October 27, 2008


YOU POWER MONEY

This Halloween, give yourself a treat.

Everywhere I go, I hear people talking about their fears regarding the state of the economy. I hear everyone talking about their fears and because they are in conversation with their friends and family who are also afraid, they end the conversation only feeling more...fear.

Very few of us can make a change immediately to "the economy." But if you'd like to have the conversations regarding what you can do to help educate yourself and feel empowered to make a difference for your own accounts, please join Carol L. Buchman and I on Wednesday, October 29th from 6pm-8pm. If you'd rather stop "talking" about what is going on and actually be able to get in action for yourself and your financial health, please join us in the beautiful Enlightennext Meditation Center for this seminar. It is going to be a wonderful, comforting and an inspiring evening.
Please click here to view the flyer.
http://www.healingfinances.com/YouPowerMoney.htm
To register click anywhere on the flyer, scroll down to the "Paypal" button and fill in the information. We hope to see you there.

Because it is very important to Carol and I to foster connections, conversation and financial healing, if you want to come but are not able to pay the $35.00 fee please just send us an email at youpowermoney@gmail.com letting us know that you want to come. Money is usually the reason we use to not do many of things that would actually help us. We don't want that to be the excuse you can use this time. If you are tired of feeling fear and ready to take action, register and/or contact us today.

Transformation starts with you, your financial and emotional health and healing.



PLAN OF ACTION
Stop Talking, Talking, Talking. No need to add to the fears. Take Action.
If you are unable to attend the seminar, then balance your checkbook, begin tracking your spending each day, trace how often you spend to ease an emotional pain...pay attention to yourself. In hour long huddles and phone calls regarding the fears about the state of the economy, dare to share an action that you've taken and ask them what action they will take this week!




UPCOMING EVENTS:
Dr. Kataria's Laughter Yoga
lead by Dr. Alex Eingorn, Laughter Ambassador!
Generate Endorphins, Burn Calories, and have a Great Time!
Mondays at 7:30 PM sharp (ish) at

Better Health Chiropractic, PC
825 Seventh Avenue (53rd Street)
New York, NY 10019
RSVP 212-956-5920


TURN ON TO LIFE
Free teleseminar: "Productivity & Peace of Mind: You Don't Have to Sacrifice One for the Other"

Would you like more peace and joy in your life, but you're afraid that if you focus too much on those things, you won't be able to do all you need to get done? Then Peaceful Productivity is for you.

In this 60-minute teleseminar presented by Productivity Specialist & Coach, Curtis G. Schmitt, you'll learn:


The Path to Peaceful Productivity
The 3 steps to increase your productivity (without sacrificing your peace of mind)
The 3 steps to greater peace of mind (without sacrificing your productivity)
How the tension between Being vs. Doing creates challenges to your productivity and peace of mind
And more...

Tuesday, Oct. 28, 8 PM
Thursday, Oct. 30, 7 PM

Register at:
http://www.PeacefulProductivityNow.com

And if you like this teleseminar, please let us know so that we can provide you with more resources like it in the future!



www.enlightennext.org every Thursday 7pm-10:30pm
http://www.andrewcohen.org/ny/
Join me for an amazing retreat in Fox Hollow, Massachusetts at their headquarters from Oct. 31-Nov. 2nd.

www.sacredcenterny.org every Sunday at 11am-12:30pm


Congratulations to Alexandra Jacoby and the many participants, performers and all affliated with The Vagina Festival that took place this weekend in the beautiful Sage Theatre. Be sure to visit: http://www.vaginafestival.com/ to learn more from someone who not only talked about her idea but took action and has developed an entire festival dedicated to fostering conversation.
You can view the interview I did with her on Emotional Money on November 19, 2007.
http://emotionalmoney.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2007-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-05%3A00&updated-max=2008-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-05%3A00&max-results=50
and scroll down to November 19th.
________________________________________________
Any affirmations, suggestions, requests, job notices, teleseminars or events please email me at emotionalmoney@gmail.com. Any comments regarding any of the weekly "Emotional Money" issues please post and join in the conversation. To unsubscribe to "Emotional Money" weekly ezine type in subject line "unsubscribe Emotional Money." To unsubscribe to all notices regarding Samarra Am Management events type in subject line "unsubscribe Samarra Am Management."

October 20, 2008

SLEEP, FOOD, FEAR, DENIAL...


"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."
Anais Nin


I went to a workshop that I had no idea would actually NOT feature the person speaking, because she was a channeler. She channeled a spirit regarding money matters. The guides told us to have hope which leaves the door open for possibilities, and to give from the heart. The guide explained that what has occurred today was because money was being "held" on to, not acknowledging the structures of the universe - abundance. Money is an energy and any energy, like water, "held" needs and must find a way to escape. You have to have a way in the system for the energy of money to be let go of or given away or else it'll find its own way to escape. The guests left the room feeling more assured than when they came in, but I wondered what happens when they return home and see their retirements, job and/or paychecks have dipped again? Whether you believe in channelers or not - my question is do you believe in yourself? We are in a system that with the current crisis, the solution is to pump 700 billion more dollars into the system, create credit, credit, credit. The powers that be saying, "come on people, turn your beliefs around, have no fear, buy, buy, buy." People are instead scared and running, holding on and seeking answers and distraction outside of themselves and their own homes. The solution, like the problem, tries to skip over the time and tension needed for an authentic bloom. Without it, there's no authentic transformation, people aren't buying into the rhetoric, outside or their own, they can't. There can be no built confidence because this fictitious 700 billion dollars no one can really lay their hands on or feel that the same thing won't just happen again. No trust or character is found in that system. We do this in our lives daily. We pick the easy way out and so no trust or character is built to learn and teach us to trust ourselves.

This past month I chose the easy ways again, sleep, food, fear, denial, turn to others to get answers, they say get a job, I try to convince myself to give up this business, stop going to meditation, stop working out. What happened to the transformation I was living every day? It was scary and pushing me up against things I didn't feel I had all the answers to...scary. I needed a break. Sleep, food, fear, denial, turn to others to get answers, they say get a job, I try to convince myself to give up this business, stop going to meditation, stop working out. As soon as I became conscious again, forced to because my friends are also up to practicing living authentically. They decided to come to the meditation so that forced me to have to get out of bed. Just being in the environment after meditation and the conversations, whew, I couldn't deny I had slipped to laying back AGAIN. No wonder I had stopped coming to meditation. I felt safer in bed but man I was miserable. Safe in fear but miserable. But because I was at the meditation center and willing to admit and be aware, all sorts of opportunities arose. Attending the workshop, being on a world wide teleconference call the next day with people living on the edge, *having a conversation that suddenly altered the name of me and Carol's upcoming workshop, a free massage, an opportunity to volunteer at a spiritual book store where in exchange I'll receive free yoga classes, two customers resurfacing wanting to start again, even finding a new church. Mostly what resurfaced, was possibility! Scary and unsafe but wow safety and familiarity keeps getting me a bigger waistline, sleep and lots of misery.


Don't you really believe deep inside you that really, despite the papers and rumors and Wall Street and War somewhere deep inside, you know that everything is going to be okay? Pay attention to that voice - burn through the surface fears, take responsibility and take action, for yourself and your life and join with others willing to do the same in theirs. If you want to go toward a different conversation, below I will list several places where hope, possibilities, and transformation of consciousness is the practice. Visit any one of these and experience the possibilities away from the drone of the fears. Dare to bloom and place yourself in a context closer to your core. There is where we can grow and learn to trust our own character. As the guides informed us - it's not the "systems" fault, we can't change a system - it's the humans that make up the system, transform the people and only then will the system be changed.


