Finances & Economic Value – Part 2

[ Click here for Part 1 – from 12/16/12 ]

Economic value.  What has it?  What doesn’t?  How is this affecting individuals and thus society at large?  And…can we do anything about all the values being left out of the present equation?

Social and Economic value of ZakatTwo and a half weeks ago I began a post attempting to answer some of these questions.  I felt, however, the beginning of inadvertently creating an “us” vs. “them” scenario as it pertains to this issue.  I abhor the human tendency to categorize, label, and group one another for I believe that is the true root of many of our societal concerns at present.  Consequently, this caused me to take great pause on how to write about this extremely important topic.

Being that I cannot control how any one of you will interpret my words all I can do is to make clear my intent.  Pertaining to this topic, my intent is only to point out that many values held by MANY people have not been deemed to have any actual monetary worth.  In other words, in the present economic model, there is seemingly limited or no earning capacity for holding certain values.

For example, stay-at-home moms (and dads).  NO actual economic value placed on this immensely important job that “society” claims is of great value.  Really?!  It is of great value but it has no actual, economic worth all on its own.  Interesting, huh?  So, a house – a structure, a thing – owning IT and taking care of it gets all this value (at RIDICULOUS levels, no less, prior to ’08) but children and the ones in society who bear and generally raise & influence these children – get assigned no value.  Things = economic value; People = no economic value.

Ahh, but wait…we do assign value to people.  We do so based more than anything on what jobs they perform (or don’t perform). Hang on…we’ll come back to this but stay with me, if you will, on the example of parenting/taking care of children.

The stay-at-home-parent becomes wholly dependent on the working parent.  When marriages go sour – which now over 50% do – most “agreements” made between spouses go out the window and the one who held the job determined to have no economic value is left with what?  Holding employment as “only” a parent doesn’t pay the bills nor does it sustain a family or even an individual.

Because of this fact, women were left with no other choice but to seek equality through the legal system & the courts (causing the experience of divorce to be one of the ugliest that humans have created).  How would you feel if your entire life was judged to have no value in the economic system all on its own?  If you value being a parent as a job, you must be the spouse of someone who is doing something recognized by society as valuable or you don’t survive?  And as such, you are now tied to the working spouse forever since you have no skills that can garner a wage much above minimum?  You’ve developed & guided the maturation of at least one human being and this holds no “real” value?  Seriously?!

What greater resource do we have in our world than our people?  None!  Every corporation…every employer makes this claim.  Yet, our systems have gotten so insanely backwards that the fields & professions that have been deemed most valuable are actually taking individuals further away from their full potential as human beings.  Working 40-70 hours a week with people we wouldn’t necessarily befriend outside of work.  Working more or less until retirement age enjoying perhaps only a few weeks of 52 per year when you aren’t working.  Not ever fully enjoying a vacation, however, since you still have complete access to work & all that is piling up while you are gone.  Selecting from jobs & professions that really don’t fulfill or inspire you thus limiting your creative and innovative ideas.  Having to be concerned with others’ perspectives and thoughts of you at work over your own gut feelings often for fear of how you will be evaluated – individually and/or against your peers.  Working within a system that constantly forces you to compare yourself to others which is the quickest way to confuse yourself about you AND to feel like crap.  I am guaranteeing you that this reality is not bringing anywhere near the great potential out of our people in this world.

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Ironically, the occupations most capable of obtaining the absolute best in people – the ones that directly aim to help others reach their full potential – these are the ones that have been deemed significantly less valuable.  Parenting, teaching, coaching, social workers, mental health employees, nurses, nutritionists, and fitness experts as a few examples.  The individuals whose jobs align most with their actual values – artists, musicians, healers, farmers, writers, mechanics, carpenters – they have power, influence, and worth far, FAR exceeding what we see in the world right now.  Those whose jobs have people as the main focus/priority as opposed to things…those who have the best communication skills and the ability to read people well beyond what is said as a result of having dealt with a much greater array of behavior…those who believe in cooperation instead of competition…those who are living motivated by love & not fear…those that believe we can create the world in which we want to live…a world of peace…THEY are about to get a chance to see how powerful they really are.

This is about recognizing the value in people in an entirely new manner.  This is about expanding how we view the people in our world & their worth in it.  This is about growing to understand that the missing component – those who have experiences, knowledge, and great skill relating to the emotional side of humans – will change the entire face of for-profit business.  And what will be done with those profits will do nothing short of change the world.  The understanding of people’s life experiences; the ability to honestly & genuinely empathize with someone’s past rather than judge them for it due to fear and/or a lack of understanding;  those who are keenly aware that they are no better or worth any more as a human being living in this world than anyone else… there are MASSIVE amounts of value just waiting to be cashed in.

