells could you create with $44 billion? How many immunizations and life-saving medicines could you buy for one-third of planet earth that, according to the World Bank, lives on less than $2 a day?

The answer is a lot. And that’s why your mindset about money is so vital.

If you harbor all sorts of negative, unfair stereotypes about money and those who’ve made it, that negative energy will prevent money from flowing to you. Are there some people with money who are greedy and heartless? Sure. Are there some poor people who are equally mean-spirited? Yes. That’s the point: it’s all about your mindset and the way you see finances.

Fear of Losing What You Have
One of our biggest fears is losing what we have. It’s healthy when fear of loss helps you take steps to protect what you have worked hard to attain, but it is unhealthy to continue to fear something you can’t do anything about. Focusing your energy on fear can actually create what scares you, and holding tightly to what you have creates stagnation and loss. Since the only things you can really control are your thoughts and responses, gaining proper perspective may be key to conquering such fears.

When you understand that your “things” only represent energy exchange at work in your life, you can shift your attention and creativity to more positive thoughts like love, peace, and action. Like any blessing, wealth is merely an instrument of purpose that can be used both constructively and destructively.

To attain a balanced and rational comprehension of money, as well as a fairer perspective of wealth, you need to recognize that outward manifestations of wealth tell you little about the individuals enjoying those blessings. When you feel the finger of jealousy prompting you to draw unflattering conclusions about people whose lives seem more financially secure than your own, you need to remind yourself that there are many elements of their circumstances you cannot see.
Their wealth may be the result of long hours of taxing labor, they may donate a large percentage of their resources to charitable causes, or their bounty may be an incidental aspect of a life spent doing what they love. And it’s really none of your business. When you’re judging someone else for making money or attracting money, you’re actually judging yourself. It’s one of your Impostors, most likely your Wounded Inner Child, trying to save face. Instead, focus on figuring out why your Inner Impostor doesn’t feel worthy.

Your Recipe for Financial Success
If you take a moment to consider you own feelings regarding money and wealth, you may discover that you equate financial prosperity with happiness, power, security, independence, or self-indulgence. Money itself, however, is none of these things. You can begin developing a healthier view of wealth by simply accepting that while some possess great wealth and others do not, we all have the potential to create lives of beauty, substance, and wisdom using the resources we have been granted.
Here is my five-step “recipe” for attracting wealth:
1. Be the best at what you do. Remember Preparation + Opportunity = LUCK
2. Have a plan. Know why you want the money. For example, “I need to earn $300,000 a year so I can live in a nice house, afford to put my two children in private schools, and tithe 5 percent of my salary to the poor.”
3. Do the internal work. Be open to receiving and/or creating an opportunity—keep everything open.
4. Make sure it’s for your highest good—that you’re not doing something that goes against your morals or ethics.
5. Enjoy your wealth. No guilt. No negative associations.

Take a moment to figure out how you feel about money. Do you have an Impostor running your financial life? Are you making what you’re worth? If not, what is standing in your way? What would make you both happy and wealthy?
Remember, just having a big bank account does not make for a wealthy soul, just a big bank account. Having an abundance of energy, good health, and love in your life is ultimate wealth and the cornerstone to attracting money into your life.

Author's Bio: 

As a life coach, soul blazer, emotional healer, author, and dynamic speaker with a Masters Degree in Spiritual Psychology, Lisa's goal is to help you compose the life you always imagined having.

In a complicated world, it's no wonder that many people live in dissonance. They feel frustrated, lost, and are often unaware of the emotional armor they have built for themselves. While this armor may protect their souls from temporary hurt, it often comes at the tragic expense of their lifelong dreams.

Lisa helps her clients shatter this armor so they can compose a life that resonates in perfect harmony.

She specializes in:

1. Artists who are in the process of developing their true voice and have a strong desire to self-actualize.
2. Entrepreneurs and small business owners who want to start or grow their businesses.
3. People in transition who are searching for a "midlife purpose" after years of parenting or ageism.

With her unique insight, compassion, and skill, Lisa has helped hundreds of people compose their lives by releasing the true potential that lies within.

Lisa Haisha is a life coach and the creator of Soul Blazing. She is the author of several books and a regular contributor to magazine and radio shows discussing the spiritual questions -- "Why are we here?" and "What are we supposed to be doing?"

Lisa has also put her creativity into writing screenplays. She wrote and directed two films - one short and one feature film.