PLAN OF ACTION:
Dare to place yourself in environments and around others that support YOUR BLOOM:

www.enlightennext.org every Thursday 7pm-10:30pm
http://www.andrewcohen.org/ny/

www.sacredcenterny.org every Sunday at 11am-12:30pm

Wednesday, October 29th, 6pm-8pm $35.00
You Power Money: An Empowering & Inspiring seminar addressing the emotional, spirtual and practical pieces of your financial life.
Carol Buchman, CPA & Financial Planner & I, Emotional Money Healer & Guide at
243 West 30th Street, 11th Floor (1 block from Penn station)

*Formerly named "Empowering & Inspiring Your Financial Goddess" - as I was discussing my concern about the seminar I had just attended, which I talk about in the blog above, creating an "outside self" model, it was pointed out to me that that was what the title of our seminar also invoked. By "opening up" the title, it also allowed us to open it to anyone, male & female ready to transform their personal and financial lives starting from the inside. Thank you Shelley, Linda, Holly, Lauralee, Carol & Charlotte!)

When you feel afraid refer to Mark's words below, carry it with you and choose to act towards your transformation.

Moving Through the Dark
Mark Nepo

In nature, we are quietly given countless models of how to give
ourselves over to what appears dark and hopeless, but which ultimately
is an awakening beyond all imagining. All around us, everything small
and buried surrenders to a process that none of the buried parts can
see. We call this process seeding. And this innate surrender allows
everything edible and fragrant to break ground into a life of light that
we call spring. As a seed buried in the earth can’t imagine itself as
an orchid or hyacinth, neither can a heart packed with hurt or a mind
filmed over with despair imagine itself loved or at peace. The courage
of the seed is that, once cracking, it cracks all the way. This moving
through the dark into blossom is the threshold to God. And the devotion
of the living to move through the dark into blossom is the work of
soul.
*****************************************
These reflections are excerpts from several books, including a new book
of poems, Surviving Has Made Me Crazy, CavanKerry Press, and a new book
of spiritual non-fiction, Facing the Lion, Being the Lion: Inner Courage
and Where It Lives, Red Wheel/Conari Press. For more info, please visit
www.MarkNepo.com.



SAMARRA AM MANAGEMENT EVENTS
Wednesday, October 22nd, 7pm-8pm Free - Amanda Wiss: Professional Organizer
CANCELLED - Rescheduled for Monday, January 26, 2009. Thank you Amanda for your continued generosity. To learn more, please visit her at www.urbanclarity.net.

________________________________________________
Any affirmations, suggestions, requests, job notices, teleseminars or events please email me at emotionalmoney@gmail.com. Any comments regarding any of the weekly "Emotional Money" issues please post and join in the conversation. To unsubscribe to "Emotional Money" weekly ezine type in subject line "unsubscribe Emotional Money." To unsubscribe to all notices regarding Samarra Am Management events type in subject line "unsubscribe Samarra Am Management."


Copyright 2008

October 13, 2008


REST ASSURED, THIS TOO SHALL PASS

I have spoken to many of you who are all feeling completely shell shocked as you discovered that your retirements and savings has lost a lot of money. Emotionally there aren't enough words to even possibly try to take the shock, pain and fear away. What I can recommend is that you don't avoid it. Pay attention to your investements and work with your financial advisors to implement a plan that you can live with. Join Carol and I on Wed. October 29th (see under events below) where you will have the opportunity to share, ask questions and learn emotional and practical tools to carry you through this new time. In the mean time, I spoke with Carol, CPA Financial Planner for some words of advice. She says, "if you can, stay the course. You can not time the market. If the money is for cash reserves for purchasing a home or you are older and very close to retiring then you may need to constuct another plan. But if it is for your retirement and you have many years to go then stay the course. The market needs to work out it's excess and if you can handle it then stay the course." We both believe that this is simply part of the universe's way to begin the transformation process to us living from truth and our core instead of from our apperances and our minds. Before growth, there is a period of pain. Rest assured that this too shall pass.


She offered this excerpt from Genworth Financial's Wealth Management Weekly Bulletin:

"History suggests that the best option following a steep market decline is to stay the course. The markets eventually rebound and emotional responses to short-term upheavals can derail careful, rational planning.

Nonetheless, anxiety over the scale of the current decline has left many investors less willing to stay the course and wait for recovery. Many are considering foregoing their investment plans in exchange for the presumed peace of mind of a more conservative investment solution. This response is understandable and needs to be acknowledged. It is also possible that your clients' risk tolerance and goals may have evolved and that new planning is warranted.

The options to consider are:
Staying the course
Considering reduced risk levels within their current solution
Shifting to new strategies.

Why to stay the course

Consider this table. The left-hand column lists the end-date for market declines (as measured by the S&P 500 Index) against the end-date for their related economic recession. With the notable exception of the 2000 – 2002 period, when the 9/11 Attacks deepened and extended the bear market, stocks began to recover well before the economy:

Market Decline Ended Recession Ended

Sep 14, 1944 Oct 1945

Jun 13, 1949 Oct 1949

Sep 14, 1953 May 1954

Oct 22, 1957 Apr 1958

Oct 25, 1960 Feb 1961

May 26, 1970 Nov 1970

Oct 3, 1974 Mar 1975

Mar 27, 1980 July 1980

Aug 8, 1982 Nov 1982

Oct 11, 1990 Mar 1991

Oct 9, 2002 Nov 2001

Source: Standard & Poor's Equity Research Services


While history is only a guide, the lesson provided here is that retreating to the sidelines until after the general economy recovers has usually been a mistake."



We hope that this can provide some comfort and practical information for you. If you have any questions or are feeling alone please email me at emotionalmoney@gmail.com or call me at 718-350-6095. Or call your financial planner. But do not sit in the fear and let it take you over. Experience it and take an action that will help. Get the information on your accounts specifically and pick up the phone and get in conversation with someone that can listen and help. I hope to see or hear you at at least of the events on a Wednesday in October!




SAMARRA AM MANAGEMENT WEDNESDAY'S
Wednesday, October 15th, 7:30pm-10:30pm - Presidential Debate and Networking Event in New Brunswick
Register at www.njminoritybusiness.com $15
Leaving East Orange at 6pm. Join me for the ride.
Call me at 718-350-6095 or email me at emotionalmoney@gmail.com.

Wednesday, October 22nd, 7pm-8pm Free - Amanda Wiss: Professional Organizer
243 West 30th Street, 11th Floor
Must have at least 8-10 people in attendace. Please RSVP by Friday, Oct. 17th at emotionalmoney@gmail.com.

Wednesday, October 29th, 6pm-8pm $35.00
Inspiring & Empowering Your Financial Goddess w/ Carol Buchman,
CPA & Financial Planner
243 West 30th Street, 11th Floor


________________________________________________
Any affirmations, suggestions, requests, job notices, teleseminars or events please email me at emotionalmoney@gmail.com. Any comments regarding any of the weekly "Emotional Money" issues please post and join in the conversation. To unsubscribe to "Emotional Money" weekly ezine type in subject line "unsubscribe Emotional Money." To unsubscribe to all notices regarding Samarra Am Management events type in subject line "unsubscribe Samarra Am Management."

Copyright 2008

October 6, 2008

Be sure to check out Samarra Am Management's exciting October Wednesday events after the interview. I hope to hear and/or see you at least once this month!

INTERVIEW: AMANDA WISS FLUIDITY & FLEXIBILITY

Prior to launching Urban Clarity, a professional organizing firm, Amanda had ten years’ experience in the non-profit and corporate sectors in training, event planning, program and people management, sales, marketing and recruiting. She studied at Oxford and graduated from Wellesley. An active member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), Amanda serves on the Board of NAPO-NY as the Director of Professional Development. She is also on the Board of the NY Wellesley Club, where she organizes alumni programs and leads the book club. Amanda lives in Brooklyn with her husband and their two young daughters.

Samarra: Can you give me an example of some of the things
that you do?

Amanda: Frequently I work with people who are feeling stuck in some way – they haven’t opened their mail in a while, they are wasting money buying duplicates because they can’t find the things they need, they don’t have routines in place that support them. One of my more bizarre stories was that as a client and I were sorting mail we discovered that her husband had received a notice letting him know that his car would be impounded. The letter was dated over four years ago, and that entire time they’d believed that the car had been stolen.

Samarra: Oh my goodness, are you serious?