It is time for these millions of people to get the spotlight.  It is their time to be called up to the Big Dance.  The only thing these people have been missing in order to be able to demonstrate their true capabilities…their true power…their true value…is money.  This is about getting money to a different group of people and watching what they accomplish and the corresponding world changes that result from their individual & collective creations.

We are about to witness the fastest, most beautiful, positive change in human behavior ever recorded in history.  The playing field is about to do way more than just become leveled.  There is an entirely new playing field being created.  And I am the one creating it.  It’s time to take our game to an entirely new level.  It is time to call upon & focus on the best within each of us.  It is time to re-ignite the human potential.  It is time to be inspired again!

To be continued…

 

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Goodbye 2012, Hello 2013!!

Happy New Year’s Eve, everyone!!

Wow!  I cannot believe we are on the brink of beginning yet another calendar year.  As eager as I am to return to the “regularly-scheduled” blog posts, I have realized that I absolutely needed to relax & reflect these final days of 2012.  To say this has been the “biggest” year of my life would be a drastic understatement.  And knowing what I know, 2013 will most definitely be the most jaw-dropping, heart-stopping, love-filled, world-changing year yet!  I’d be remiss if I didn’t take pause to acknowledge this transition of time.

fireworkMy first back-and-forth trip as a bi-coastal resident was certainly an experience for which I couldn’t have prepared.  It is truly amazing how with just focus on where I am – specifically, on all the positive of wherever I am – my soul can be completely at home in two, drastically different cities.  I learned, however, that I need to allow at least 2-3 days to adjust that focus.  It’s actually humorous the extent of the differences that exist between my two home cities of Sarasota, FL and Seattle, WA.  Yet another example in my life of how extreme everything has been and obviously, continues to be.

2012 has been the most challenging, amazing year of my life thus far.  It all began one year ago with 4, incredible, new Seattle friends.  In hindsight, the evening certainly set the tone for one heck of a year of growth.  When I wrote my new year’s resolutions that night, in no way could I have prepared for how they would end up manifesting.  The power of all that happened in my world this past year will continue to reveal itself to me well into 2013.  Today, I reflect on the past 12 months and feel nothing but appreciation & gratitude for all of its intensity & beauty.  The timeliness of all the lessons of the year humble me and remind me again of what opportunities lie in my path if I maintain the courage to follow through.

Today, 365 days later and 3200 miles across the country, I will be celebrating with another small group of friends.  Friends without whom I would not be where I am at present.  Friends that are hugely integral in what will become of this adventure during the next 6 months.  We are commemorating the occasion here at the beautiful home in which I have the privilege to live.  All of the unbelievable things that are going to take place in 2013 will most certainly be able to be traced back to the tone we set here tonight.  The music, the art, the friendships, the vision, and most importantly…the energy.  It is all about the energy.

Tomorrow…the “official” jump ball goes up for the greatest game of my life.  As with every game I’ve ever played in, while knowing I am excited and ready, I’m also completely nauseous.  I wouldn’t have it any other way as I am quite familiar with this situation & these associated emotions.  I just need to continue to breathe, positively focus, and enter my zone.  My stomach will settle, I’ll find my rhythm, and very little will disturb the flow of my game.

I wish everyone a safe, enjoyable, relaxing conclusion to the holiday season.  2013 brings with it unprecedented opportunities for expansion & growth if you so choose.  We are truly living in times when anything is possible so aim high with your resolutions, your hopes, and your dreams for the upcoming year.  Set the bar higher for yourself than you have in recent years.  Push yourself in 2013 in ways you’ve never pushed yourself before.  Allow yourself the space to see how powerful you really are in this world.  Rest assured…as a society, we have everything we need right now to change things drastically for the better.  All it requires is a willingness to see things anew & to grow accordingly.

Happy New Year and Game On!!

Alyson

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Following Your Dream – A Very Honest Commentary

I very much believe that the world will change exponentially for the “better” as more and more individuals lose their own fears about hearing, listening to, and following their unique callings in this life.  As each person takes this leap in living their complete truth, it makes it that much easier for the next person to do it.  Whether you personally know that next person or not – your decision to be true to yourself positively affects the world – no doubt.

