Can a change in attitude really make a person feel so much more contented and at peace? In general, we Americans are really a very ungrateful society. In reality we have so much – and we  waste or throw away so much. Yet our most common concern is about what we lack. Usually what we feel we lack the most is money – or at least what money can buy. We worry how to get it, how to save it, how to invest it, how not to lose it, how we don’t have enough. Very few of us feel truly abundant. Ever question as to what is causing that hole inside, and need for more? What and why are you insecure? We all are in some way regarding something that we think makes us lacking. It’s a common theme in our collective unconscious.

And what is money really, but an energetic exchange that allows us to get what we want or need. Yet, it has become a measure of our abundance, or our ability to feel abundant. If we have more ‘things,’ then we must be OK, right? You don’t have to go to Africa, India or other Third World countries, most large cities in the US have poor areas, and homeless people. It doesn’t take a genius to see what ‘existence’ or ‘subsistence’ is. Not saying that you need to give up it all to show that you’re ‘secure’ with yourself, but it’s something to think about.

There is great support to those who choose to do life differently, and step out of familiar ruts. One of the most creative acts of all: changing our behavior. No matter how long you’ve had those old and deep-rooted emotions, you can choose a different way. And, again make that first choice basic and simple, so success will easily follow. Then self-encouragement will lead to many more, which unleashes new possibilities through the embodiment of our creative empowered spirit. As the great Zen Masters remind us, awakening is not a pleasantly polite, neat and comfortable experience. It is messy, challenging, and terrifying in some aspects of change. And then it’s exhilarating, liberating in equal measure for the results and full empowerment.

It teaches us how to be more aware of the little things in our daily lives. It also helps us to accept those who live with their own contradictions. Yes, at times in the release process you may feel it is like risking everything to be free. I remember when I quit my last corporate job, and then shortly later the recession hit, and I was truly up the creek as companies were not hiring older experienced women, or giving contracts for training. Still, I survived, though it was a costly experience that only later did I reap the rewards for doing so for my soul.

We cannot expect every moment of inspiration to fulfill our potential, nor be the right emotion to bring forth all we can be. Still, we must accept and commit to the process of change – release, let go and hopefully manifest the best results to delight our mind and heart. We not only belong to the incredible tapestry of humanity, we are within ourselves a true puzzle with old pieces being replaced by new ones, as we learn to grow and change. As we learn that our mutual human differences are the strength of us all, we can also realize fulfillment through the improvements we each make being ourselves. This includes sharing our creative gifts – however simple they are, and then being honest about our foibles. Never give up on the potential for humanity to come through for each other, as that would be giving up on ourselves, as we are the ones transforming the world. That’s our empowerment!