I am waiting to discover the perfect way to help people find the cure for Money Madness - the hidden emotions and misperceptions around money that lead to dysfunctional, irrational financial behavior, again and again.

One of the ways I have found this is the 'Money Breath' :

 

Every single time you interact with money-investing, spending, saving, earning, giving, or talking about money-do what I call the money breath.

Inhale deeply through the nose and let your rib cage and chest expand as you fill your lungs with air. One, two, three seconds.

At the top of the inhalation, lungs filled, pause and hold your breath.

Now exhale, letting your breath out easily through your open mouth. Four, five, six seconds.

At the bottom of the exhale, say to yourself, aloud if you can: "May my money wisdom increase."

Do the money breath and you cut through your money madness. You interrupt your automatic conditioned response to your childhood money message, slowing everything down just long enough to question the response. Physiologically, the money breath relaxes your blood flow after the adrenaline rush of madness has constricted it, and it gets more oxygen to the brain, letting you think more clearly.

Practice the money breath persistently until it becomes automatic. Do it when you're buying your morning paper, or discussing bills with your partner, or going into a job interview. Just stop. Be idle, take six seconds, breathe, and ask for money wisdom.

Then, when you're ready, take the money breath to the next level. As you inhale, consciously take in the emotion that drives your money monster-fear, anxiety, greed. Feel it; take it into your body. If fear is the feeling, tell yourself: I am taking in my fear.

Pause at the top of the breath, then exhale, consciously breathing out confidence, clarity, joy, and wisdom. Say to yourself: I am sending out wisdom and joy. Let it move through you and pour out of your body, replacing the emotion that drives the money madness.

You will find that it is hard to be afraid when you are offering goodness to others.

I beleive that if we begin to identify our emotions around money, as individuals and as a community, we will be able to come together and build a sustainable economic platform for sustainable living. Until we can talk about our money problems, fears, and dreams, we will not be able to come together and make a truly sustainable economic structure. We need to cure our money madness!

Here is an example of money madness I experienced :

When I first started to make money, I began to wonder what it would feel like to spend it on sheer luxury—and whether that would bring some inchoate but profound change to my life. To be sure, financial security was still my foremost aim, but the wondering would not be denied.

So one day I sold my Chevy Nova and bought a BMW. I remember that as I drove it away from the dealer’s and sensed the power, felt the fine engineering, sank down into the comfort, and contemplated the image of myself driving this high-priced machine down the highway, I experienced a moment of elation.

It was, literally, a moment—and quickly over. The elation did not come back. In its place was a kind of emptiness, even a regret for the joy that had been so short-lived. In fact, arriving at the emptiness was downright painful, for I had worked so hard to feed myself this gourmet dish, had looked forward to it so much, imbuing it with the power and sanctity of a Holy Grail, only to find that it was nothing but empty calories and that the Grail was just a common cup.
Now what? I remember thinking. If the BMW isn’t enough, what is?

How much is enough—and enough for what?