Do I believe that every single person is meant to do this?  I truly don’t know.  But I do believe that it is absolutely worth it to pursue if you are not in a place of happiness, fulfillment, and love in your life at present.  If you feel there is something missing, I would hedge bets that it has something to do with feeling limited and/or constricted in at least one area of your life.  And it is beautiful as you learn that you have much, much more control than I bet you believe you have to create something better for yourself.

slide12However, with this said, I feel it would be irresponsible for me to not share the other side of exploring these uncomfortable feelings that you have within you.  Make no mistake about it – this is where the work begins in being able to take more responsibility for your own life and your own feelings.  As you grow and expand, it would be silly to believe that along with the exciting, wonderful new feelings you will have, there aren’t also going to be equally new, terrifying things that you will experience and feel.

Before I put out there (in my final posts of this year) the whole of what I am doing (at least for the next 6-12 months) I have found that I need to express the reality of that other side I’ve been living since going public almost one month ago.  Because what I am going to be writing and doing in the upcoming week will be opening myself up for critique about 1000 times more than I’ve already done.  And I need to share what these past almost-four weeks have been like for me in terms of that other, frightening side of following your dream.

First, allow me to share a few stats from my webmaster.  My webmaster, who by the way, has been doing this (creating websites for businesses and events) for over 10 years and as such, has very real credibility.  She has commented multiple times about how “impressive” the draw of the business/site has been thus far.  With very little advertising – only announcements in my FB posts and one mass email to my entire hotmail contact list – we have received some pretty incredible traffic.

As of last week, we have visits from 4 foreign countries and 36 states. It is difficult to know exactly, but it looks like we are averaging about 70-100 visits to the site per day.  And, according to my webmaster, the most telling, impressive fact is that people are staying on the site for an AVERAGE of 6 minutes per visit!  In a day and age when there is so much ADD/ADHD people are staying on the site!  All of this with no real push yet.  Not even close to a real push yet and this many folks are reading and paying attention.  I know now there was no way to prepare for how this would affect me.

I don’t share these facts from a place of ego – not at all.  If you don’t believe me regarding that statement there is nothing I can do about it for I don’t and can’t expect anyone to understand – especially if you don’t know me well.  I share this to explain that this adventure is so beyond me – already.  My path…my dream…due in no small part to the nature of it – has already taken on a life of its own.  It has a beautiful hold on me.  However, it is VERY public and that has thrown my emotional world into a whirlwind of unprecedented feelings.  I know this is what I am meant to do and that it is very much my choice.  However, I’ve had multiple days in the past 3 weeks of feeling more isolated, alone, and not understood than ever before.  It has quite frankly scared the shit out of me.  I’ve been trying to hold this back and it hit me today that I don’t think I am meant to pretend this isn’t how I am feeling.  It IS how I am feeling.

I’ve never attempted anything as challenging as this.  Never.  I feel as if I have 100% belief in myself and where I am going but I don’t know if that means than that I shouldn’t feel scared.  While I have known for years and continue to know what draw this energy has, it is something entirely new now that I am beginning to receive confirmation and validation.  Am I doing this for that purpose?  Of course not!  Think of me as a professional athlete.  Are they out there to hear the cheers?  No!  But does it matter when people acknowledge and cheer for them?  Absolutely!  Why do you think there is such a term as home-court/field advantage?  Support from fans makes players perform even better!  Just as Michael Jordan was meant to play basketball in this life and to be one of the best, I am meant to do and be one of the best at what I am doing – even if no one yet knows or understands what that is.

I’ve received some amazing, wonderful, surprising feedback from people in my past (and my present) that absolutely, positively slide10matters.  But those closest to me…I haven’t heard much at all from them.  And I do understand.  I truly don’t have expectations for anything from anyone.  I am not waiting for anyone in particular to say anything specific.  Would it matter, however, if just one of these close relationships gave me some word of encouragement, support, or belief in me?  Words alone cannot express how much this would mean to me.

I know that I am unintentionally making many close to me uncomfortable for all sorts of reasons.  For someone who has spent 36 years always first placing others’ feelings ahead of my own…this has been very tough for me.  I was that person who wanted everyone to like me – afraid of ever saying or doing anything that stirred the pot or upset anyone – even if I had every right to say something and by not doing so, only hurt myself.  I cannot hold back any longer.  I must do what I am doing now.  There is something beyond me pulling me and calling me to do it.  All I can continue to do is to express the fact that I don’t intend to hurt anyone with what I am doing.  But since this is so personal, I know I have already done this.

