I am experimenting with the idea that every person, object, idea, animal, insect, etc. exists with a desire to love and be loved. Since my perception of how the world is makes it easier for me to respond proactively and with compassion, having this outlook makes it much easier for me to respond with empathy. Responding with empathy makes it more likely for connection and win win solutions to result.

The desire to  love and be loved is often expressed in tragic ways that make it hard for me to see it as such. When my partner, Robert, does something that pushes my buttons (this is strange–I can’t think of any examples right now!) in the past it has been so easy for me to just fly off the handle.

But when I can remember that he is either asking for love or offering love, it makes it easier for me to respond with empathy.

Even easier still would it be if I saw him as a child who is acting in a way that I don’t enjoy. It is easy for me to respond to children with empathy. I can count on two hands how many times I have yelled at my children in the past twenty years. I take no credit for this. For some reason I was just made to have compassion for kids.

Now I want to take this one step further. What if I saw something like money as a child who is offering or wanting  love? I can see my thought immediately changing.

You see, I have this love-hate relationship with money. I hate having to earn it. I hate the fact that I have little time to give time to my friends, and that I choose to charge money to help them and thus be with them. I dislike how money gives people so much power. I detest the fact that some people are born with lots of money, and all they have to do is invest their money wisely and they can make interest and just live on that. I really can’t stand how the poor get poorer and rich get richer because of the way money is structured.

But last night, it was like a revelation.  Paul in the New Testament of the bible, says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but over come evil with good.” Gandhi and his followers support this idea. It has actually been proven that non-violence is more successful than violence. That tells me that if I am going to have a good relationship with money, and have lots of it available so I can realize my dream of traveling the world giving concerts and workshops inspiring people to be neighborhood bridge builders who help every neighborhood become a thriving, self-reliant village–maybe I could change my relationship with money.

So I am going to have a little empathy session with money. Let’s see how it goes.

P: Money, I would like to have a conversation with you so I can understand you better, and be able to better cooperate with you. Are you willing to do that at this moment?

M: Sure, why not?

P: I know that in the past I have said a lot of pretty negative things about you, and I think that I have thus pushed you away. Would you say that is true?

M: Yes,your negative thoughts and words have created a vibration within you that shouts out to the universe, “I don’t want you.” The universe, or Creator, or God–whatever you want to call she  him it–loves you so much and wants to give you want you want. So you have thus been given very little money. In fact, you have been given just the opposite–lots of debt.

P: Well, I would like to develop a better relationship with you so that we can be friends, and we can work together. Does that sound good to you?

M: Sure, I love contributing to the well being of others.

P: Would you be willing to share how you have been feeling about my negative reaction to you?

M: I would be happy to.

P: In addition, would you be willing to just speak without having to say just the right words–I want to hear all of your distress.

M: Okay, I’ll try. Here goes:

When you say things like, “I hate having to make money,” or “I can’t stand how that person spends money–if I had that money I would save the world, I hate it.

P: Sounds like you feel angry  because you want me to speak more positively about you.

M: Yeah, that’s right. I can’t stand it when you act like you are so much better than people who have money and send out this vibration, without even thinking about it. It pushes me away.

P: I am hearing that you feel really frustrated because you would like me to bless the people who have money and send them love.

M: Right on! I get so sick and tired of all the stupid things you think about people who have money. After all, I am so closely tied to those people, it affects my feelings towards you.

P: It sounds to me like you feel disappointed because you are really wanting to have positive feelings towards me.

M: Yes, that’s right. I really love you and want the best for you. When you send mixed messages like “I want you money, but I hate you and the people who have you.” then I can’t help but run away because it is a law of the universe.”

P: Wow! I am guessing that you feel disappointed because you yearn to nurture me and you are able to do so.

M: That’s correct. And also, the way you treat me is really bad. You wrinkle me up and stuff me in your wallet and it doesn’t feel good.

P: Sounds like you feel hurt and want me to fold you up neatly when I put you in my wallet.

M: You got it. I think that you and I would get along better if you just treated me with respect. And another thing. All you want to do is get rid of me because you think I am worthless. I am not worthless! I can buy things right now. Maybe less than I used to be able to buy, but right now I can do a lot of good.

P: I am hearing that you feel hurt and disappointed, because you want me to see that you have usefulness right now, and you want me to be able to do a lot of good with what usefulness you have.

M: Yeah! You are finally getting it. I just want you to be able to use me to do all the good that you want me to do. I don’t like being used to hurt others. I know that if you had more of me, you could do good. I don’t even mind if you get rid of me and promote barter, time banks, local currency and LETS systems. I just want you to love me the way I am.

P: I hear that you feel very sad when you are used for purposes that don’t contribute to the well being of others, and you want me to act in ways that attract to me lots of you so I can use you in ways you enjoy. And, I also understand that you are comfortable with disappearing from the scene in the form that you are because you just want the highest and best for everyone.

M: Yes, that is correct. I am made of the same love energy that you are  made of. The people who use me in less than nurturing ways are made up of that love energy. Our creator is only love, and wants the best for us. But because he-it-she gave us free will, people choose to do things that appear to be not loving.

I can’t choose how I act. Everyone just uses me. So I am just wanting you to see that if you can have a loving attitude towards me and the people who use me, you will  have more of me.  I  would love for you to have billions of me and to see how you might dance in the universe with me and my energy. I think it would be so much fun, and together we could help everyone express and ask for love in ways that truly contribute to everyone’s well being. We could live in the consciousness of the Garden of Eden where money isn’t  even necessary. There is so much abundance in that state of being that giving and receiving is the norm.

P: I can further imagine that in that world you envision with that kind of consciousness everyone would thrive and the huge problems that our world would have like hunger, violence, environmental destruction, and scarcity would disappear.

M: That is right. I only want the best for you Patricia, so I hope this has helped.

P: It sure had helped! From now on it will be easier for me to think thoughts and feelings of wanting the best for you and those who use you. I will be able to be more easily aware when I am judging you or those you have you. Wow, I can just imagine it now. When I see that someone has won the lottery, instead of thinking stuff like,

“Most people who win the lottery are broke within a year after they win it. People who do the lottery are ignorant and stupid. I wish I could have as much money as people who win the lottery do. I would use it so wisely. I am so much better than them.”

I could change it to:

“I have no idea where that person’s consciousness is, but I believe that our Creator loves that person who won the lottery as much as she he it loves me. I just want the best for that person. I hope that person can be happy like I am feeling the love of our creator, and living loved. I pray that this person will use the money in ways that enrich his life and the lives of others. I pray that I can write things that will inspire that person to do that very thing. I pray that he will hire me as a coach and pay me thousands of dollars to help him develop attitudes and change his inner being so that the money is a blessing to himself and others. I pray that billionaires and millionaires.  will want my services and pay me millions to help them to use their money in ways that help bring them true happiness. In this way, I can have money, and I can influence those who have lots of money.

Money: Wow! That is quite I shift. I appreciate your willingness to change your attitude towards me.Now we can start working together to make a world where it is easy for every living creature and seemingly non-living creature to thrive.

Patricia: Thanks for spending your precious time with me. Uh oh, I think I better have this conversation with time now. I’ll catch up with you later.

Money: I look forward to it!