Amanda: Yes. And I'm not telling you this for people to laugh. I'm saying this to show the extent of how overwhelmed people are these days. When I meet with people for their first consultation they are swimming in clutter and they don't have time to do the things that are important to them. I enjoy organizing so much because by working together people gain clarity and peace. The person I mentioned earlier now has closure from something that was four years old. Now this may seem an extreme example but every one has a range. I help clients set goals from where they are, without judgment, which allows them to move forward and be accountable to someone.

Let's face it, it's no fun to do this stuff alone. By doing it with someone else you get an energizing, invigorating boost. And with me you get the know how along with the companionship and support.

Samarra: Now as a child my mom told me that I always lined my toys up along the wall. I loved for things to be organized. It sounds like you have always been that way as well, so is it possible for those that can't stand to "file, organize" etc. to implement what you do with them for the long term?

Amanda: Absolutely! Organizing is definitely a skill to be learned, and we can all improve in this area. A successful professional organizer will customize the solution to the person. When I have clients who hate to hang up their clothes, we put a few well-placed hooks on a wall. What I focus on is creating a living system so you can go about enjoying life. We figure out how can we set up your space so you can you get out of the door in 20 minutes with as little stress as possible. We set something up that the household can maintain, and then tweak it as necessary in the future.

Samarra: Interesting.

Amanda: One of the things that I have learned by having two children is that we can’t all have houses that are designer show pieces, but we can have warm, functional places that support us and our families. As a former perfectionist, I’m finally learning that “done is better than perfect." Many times people don't even want to start organizing because they feel they won't be able to get it perfect. Growing up, I was always pushing myself to do things perfectly, and my girls have taught me to learn to be grateful for figuring out the important things and not getting too stressed about the rest. I admit I'm still working on that, but I realize and understand that having great friends, a family, and a community that you love is more important then the need to be right – or to have color coded files if that’s not important to you! In the past I was really precise and sometimes rigid, and now I've learned how to relax.

Samarra: This is why I really wanted to speak with you because your energy and spirit is seemingly so free and light and I think when people think about organizing or hiring someone to help them organize they think "tight, stiff" and you simply ooze "fun."

Amanda: Thank you. Yes, I really do enjoy doing this and it is fun watching people love their space. I’m very approachable and keep things real – no one is perfect, but we can all strive to have less anxiety and more meaning in our lives. Creating a clutter-free environment reduces stress, allows people to find things faster, and decreases expenses because you don’t have to make duplicate purchases. This is what I work with my clients to create. They see direct results from working with me – improved comfort and utility in their home, greater peace of mind with their finances and their schedule, and overall improved productivity in their lives. Because my approach is engaging, people feel extremely supported when we work together – and I make a task that they’ve been dreading actually manageable and dare I say, fun!

Samarra: Tell me a bit more about the process.

Amanda: My approach comes from "is the stuff that is actually in your space right now, supporting you?" I often find that people have several copies of the same book. They will have a chair blocking the door to their closet. They will have the book "Word Perfect for Dummies" and now they have a Mac. Or the book "What to Expect When You’re Expecting" and their youngest child is now 10 years old. Who can we pass these books on to? There are many people out there who could enjoy the things you no longer value – so it’s time to let go and let others benefit. I am unbiased and supportive which can allow me to envision things differently. It is so much fun to hear people say "I've never thought of that." Organizing should not be a struggle. It should give you possibilities. Organizing is about being open to fluidity and flexibility. I'm training people to rethink and live in the present. I have them take stock of everything in their house. To assess what is being used now, and if it isn't being used, what can be passed on to others, so they live in a streamlined, functional home.

Samarra: This is a very interesting way to look at this. I guess, even I didn't realize, but we tend to think of organizing as static. Once a system is set up then it must stay that way no matter what. That does take the fun right out if it, believing that the system in place today will have to work years from now. That does render a person to do nothing. But your approach of what is going to help you get out of the door and/or setting systems in place that will serve the person day to day has an entirely different approach and feel.

Amanda: Yes, exactly. When there is space we tend to fill it. So I start from what is important to them and create a system that supports that. Purge what they no longer need and use. And then discuss the behavior changes moving forward that allow them to maintain the system as long as it still serves them. If you have children then you know you can't keep the place immaculate, but one of the behavior changes that you implement is "clean up time." You make it a part of the routine. Now there is a flow and system that allows you to have a support system and behavior change that will support you and your family.

Samarra: What have you found to be the greatest obstacle or burden for people?

Amanda: Paper. Paper. Paper. But it's not the paper itself, it's that there is no system in place for dealing with it. It’s helpful to make a plan that works for you. For instance, have your trash or shredder close by, and make a simple filing system to file appropriately. Go through your existing files and purge – I bet there’s a ton of stuff you don’t need anymore! You should hold onto your tax filings (for at least 7 years, if not indefinitely), but you don't need your bills from 1987! Generally, you can get rid of everything prior to three years ago. For your incoming papers purge and edit at least once a week. What happens is people are overwhelmed and they let mail sit and then things are late and lost and then there are further repercussions and the cycle continues. However once you create a system that allows you to live from what supports you, people's lives are transformed. And it is so much easier to maintain and keep up with it. Ask yourself, in case of an emergency, how quickly can you put your hands on a vital document and get out the door? Is your information backed up properly? How much time are you wasting daily just looking for paper? If you can create a better routine, you’ll be in much better shape on a consistent basis.

Samarra: Right we are all familiar with the "where are my keys?" saga every morning. It is automatically easier when what is in your space is only what is supporting you and you know where to find the things that you need. I see it all the time with my clients so much time is spent "looking, searching,” which then gets them frustrated and causes them not to even want to deal with it.

Amanda: Exactly. Clutter is never about the stuff. It's your vision of self and the past, or what you want your future to be. Simply not doing things alone, and having an outside eye, like a friend or a professional organizer, you will be surprised by how quickly a large impact can be made in such a short amount of time. Be open to the shifts of life and embrace them when they come, because they do come.

Samarra: Thank you so much Amanda. I've always been organized but I think I do have my pay checks and bills from the last 20 years. I think I have some purging to do. (Laughter)




Amanda has volunteered her time to meet with Emotional Money Readers for a free one hour discussion of how you can set up systems to serve your space. It will be Wednesday, October 22nd from 7pm-8pm. Recently I've seen a lot of evidence that clutter in finances stems from a clutter within the home. When one is cleared it as an affect on the other. Please RSVP to me by October 14th at emotionalmoney@gmail.com to attend this amazing session. We need to have at least 10 people registered for the seminar to occur. So please RSVP. The location will be announced soon. You will be inspired by her energy, knowledge and love of teaching others about the secret to organizing - fluidity and flexibility.




SAMARRA AM MANAGEMENT WEDNESDAY'S

THIS WEDNESDAY,October 8th, 7pm-8pm - Samarra Mbenga -
The Other Side of Through - Learn about my story. Emotional abuse, lack of love for myself, and an adamant mistrust of others. Does that sound like me now? If you think it doesn't, please join me on this call to find out how I arrived where I am today. Please RSVP at emotionalmoney@gmail.com And/or call in at 1-218-486-1616 Passcode: 931969
Please call in a few minutes before, so we can begin on time.


Wednesday, October 15th, 7:30pm-10:30pm - Presidential Debate and Networking Event in New Brunswick
Register at www.njminoritybusiness.com $15
Leaving East Orange at 6pm. Join me for the ride.
Call me at 718-350-6095 or email me at emotionalmoney@gmail.com.

Wednesday, October 22nd, 7pm-8pm - Amanda Wiss: Professional Organizer
Featured in the interview TODAY. Seminar will take place in Midtown - location will be announced next week.

Wednesday, October 29th, 6pm-8pm $35.00
Inspiring & Empowering Your Financial Goddess w/ Carol Buchman,
CPA & Financial Planner
243 West 30th Street, 11th Floor


________________________________________________
Any affirmations, suggestions, requests, job notices, teleseminars or events please email me at emotionalmoney@gmail.com. Any comments regarding any of the weekly "Emotional Money" issues please post and join in the conversation. To unsubscribe to "Emotional Money" weekly ezine type in subject line "unsubscribe Emotional Money." To unsubscribe to all notices regarding Samarra Am Management events type in subject line "unsubscribe Samarra Am Management."