I feel it – I feel the judgment, disapproval, fear, and worry from many close to me. I wasn’t prepared for the emotional energy it has taken to deflect these thoughts/opinions that aren’t being expressed but are most certainly being directed at me.  I feel it across the miles and I most certainly feel it in person.  It has been very difficult to feel the change in my relationships with people and to adjust accordingly.  Just months ago, I was so close to certain folks and now to feel that closeness gone – at least temporarily – has taken a toll.  Because of my past, I feel relationships very deeply.  And ever since my transformation in MI two years ago, I feel them ever more so because I am no longer afraid of being honest and thus, vulnerable.  But whoa…this is some scary new land I am exploring.  And…I am pretty wiped out.

slide9I am human.  I need fuel.  I need strength.  I need courage.  I have always been able to provide a huge amount of these things for myself but now?  Going forward to do what I am about to do (and I know…it still isn’t clear but within the week it will be)…I have finally realized & admitted that I do need others.  I do need to hear the positive feedback in order to have the courage to keep going.  You can offer support without understanding, or agreeing with what it is I am doing.  Feel how you are feeling – that is very real and I wouldn’t want it any other way.  But know too that if there is anything positive you are feeling from what I am doing/saying, you can share that too – nothing is too small to hear.  Again, I’ve been doing this my whole life – being my own support, my own rock.  It isn’t new for me to provide most of my own strength and fuel.  But at this level, I have to now admit that I can’t do it alone.

This trip home to Seattle has been nothing but a huge experience in learning even more about the woman I am becoming and about identifying what my needs are and from whom I can obtain these needs.  It has been unreal to become aware of this for the first time – to recognize and acknowledge that we don’t exist alone.  We do need others and we don’t need to apologize for that fact.  I have also FINALLY matured to discover that it is impossible to get everything you need from one person and quite honestly, very unfair to put that on any one person in your life.  This all requires a high level of honesty within yourself and a willingness to communicate more completely & honestly with others.  It also means you will most likely make an ass of yourself  – at least once or twice.  These are not easy lessons to learn – not at all!

I don’t write this for any reason but to be honest and very, very real about what it means to follow your dreams.  Amazing as it is, it is also terrifying because of the fact that it is UNKNOWN!  I am living now with more unknown every single day than all my previous 36 years put together.  But I will continue.  I am doing this and moving forward – no doubt about it.  I will come out the other end to be able to share these lessons too in order to help others do as I am doing – to live your truth as completely as you desire.  I am only steps ahead of any of you out there ready to do the same.  And I want you to know that if and when you too leap, to know feelings like this are normal and expected.  Know that you will always have the support of at least one person in the world for your own individual pursuit.  I will be your biggest cheerleader.

You are all part of this – more so than you are even yet aware of.  If you are reading this already, you are a huge part.  And I thank you.  I thank every single person that has visited, liked, commented, become a fan, subscribed, or emailed me directly…your support means EVERYTHING!  Nothing is too small – it all matters and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Happy holidays and I look forward to all the writing I will be doing as the year concludes.

Alyson

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The 4 Rules

‘Rules to what?’, you may ask.  The rules to the new game of life I am playing out in the world.  I am not the only one playing but there are not many romping at the level I have jumped into.  As such, I have a lot of space and freedom to create the details.  Unknowingly, I’ve been in training for this for 3 decades.  My life has been educating me for 30 years, complete with some of the greatest teachers, coaches, guides, and inspirations.  My experiences have prepared me well – VERY well and I am ready now to share my variation of the new, greatest game on Earth.

lena river delta russiaIt is time to bring this all together.  It is time to demonstrate all the knowledge I’ve gained.  It is time to teach the game to others.  No one has to play.  But anyone can play.  Anyone.  Anywhere.  Anytime.  I invite you to be a spectator of this new game for awhile – learn the rules and get the hang of it by reading, listening to, and soon, watching the stories.  You will know when it is time for you too to come play – trust me, you will just know.  For now, I can guarantee…this is a game you are gonna want to watch.

Stay tuned…much is going to be unveiled as we end this 2012 calendar year.  However, you are required to first learn the rules of the game.  I must give credit to the authors of the book from which I take this list (talked about in a different, but related context in their writings) – Sri Ram Kaa and Kira Raa.  They authored 2012 Awakening – Choosing Spiritual Enlightenment over Armageddon.  I will have much more to say about this book and its pivotal role in my spiritual journey in the near future.  For the time being, know how grateful I am to have found this book and these four guidelines.  They truly have been my inspiration every day for 2 years and I do believe they are the foundational key to being able to play this new game well.

Here they are – the four things that I have identified through my own journey to be the belief patterns that are integral and essential to creating the life of your dreams.  How well you can master these foundational “skills”, the better player you will be in this new game of life.  MUCH more will be written about these four themes.  Today is intended to be only an introduction to them.