Copyright 2008

September 29, 2008

WHAT IS GOING ON?
LOOKS LIKE TRANSFORMATION TO ME.




Can you believe what is going on today in the world? Moment to moment as I sit glued to CNN I go between laughing, crying, being terrified, being proud, but truthfully most of the time I'm just baffled. What in the world will happen next? I've written and spoken many times about the difference between "thinking and actually "taking action." I'm sure we all have our own opinions and views regarding the candidate we're going to vote for, an opinion on whether you wanted the bill to pass or not pass in Congress, whether you identify yourself as a member of Wall Street or as a member of Main Street. Regardless of our individual views, everyone is talking, watching, praying and feeling "affected." There is a sense that this time there is no escape.

I wrote two other blogs for today because as you all know I always have a lot to say. But instead of adding to the swirl, I've decided to end this very special September with the laser sharp advice and very specific honesty of Suze Orman. If you did not see Suze Orman on Oprah Winfrey this past week, please, please, please, please click or copy the link below. Suze Orman, I feel lays out a very clear explanation for what has occurred and provides very specific advice on what to do with your money. She also interviews two families who have had very different approaches to how they have handled their finances. (Which one do you identify most with? What are you willing to do about it?) Yes, what is going on right now seems almost surreal but I guarantee you, please take the time to watch or read this show. It will provide some specifics to alleviate your general fears to get to something you can do something about - your specific, personal ones. At the end of the day, it is about what we are doing in our lives day to day to day to day. It's time to get honest and real with our financial lives - if you are still spending beyond what you have, no matter how long you've been able to get away with it, it will eventually catch up with you. Let what is happening be a lesson to us all. START NOW. Dare to be honest with yourself. It is the only way. Take action now. Start by watching this show!

Transformation always requires the forced end to an established belief system. This isn't an ending but a beginning. We are being reminded that it is time to start being accountable emotionally and financially. Are your finances where they were five years ago, ten years ago? Do you want them to be where they are now, five years from now? If we keep doing what we've been doing we WILL keep getting what we've been getting or worse. START NOW. Carve out an hour this week, invite a friend, take some notes and please watch this show. It's time for us all to get accountable for OUR deeds.


PLAN OF ACTION:
Watch this show please, please, please, please.
http://www.oprah.com/slideshow/oprahshow/20080918_tows_suze/1
I'd love to hear your comments/responses/realizations/plans of action at emotionalmoney@gmail.com.



SAMARRA AM MANAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT:

Stay Tuned to Samarra Am Management's Weekly Wednesday Gatherings starting October 8th. I'll announce the specific schedule & information for the month, next week. I'm hoping that by some of us connecting in conversation we can help each other alleviate our fears and get focused on using this opportunity to collectively get honest; the necessary first step in living a life inspired, fulfilled and free. I hope that you will join me!


October 8th - Samarra's Journey, The Other Side of Through

October 15th, 22nd- confirming event and interview (TBA)

October 29th, 6pm-8pm
Inspiring & Empowering Your Financial Goddess
Samarra Mbenga, Emotional Healer & Carol L. Buchman, CPA, Financial Planner
243 W. 30th Street between 7th & 8th, 11th Floor
$35.00
Call 718-350-6095 to register today.
A seminar for women addressing the emotional, spiritual, and practical pieces
of your financial life.



HAPPY ROSH HASHANAH!


___________________________________________
Any affirmations, suggestions, requests, job notices, teleseminars or events please email me at emotionalmoney@gmail.com. Any comments regarding any of the weekly "Emotional Money" issues please post and join in the conversation. To unsubscribe to "Emotional Money" weekly ezine type in subject line "unsubscribe Emotional Money." To unsubscribe to all notices regarding Samarra Am Management events type in subject line "unsubscribe Samarra Am Management."

September 22, 2008

UNTITLED UNKNOWN, CHANGE

What a time in the world? Did you ever think that Morgan and Stanley would have to join to stay around? Did you ever think that Fannie Mae would need to be bailed out? How much has the happenings on Wall Street really affected your life? Were you already struggling to survive or were you already striving toward your ever evolving enlightenment? And the election? In these days and times, in case you are feeling some fears and/or some sadness as I have been experiencing these past two weeks, you're not alone. Change can feel pretty scary, the entering into the world of the unknown. What is going to happen next? Who knows? Three weeks ago I interviewed a wonderful professional organizer. We haven't been able to reconnect and we had no idea of the changes that would be coming over these next weeks. At some point soon I look forward to being able to share her inspiring words. In the mean time, I rely on my favorite poet and sage to lend a word for the week:

AUTHENTICALLY WANDERING
by Mark Nepo

So often, I hear two responses to the mystery of life. One is a
declaration of how awful a world this is and how overwhelming the burden
is of what needs to be righted. The other is a declaration of how
enlightenment and perfection are possible if we only work hard enough.
The mood of these responses is either one of despair and apathy (What
difference could I make?) or one of pushing for a romantic ideal
(Imagine a world where children never cry). The lifestyle engendered by
these responses is either a life of isolation and endurance or one of
missionary zeal to change the world en route to some form of Heaven.

Though I’ve spent time lost in each, I find both responses
insufficient. In declaring how awful a world this is, we escape by
retreating from life through resignation (It’s all too much to bear).
In declaring that perfection is possible, we escape by wanting to
transcend out of the life at hand by hiding in the future (My hope is in
tomorrow). Either way, the goal is to leave and bypass the work of being
here.

It is interesting to compare Western and Eastern views. While the
Western view is that life can be improved and, therefore, it is our
responsibility to control and shape the behavior of others in order to
make the world a better place, the Eastern view is that life cannot be
improved upon, only experienced. Life was complete before you or I
arrived and will be complete when we pass.

Herein lies the paradox of being human. While we cannot eliminate
hunger, we can feed each other. While we cannot eliminate pain, we can
hold each other. While we can’t improve upon the nature of reality, we
can make things better for each other while we’re here.

In light of this, falling to either the pessimistic or romantic side of
this paradox is a distraction from being here and helping each other
while we can. In truth, I have more sympathy for those clouded with
despair. For this romance with the ideal in the face of true suffering
is more than annoying. It can be dangerous; leaving others in jeopardy
while the state of things as they are is being denied.

The challenge is to feel the pain in being human and not escape down
the rabbit hole into despair, but to stay here and hold each other up in
the mystery. Likewise, the other side of the challenge is to not escape
the other way, into striving for a perfect world, always out of reach,
whose dream is its own addictive sedative.

This is why I am moved by the courage of the Bodhisattva who, on the
threshold of enlightenment, refuses to cross over; committing to wait
till others can come and join. Though this, too, is a dream of Heaven,
what moves me is a sense that the Bodhisattva knows that the others will
never come. And so, in essence, he or she embraces an enlightened life
on earth. Not shaping or purifying others, but wandering authentically
among the living.
*****************************************
These reflections are excerpts from several books, including a new book
of poems, Surviving Has Made Me Crazy, CavanKerry Press, and a new book
of spiritual non-fiction, Facing the Lion, Being the Lion: Inner Courage
and Where It Lives, Red Wheel/Conari Press. For more info, please visit
www.MarkNepo.com.


SAMARRA AM MANAGEMENT
Inspiring & Empowering Your Financial Goddess
October 29, 2008, 6pm-8pm
243 W. 30th Street between 7th & 8th
$30.00
Call 718-350-6095 to register today.
Start your holiday season aligned. Address your finances emotionally, spirtually and practically with me and Carol L. Bauchman, CPA for over 19 years.

If you missed last week's live interview on GBN Talk Radio, you can listen at:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/GBN/2008/09/17/Bring-Your-Family-Back-to-the-Table-1
Topic: Bring Your Family Back to the Table
This show is about food and finances. Meal time and the teaching of fiscal responsibility are things that our society has moved away from. Atlanta-based Lisa Patterson of Creative Menus, and East Orange, NJ-based Samarra Mbenga of Emotional Money will be featured on this call. In this age of technology and fast-paced living they both are inviting people to stop, come together and communicate.



UPCOMING EVENTS
TURN ON TO LIFE
Integrity Day
You will be amazed at how much you can accomplish in four hours --
and how much fun you can have doing it -- when you have an
enthusiastic support group cheering you on.
September 23, 2008 (Tuesday), 9 AM ET
September 26, 2008 (Friday), 10 AM ET
September 30, 2008 (Tuesday), 12 PM (noon) ET

To register for one of these dates, visit:
http://www.turnontolife.com/integrity_schedule.html

I look forward to "seeing" you at an Integrity Day soon! Get ready
to HAVE FUN and GET STUFF DONE!






___________________________________________
Any affirmations, suggestions, requests, job notices, teleseminars or events please email me at emotionalmoney@gmail.com. Any comments regarding any of the weekly "Emotional Money" issues please post and join in the conversation. To unsubscribe to "Emotional Money" weekly ezine type in subject line "unsubscribe Emotional Money." To unsubscribe to all notices regarding Samarra Am Management events type in subject line "unsubscribe Samarra Am Management."

September 8, 2008

SHIFTING FOCUS: FLEETING OR EVERLASTING?

'Winfrey strongly believes that intuition is a guiding force,' "...you have to allow yourself to be in the space where you are carried by the flow of life and not pushing upstream," she maintains. "When you are in the flow, all things come as they should, all the time. I believe you can move into the stratosphere. I believe there is no ceiling."
Oprah Winfrey, Black Enterprise June 2008


Attending my step father's opening gallery reception in Binghamton, NY surrounded by waterfalls, rocks and trees, all shimmering with natural hues and shades rarely captured, I became aware of the importance of a shift in focus to the beauty, power, peace and serenity of nature. www.jwjohnston.com

Attending meditation on Thursday night at Enlightennext after having missed several weeks I became aware of the importance of my body, mind and spirit having a chance to focus on...nothing, no one, no thing. A room filled with others striving to also quiet their body, mind, souls and spirits, collectively shifting our focus from frenzied movement to an attentive stillness. www.enlightennext.org


We have all heard the saying many times that a glass that is half filled can be looked at as half full or half empty. The beauty and tragedy of life is that it is utterly both at any given moment. We as human beings however have free will and at any given moment can choose where and to what we will give our attention to.

In an age where easy solutions are highly valued we often mistake that the point of our focus should be to get to feeling good and happy. But what if you aren't? If we put our focus first to where we actually are then the answers you are searching for can finally be presented. But if you skip over first where you are, any answer that you receive isn't really going to satisfy your root need. Shift your focus to where you actually are to receive release. In any given moment the glass is half full, at any given moment the glass is half empty. Shift your attention to what is true for you in that given moment.

I was listening to Janice Ian (singer, songwriter) on the radio yesterday and she said that her life wasn't about seeking happiness, it was about seeking clarity. My interpretation was that happiness as in the fairytales is fleeting. Clarity is ever evolving and engaging. One seems more surface, the other more layered and deep. Which provides a quick short term fix, which is longer lasting? Which is easy, which is more challenging? Which requires more energy? To which will you shift your attention to? Many people ask me what does identifying their past dominant emotion have to do with helping them with their money issues? One solution addresses a quick fix and the other addresses the hidden layers buried deep. In every given moment the glass is both full and empty. Which will you give your focus, energy, time and attention to? Fleeting or everlasting?



SAMARRA AM MANAGEMENT
Next week in Emotional Money:
Interview with Amanda Wiss, a professional organizer that teaches us that the key to being organized is understanding fluidity and flexibility.


Live interview on www.GbnTalkRadio.com on Tuesday, September 16th from 8:30pm-9:30pm entitled “Bringing Your Family Back To The Table” featuring me and Lisa Patterson in Atlanta from Creative Menus. Be sure to tune in.



________________________________________________
Any affirmations, suggestions, requests, job notices, teleseminars or events please email me at emotionalmoney@gmail.com. Any comments regarding any of the weekly "Emotional Money" issues please post and join in the conversation. To unsubscribe to "Emotional Money" weekly ezine type in subject line "unsubscribe Emotional Money." To unsubscribe to all notices regarding Samarra Am Management events type in subject line "unsubscribe Samarra Am Management."

Copyright 2008

September 1, 2008


HAPPY TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY TO EMOTIONAL MONEY!

Thank you so much to my readers, investors, customers and friends. I must send out a special thank you to Curtis for our wonderful weekly teleconference calls that helps to keep the vision specific and clear, Terry for the many monetary contributions and support, Rebecca and Julia for being such dear friends, Richard for being a devout reader and contributor, my many new perfect customers who have been so courageous in committing to living their lives inspired, fulfilled and free, and of course to my mommy for always, always, always BEING and allowing me to be me. Thank you Peter for arriving right on time to celebrate with this perfect anniversary gift.


INTERVIEW: PETER GALES, THE PRACTICE OF YOUR LIFE

Peter: Everybody wants a magic bullet. Win the lottery, read the book, attend a seminar, meet that man or woman and get married and ride out into the sunset, and live happily ever after. Life just doesn't work this way. It's like saying I'll go to the gym for one week and I'll have a great body for the rest of my life. To be really committed to anything it has to be the point of your lifestyle forever.

(Peter is originally from Trinidad. He studied in Toronto, Canada and New York, and has lived in the United States, Netherlands, and London. He's half Dutch and 3/8 Chinese, and 1/8th African. At a recent comedy show he was hit on as "the Asian guy," which was interesting for him as he never looked Asian growing up. A lover of Zouk music and an excellent dancer, he is an expert on the different Caribbean styles of music, educating my friends and I at a party we attended on the origins of where each song that played was from. He could tell songs from from Barbados, Trinidad, the French Antilles or Africa. Whether Zouk versus ZoukLove, Salsa or Soca. His diverse experiences with different countries, ethnicities, religions, and cultures has led him to develop The Practice of Your Life. (www.thepracticeofyourlife.com)

Peter: The medical profession studies breakdowns in the body . Law studies the breakdowns in relationships. A practice has a focus and an intent. The promise of the practice of medicine is to heal your body, and the promise of law is to protect you from broken commitments. The study of a practice occurs through the use of a network of people, developing technologies and a use of standard practices or processes. The main requirement of the concept of a practice is that it is clear what you want it to be about. That is clear to us when we think about medicine or law but in life most people don't think about what they want their life to be about until there is a breakdown. In the area of health, your body, some people have to only have minor breakdowns while others have to almost die, befor they start to take care. In any practice you invent for taking care of your body for example, you must go to the gym, or exercise, and you must do that as part of a routine that you develop and keep at it throughout your life. Over time as your body gets used to it, you then have to adjust and reinvent the practice, change/update the routine. The same is true for the other areas of our lives, like mind, spirituality, wealth or relationships. Every few years and for some more often than that our needs and desires evolve and change. Like working out our bodies, we must update the routines and practices of our lives. And that’s a never ending process.

Samarra: Why do you think we resist updating the routine?

Peter: I believe that what has kept us unaware of the need to bring intention to our lives is that our expectations are that there are only supposed to be highs without lows. But we can't have highs without lows. We're also taught that when we fail that it's bad. If a person has a set-back they bring all these stories that their failure means something about them. The failure becomes a life sentence. We resist changing the routine because we are focused on our fear of failing instead of understanding that failure is a teacher. Anyone successful, when you learn their story, it's not that they never failed it's only that they never gave up. They learned from their mistakes and eventually they succeeded. When you fail or make a mistake, there is nothing wrong with you.

Samarra: So how do you define what you call the practice of life?

Peter: Consciously engaging with the pursuit of what you say you want out of life. Bringing constant attention to what it is you say you want. I still don't know how exactly this is all going to turn out. I've put everything at risk but I feel strongly at peace. I feel like my soul is calling and I'm walking my own talk. I'm still at "sea", I haven't landed yet.

Samarra: You seem quite calm at sea. It usually makes people very uncomfortable to not have the answers all figured out, how are you able to be at such peace?

Peter: (He chuckles) That is a good question. I have a sense deep inside that I've finally discovered what I'm supposed to be doing. I've had a great life, great parents. I had it easy. I went along with cultural convention. I was a good student. I found it easy to pass exams. To my detriment, I never learned for education, I learned to pass exams. I could retain the information for an exam but I had no idea or training on how to apply it to life.