The rules are:  1) Be in Union; 2) No Judgement; 3) Unconditional Love; and 4) Surrender – Belief/Trust/Faith.

1) Be in Union – this is about being in union with yourself.  Being aligned with that within you that is greater than you thus, connecting you to all.  I know this is a mouthful and much more will be written in coming posts/books.  Know, though, that this is absolutely the biggest missing link in our world at present.  VERY few individuals are dialed into themselves.  Even fewer realize how this is related to the interconnectedness of all living things on our planet.  You need to take time to reconnect, to listen, to hear, to feel.  It doesn’t need to necessarily be the 10-12 months I took in my life, but it needs to be more than a vacation that never really is a vacation.  The most important relationship out there is the one you have with you – the greater part of you within.  I call this “Divine Selfishness”.  You must learn that you are infinitely more powerful to everyone and everything in your world when you take “proper” care of yourself first.  You will soon see very real, undeniable examples of how this works.

2) No Judgement – this begins with yourself.  You mustn’t judge yourself for anything.  Not ANYTHING!  In case, you are saying, ‘I don’t really judge myself that much’ perhaps it helps to realize that often, if not all the time, when you judge others it is a reflection of how you feel about something within yourself.  There is a great deal of judging going on out in our world by people who are not naturally cruel, indicating to me the massive levels of pain we are feeling inside.  Judging does nothing to help anyone – it hurts all involved as it is highly negative energy.  It isn’t for us to judge.  And this doesn’t mean I agree with everything out there.  I most certainly have opinions but I do not judge anything or anyone – not anymore.  I will most certainly have chapters and perhaps entire books that I will write regarding this topic.

Niger River - Mali

3) Unconditional Love – simple, yet not at all simple.  Phew.  This one is no joke.  Again, it must begin with yourself.  You must have love for yourself that is not tied to any conditions.  No mental messages of ‘I will love my body once I lose this weight’ or ‘I will love myself when I have the perfect significant other in my life’  or ‘I will accept myself as successful when I reach this level at work.’   I think we can agree that many folks cannot yet make the claim of having unconditional self-love let alone having this for others in our lives.  Self-acceptance and self-love in the here and now is one of the most powerful skills one can possess in this new game.  It’s the ultimate weapon of change-for-the-positive.

Using this skill as your springboard, you will then be ready for the obtaining of the next level – figuring out how to not have expectations for others that they must meet in order for you to love them.  To truly have NO CONDITIONS for your love for others in your life.  To not need anyone to act, think, or say anything specific but to just love others for exactly who they are today!  Whoa!  Without any doubt, the lessons I’ve learned associated with achieving this belief pattern have been the most challenging.  Many, MANY stories I have to share will center around this world-changing emotion of love.

4) Surrender – Trust/Faith/Believe.  I am going to save the explanation for this one for my upcoming post on “Religion & Spirituality”.  This is a big one.  This one requires such strength of connection that you don’t need anything on the outside to prove it to yourself or to anyone else.  I know…believe me, I know how much pain you go through if you happen to believe something – know something – that you can’t seem to explain or show to anyone else.  And when you try, others you admire, respect, and love call you delusional, crazy, insane, and accuse you of living in your own fantasy world.  I don’t think I’ve known worse hurt than that in the past 18 months.  But that is the ultimate test.  If you feel/know/believe something that strongly from a place of love – not a place of fear  – you must trust it, have faith, and believe.  You must surrender to the power that is out there greater than us all and whatever “proof” you require, you will most certainly receive when the time is ready.  “The universe will reward you for taking risks on its behalf.”  Shakti Gawain

26 months ago I had zero awareness of this game and as such, my mastery level of the above-listed skills/rules was atrocious!  It is unlikely that anyone reading is any “lower” than I was in any of these areas.  So…no worries.  If you have the desire to grow and change, you absolutely can do so!!  If you believe you are capable of creating a new, better life for yourself you will do it!!

And one final, concluding fact I must share about this new game – there is no competition.  Only cooperation.  Only win-win.  This isn’t about coming up with the best game plan to destroy your competition.  This is about sharing and supporting because everyone playing this new game knows that there is an abundance of everything in our world.  We are not out there competing for limited resources in anything.  Again, it is about the underlying belief patterns – the underlying assumptions.  If those change, EVERYTHING changes!  Sound too good to be true?  Have you ever asked yourself why too good can’t be true?

Get ready – the Games begin in less than 10 days!

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