Samarra: Interesting. And now you do. What was the transition that caused you to want to help others be able to apply what they learn to their lives.

Peter: For many years, I was very much a part of the corporate world. I worked for a good company but I always felt, there's something else. The company that I worked for was based in Stanford, Connecticut. I was offered the opportunity to transfer to the Netherlands. I didn't have a family so it was pretty easy for me to do and I felt that it was important for my growth. At that time it was the worst professional experience of my life. It was a black period that lasted for 2 years. It was a time of anguish and suffering. It was my greatest time of self doubt.

Samarra: What happened?

Peter: My mother always taught me at a very young age to take responsibility. I was able to look at where I was not up to the task. Many years after this dark time, and for completely unrelated reasons I left the company. My first instinct was to jump back in to the corporate structure that I knew, but once I got in, I knew it wasn’t for me, Now with no structure around me I was forced to think about ideas and things that I could do. I realized that within a group, corporate or not, I was like the grease in the engine. People would always come to me. I was always good at speaking, all Trini's like to entertain and be in front of people, (we laugh) but I never cultivated it. I'm only doing now what I've always done without the parts that made me suffer. I plan on developing my ideas around The Practice of Your Life through speaking, writing and using technology to connect people worldwide in The Practice Of Your Life. As Adre Gide says, "one does not discover new lands without committing to lose sight of the shore for a very long time." Now it doesn't mean that I never get scared or afraid, for instance of my funds running out, but I also know that being afraid is just apart of the game.

Samarra: From your travel experiences which country and/or experience has greatly impacted your views regarding life.

Peter: If the Netherlands weren't so wet and gray I could have lived there. The Dutch philosophy is really live and let live. There were many people of different colors and it was a sense of everybody was everybody. There is a listening of "the other side" but they don't live from it like we do here in the US. Even if they don't like it they allow it. The only thing they don't tolerate is intolerance. They could teach the world a lot. In regards to religion I went from being a Roman Catholic to being an atheist. Then I realized that it was as arrogant for me to say that there is not as it is to say that there is. Then I became agnostic, and now I’m very spiritual. I've come to a certain peace with the unknown.

Samarra: Quite an incredible journey.

Peter: My ultimate goal would be fulfilled if I can make a difference in having people see and seek the value in different perspectives, religions and difficult cultures. If I can make a difference there I could say that I did a lot.

Samarra: And to balance the seriousness of your mission and work in life, what do you do for fun?

Peter: Liming. (Trinidian partying) Although, I can't say that I've reached the level of the professional limer yet. We trini's take our liming quite seriously.

Samarra: (Laughing) Thank you so much. I look forward to the release of your book The Practice of Your Life in June of 2009. Any last words for the Emotional Money readers on this two year anniversary of exploring our emotions, our money, relationships and our lives.

Peter: Listen and observe from here (he touches his stomach). That's how you find out where you are!


Thank you Peter. Happy Labor Day Everyone. Thank you for sharing this 2 year journey. Here’s to many more years of laughter, insights, truth’s and to the release of our sadness and tears.

God Bless those affected by Hurricane Gustav.



SAMARRA AM MANAGEMENT EVENT
Live interview on www.GbnTalkRadio.com on Tuesday, September 16th from 8:30pm-9:30pm entitled “Bringing Your Family Back To The Table” featuring me and Lisa Patterson in Atlanta from Creative Menus. Be sure to tune in.



UPCOMING EVENTS:
Turn On To Life with Curtis G. Schmitt
Integrity Days:
September 2, 2008 (Tuesday), 12 PM (noon) ET
September 5, 2008 (Friday), 9 AM ET

To register for one of them (and get on the schedule announcement list):

http://www.turnontolife.com/integrity.html#register

Teleclass:

Productive Planning--From Stress to Success
Learn a 6-step planning process that will make you an expert at completing your top priorities...no matter what else is thrown at you during your day. Visit http://www.turnontolife.com/teleclass/



Enlightennext
Every Thursday 7pm-10pm at 243 30th Street, 11th Floor
Meditation, vegetarian meal & a world wide conference call
www.enlightennext.org



________________________________________________
Any affirmations, suggestions, requests, job notices, teleseminars or events please email me at emotionalmoney@gmail.com. Any comments regarding any of the weekly "Emotional Money" issues please post and join in the conversation. To unsubscribe to "Emotional Money" weekly ezine type in subject line "unsubscribe Emotional Money." To unsubscribe to all notices regarding Samarra Am Management events type in subject line "unsubscribe Samarra Am Management."

Copyright 2008

August 25, 2008


"If It Is To Be..It Is Up To Me"
Unknown


Having just watched Michelle Obama and Teddy Kennedy tonight, if there is any time to take on ourselves and overcome our uninspiring habits now would be a good time. Regardless of who you vote for, now is a time of great courage, will, hope and change. We're not alone.

It is as simple and as complex as this. Are the actions that you are taking in alignment with your core? Do they lead to your smile? Do they lead to your greatness? Or do they lead to your misery, complaints and familiar territory? Moment to moment to moment...we get to choose. Don't just keep talking about what you say you want, actually take actions that will lead you towards it.

To go along with this theme, I have also found that when I make a request for people to report on their positive moves I don't get any reply. But if I make a request for people to name their problems or mistakes they flood in. I regret that I won't be able to run any this week but there are many of you out there. I can tell your story but it's much more interesting when you tell your own. You can of course be listed as anonymous. I think that we also tend to forget how far we've come and focus instead on how far we are away from where we want to be. So since I say I want to build a community dedicated to living inspired, fulfilled and free I will be implementing a regular bi monthly conference call chat to give us the opportunity to connect verbally and share our victories. I'll announce the dates on Labor Day, the 2 year anniversary of Emotional Money. Please join in! And send me your victories please at emotionalmoney@gmail.com. I'd love to run a few next week!

I am excited to announce that I will be running an interview with Peter Gales next week. He is the author of The Practice of Life which is due out in June of 2009. Catch an interview with this Trini who has lived in the US, Netherlands, Canada and France. I found his philosophy and ability to explain the hills and valleys in our journey of life extremely...comforting and clear. The perfect anniversary treat.




Credit Card Warning from an Emotional Money Reader - Thank You!!!
Today Sunday 8/10/08 there is an interestng article in Parade Magazine (a suppliment in today's NY Post) entitled "Don't Get Clobbered by Credit Cards".
If you don't get the Post I will be glad to send it to you if you give me a mailing address. I would be interested in hearing what you think of it.
Ironicly I received a credit card offer in the mail yesterday which I promptly threw in the trash. But before trashing the offer I read the "fine print".
In addition to the annual fee of $72 for which you would be billed monthly @! $6 there was a processing fee of over $100! So before you would charge your first item you would be in debt to the card for over $100.
What a deal!!!!




SAMARRA AM MANAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMENTS
INSPIRING AND EMPOWERING YOUR FINANCIAL GODDESS - Saturday, November 8, 2008.
A day long seminar for women addressing the emotional, spirtual and practical pieces of your financial life. Joining me will be Carol Buchman (an accountant/financial planner for 19 years) and DeAnna Radaj, Feng Shui expert from Bante Design LLC -
Start your holiday season aligned!



UPCOMING EVENTS:
Turn On To Life with Curtis G. Schmitt
Integrity Days:
August 28, 2008 (Thursday), 9 AM ET
August 29, 2008 (Friday), 11 AM ET
September 2, 2008 (Tuesday), 12 PM (noon) ET
September 5, 2008 (Friday), 9 AM ET

To register for one of them (and get on the schedule announcement list):

http://www.turnontolife.com/integrity.html#register

Teleclass:

Productive Planning--From Stress to Success
Learn a 6-step planning process that will make you an expert at completing your top priorities...no matter what else is thrown at you during your day. Visit http://www.turnontolife.com/teleclass/



Enlightennext
Every Thursday 7pm-10pm at 243 30th Street, 11th Floor
Meditation, vegetarian meal & a world wide conference call
www.enlightennext.org




ANNOUNCEMENT:
Share - Sublet (8/15-11/15)

Available 8/15, 1bedroom share in a 2 bedroom apt for 1 month then I will be
leaving town for 2 months and the apt will become a sublet. The rent will be $1250
each of the 3 months. $600 deposit required.
Located in the 140's in Harlem. Top floor, sunny, great view, elevator, laundry
in building. Five minute walk to A,B,C,D and 3 trains. 10 minute ride to mid-town.
Path Mark and New York Sports Club less than a block away.
Cable and heat included. Pay 1/2 Con Ed for 1st month then entire bill the
remaining 2 months.
No smokers or pets please.

Call 646- 232- 7817 or e-mail wiley24@earthlink.net.


________________________________________________
Any affirmations, suggestions, requests, job notices, teleseminars or events please email me at emotionalmoney@gmail.com. Any comments regarding any of the weekly "Emotional Money" issues please post and join in the conversation. To unsubscribe to "Emotional Money" weekly ezine type in subject line "unsubscribe Emotional Money." To unsubscribe to all notices regarding Samarra Am Management events type in subject line "unsubscribe Samarra Am Management."

Copyright 2008

August 18, 2008


IF ONLY THERE WAS A PILL


"...Self, a depth that reveals a mystery so awe-inspiring that it simply cannot be imagined. But more often than not, we're unwilling...to face the profoundly liberating implications of our own potential because we're simply not prepared to accept that which our mind cannot comprehend. Always living in denial of our darkness and ever fearful of the overwhelming brightness of our own unexplored heights, the inevitable result can only be mediocrity."
"11 Days at the Edge: One man's spirtual journey into evolutionary enlightenment" by Michael Wombacher


Many of you have heard me say, "I wish I had a pill that I could give you to make this process easier". But I don't. Transforming our habits of the past into actions that are always stemming from our core is a constant work, a constant process. Until we have the courage to face our pains of the past, until we make the decision that the misery we keep placing ourselves in is no longer acceptable and decide to take the leap into the world of our own unknown, we just spin and spin and spin in our own "mediocrity." We choose to spin because at least that is a pain that we know and are familiar with. How many times have you left a job and ended up in a new job with the exact same dynamics? How many times have you left one relationship and ended up with another person that was exactly like the one you thought you had just left? (Imagine my shock when I left my husband and four years later ended up with someone that wasn't only the same person but actually said the EXACT same very painful (and untrue) sentence to me. It was mind boggling. Clearly whatever work I thought I had done, I had more work to do. Instead of doing the work though, I chose to move in with the person. And of course all that could occur was the exact same result of having to leave again. Spin. Spin. Spin.) I don't know what event has to occur that causes us each to make the decision to face our pains, but eventually it usually does occur. How many more jobs, how many more relationships, how much more time? That is up to you. Yes, it is scary to look back at our pains and heal and find closure. Because now what? Who are we without those familiar complaints, familiar stresses and strains? Who are we without our same friends? Who are we to define ourselves versus simply following what and who our families, friends and communities told us we should be? Our days are not promised. I wish I could invent a pill. But like a diet pill it would only be a temporary fix.

Those of you that have worked with me remember the resistance to take actions based on your core. You remember the transformations that occurred when you took the leap. Please email me and share your experiences and/or post them on the blog. The pain for many is seemingly overwhelming and resistance to the leap is occurring increasingly this month. But until the leap is taken you can't know the benefits of standing in the unknown. Many of you took the leap, I'm inviting you to please share your before and after to help someone else make the leap. I'll post them next week.

When you decide that YOU are the most important thing, you make decisions, set up systems, spend time with people, and draw to you, that which is in alignment with your soul. The unknown and not knowing isn't the big bad wolf that we're taught it is in school. The unknown is the key to going beyond the limits of our small, small minds and accessing the energies and limitless abundance of the universe!
Face your pain and live your life "awe-inspired" daily!




SAMARRA AM MANAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMENTS
We had a wonderful time on Saturday listening to Alode perform and participating in a drum circle of over 25 people. The intent was to be in the coutry where being able to see the abundance of stars is amazing. However, the universe covered the stars and amazed us with a spectacular glowing full moon. I hope you can join me on the next escapade a bit closer to the sky and mother nature.


Two Upcoming Seminars:
Stay tuned for details:
INSPIRING AND EMPOWERING YOUR FINANICIAL GODDESS
a day long seminar - Saturday November 8th to get your holiday season started off right.
FUN WITH FINANCIALS an evening in October.



Additional Services - Organizing, Gathering, Sorting and Filing. I happen to love putting things in order. If you just haven't been able to face it, give me a call. Believe me, what is in there, is not what you think.
Fee based on individual circumstances and projects.
Call today for inspiration and aid,
718-350-6095
emotionalmoney@gmail.com
Dedicated to building communities living inspired, fulfilled and free!



EVENTS:
Enlightennext
Every Thursday 7pm-10pm at 243 30th Street, 11th Floor
Meditation, vegetarian meal & a world wide conference call
www.enlightennext.org




ANNOUNCEMENT:
Share - Sublet (8/15-11/15)

Available 8/15, 1bedroom share in a 2 bedroom apt for 1 month then I will be
leaving town for 2 months and the apt will become a sublet. The rent will be $1250
each of the 3 months. $600 deposit required.
Located in the 140's in Harlem. Top floor, sunny, great view, elevator, laundry
in building. Five minute walk to A,B,C,D and 3 trains. 10 minute ride to mid-town.
Path Mark and New York Sports Club less than a block away.
Cable and heat included. Pay 1/2 Con Ed for 1st month then entire bill the
remaining 2 months.
No smokers or pets please.

Call 646- 232- 7817 or e-mail wiley24@earthlink.net.


________________________________________________
Any affirmations, suggestions, requests, job notices, teleseminars or events please email me at emotionalmoney@gmail.com. Any comments regarding any of the weekly "Emotional Money" issues please post and join in the conversation. To unsubscribe to "Emotional Money" weekly ezine type in subject line "unsubscribe Emotional Money." To unsubscribe to all notices regarding Samarra Am Management events type in subject line "unsubscribe Samarra Am Management."

Copyright 2008

August 11, 2008

AUTOMATIC PAYMENTS

How many of you have your bills set up on automatic payment?
I understand how the banks and companies benefit - either way they are guaranteed to get paid. I understand technically how you as the customer can also benefit - you save yourself time. However I have noticed a dangerous trend. The customers that are using it are usually using it because they don't like doing their bills, they were missing their payments and/or they just wanted to avoid their finances and this allowed them not to have to think about it. If you have no aspirations to get your finances in order or build wealth then I guess this is a viable plan. But if you are truly striving to get your finances in order, or simply rise to the next financial level, please don't use or stop using this automatic payment option.

In this age of microwave mentality, we often pay attention to what is going to get us to our destination the fastest versus what will allow us to fully arrive. If you don't like dealing with your finances, automatic payments are not going to suddenly take care of your issues around your finances. All the automatic payment system does is allow you to pretend that you have everything under control. A system is a system - how you're using it is coming from the same source. If the process from the beginning is broken then the process in a different system will still be broken. You may as well, take the time now, to look at your system. How much are your bills per month? When are your bills due? When do you earn income? Will there be enough in your account when the bills are due? We have to be involved and conscious to our financial life.

If you have plenty of extra income in relation to your expenses and you feel as if you don't need to worry about it, consider your future. If you know how much you owe, and how much you earn, and are just blindly letting the banks and computers handle your finances, what potential savings/investing opportunities might you be missing out on? What if your phone company has beed double charging you? I can not tell you how many times that I have heard people say, once we look at their statements, that they have no idea who a certain company is that has been taking money out of their account on a monthly basis. We have to be involved and conscious to our financial life.

As in most cases with technology, it does help us tremondously in our every day lives but please don't make the mistake of using them as substitutes for being involved in your own life. There is no substitute. Systems are there to help us but never take yourself out of the equation. If you use the automatic payment set up but you don't have a clue about what is being taken out or when, please start this month to make a list of the companies, the amount owed and when they are taken out. Start there. If your expenses are a lot more than your income and many months you get hit with overdraft fees take off the automatic payments. (No, the overdraft protection isn't really aiding you either.) Don't keep giving the banks more of your money. Turn and face your finances head on!

PLAN OF ACTION:
If you have automatic billing, learn the company, amount and date due for your bills.
Track it monthly. Please share your thrills from last week and any surprises you encountered from looking at your statements this week at emotionalmoney@gmail.com.




SAMARRA AM MANAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMENTS

There is only room for one more (female only) for my 3 hour day trip to Upstate New York this Saturday, August 16th. Big Tent Cultural Center in Whitney Point, NY will have the Women's African Drumming Group, Alode at 4pm for only $7.00 After the performance we'll all get to participate in a Drumming Circle. It will be wonderful fun. You can email me at emotionalmoney@gmail.com or call me at 718-350-6095 for the details.

Additional Services - Organizing, Gathering, Sorting and Filing. I happen to love putting things in order. If you just haven't been able to face it, give me a call. Examples such as:
If you can write your amounts down daily I'll organize it for you and every month you'll have a record of how much you made and how much you spent.
If you have a trunk or a bag filled with papers you just can't face - give me a call. Believe me, what is in there is not what you think.
Fee based on individual circumstances and projects.
Call today for an estimate and some inspiration!
718-350-6095
emotionalmoney@gmail.com
Dedicated to building communities living inspired, fulfilled and free!



EVENTS:
Grassroots Business Network, LLC
Networking Event This Thursday
http://www.gbnllc.com/
Be sure to visit their website. Their events are unique and fun!

Enlightennext
Every Thursday 7pm-10pm at 243 30th Street, 11th Floor
Meditation, vegetarian meal & a world wide conference call
www.enlightennext.org




ANNOUNCEMENT
Share - Sublet (8/15-11/15)

Available 8/15, 1bedroom share in a 2 bedroom apt for 1 month then I will be
leaving town for 2 months and the apt will become a sublet. The rent will be $1250
each of the 3 months. $600 deposit required.
Located in the 140's in Harlem. Top floor, sunny, great view, elevator, laundry
in building. Five minute walk to A,B,C,D and 3 trains. 10 minute ride to mid-town.
Path Mark and New York Sports Club less than a block away.
Cable and heat included. Pay 1/2 Con Ed for 1st month then entire bill the
remaining 2 months.
No smokers or pets please.

Call 646- 232- 7817 or e-mail wiley24@earthlink.net.


________________________________________________
Any affirmations, suggestions, requests, job notices, teleseminars or events please email me at emotionalmoney@gmail.com. Any comments regarding any of the weekly "Emotional Money" issues please post and join in the conversation. To unsubscribe to "Emotional Money" weekly ezine type in subject line "unsubscribe Emotional Money." To unsubscribe to all notices regarding Samarra Am Management events type in subject line "unsubscribe Samarra Am Management."

Copyright 2008

August 4, 2008



THE THRILL OF MAKING LIFE HAPPEN!


Riding in the car with my mom one day many years ago, I looked at the sky. I had never seen so many stars in all of my life. We were out in the country and I loved looking at the sky, but this was like no sky I had ever seen before or since. I understood for the first time in my life what was meant when we were taught in school that there are billions and billions of stars. I remember asking my mom, what was wrong with my eyes or the reflection? My mind couldn't grasp the idea that I was looking at stars. I kept staring and it wasn't going away. Once I realized that the sky was literally covered in stars, I remember sinking down in my seat. I was excited - it was so beautiful, but I was also scared. Scared partly because how was it possible that I had never seen them before? How could I have not seen what was already there? The lights of the city are blocking so much more than I could have ever imagined.


When we are confronted with the beauty and possiblities of what can be created in our lives, we are terrified. We think "oh my goodness, could this really be true?" "Can I do this?" "Can I cause this to happen?" "Have I always been able to cause this?" Isn't it funny that the feeling of terror isn't really there when we don't accomplish something or when we don't go beyond our expectation? After all, that is a habit that we know all about. We expect and understand that.

The billions of stars are always there illuminating the sky even if we can't see them. The light of our souls are always there, even when we don't choose to express it. But each of us, at least once, had a circumstance where we just had to let it shine and we accomplished, said and/or did exactly what we had set out to do. Afterwards we were surprised, in shock and/or terrified. But we've never forgotten what we were capable of doing. We've never forgotten the thrill of making our lives happen.


The habits bring us the same debts, the same frustrations, the same daily grind. What if our habit became living life from the awe and terror of making our lives happen, clearing the clouds and the glare of artificial lighting?

Venture out into the darkness of the country and behold the beauty of making your life happen!


PLAN OF ACTION:
Identify what you did in the past that thrilled you.
Break down what and how you did it.
Identify a thrill that you could see accomplishing in the next 5 days.
Lay out a plan.
LEAP!
Share your thrill at emotionalmoney@gmail.com.

I'm planning on taking a 3 hour trip Upstate for the day on Saturday, August 16th to listen and participate afterwards in a drum circle. If you'd like to view the stars with me, I have room for 2 or 3 others. You can email me at emotionalmoney@gmail.com or call me at 718-350-6095 for the details.





EVENTS:
Enlightennext
Every Thursday 7pm-10pm at 243 30th Street, 11th Floor
Meditation, vegetarian meal & a world wide conference call
www.enlightennext.org

Peaceful Productivity for Busy Professionals
Learn the 5 Master Keys to time management and planning in a teleclass that people are calling a "life-saver," "powerful," and "inspirational"! Visit http://www.TurnOnToLife.com/teleclass.html


ANNOUNCEMENT
Share - Sublet (8/15-11/15)

Available 8/15, 1bedroom share in a 2 bedroom apt for 1 month then I will be
leaving town for 2 months and the apt will become a sublet. The rent will be $1250
each of the 3 months. $600 deposit required.
Located in the 140's in Harlem. Top floor, sunny, great view, elevator, laundry
in building. Five minute walk to A,B,C,D and 3 trains. 10 minute ride to mid-town.
Path Mark and New York Sports Club less than a block away.
Cable and heat included. Pay 1/2 Con Ed for 1st month then entire bill the
remaining 2 months.
No smokers or pets please.

Call 646- 232- 7817 or e-mail wiley24@earthlink.net.









________________________________________________
Any affirmations, suggestions, requests, job notices, teleseminars or events please email me at emotionalmoney@gmail.com. Any comments regarding any of the weekly "Emotional Money" issues please post and join in the conversation. To unsubscribe to "Emotional Money" weekly ezine type in subject line "unsubscribe Emotional Money." To unsubscribe to all notices regarding Samarra Am Management events type in subject line "unsubscribe Samarra Am Management."

Copyright 2008

July 28, 2008


LOOKING BACK

As I return from Washington, DC. having celebrated the 20th anniversary of the theatre where my acting career began, having spoken to my ex husband to confirm the last stages of finalizing our divorce, seeing a friend I haven't seen in over 10 years and seeing my beloved highschool drama teacher, there was confirmation of the many broken habits that have my life being unrecognizable now. Sometimes going back is the the best way to see and be reminded how far you've come as you prepare to embark on new steps forward.

Breaking Patterns
by Mark Nepo

We go into change rehearsing the history that brought us to this
point.
-Parker Palmer

Often we have to rehearse the truth, until we find the courage to live
it. In this, repetition is not failure, but the heart’s way to learn
how to be in the world. Yet like everything else of significance, this
process has an attractive yet false counterpart waiting nearby to
distract us. We can describe the repeating that is unnecessary as the
reliving of scripts, or unconscious repeating, and the repeating that is
necessary as the rehearsing of truth, or conscious repeating. And we
could say that the near enemy of rehearsing the truth is being trapped
in reliving scripts. Though the difference between these is hard to keep
in view-especially when in the throes of either.

Nevertheless, the way an actress rehearses the situations she is given
until her character is one with the character she is playing, the drama
of life demands that we put in the effort to consciously work with what
we’re given until we practice our way into honest living. Without such
effort, we lapse into unconscious entanglements, like a dog that
incessantly tangles itself in its leash. And as such a dog will push its
ball out of reach and whine and pout, we can nudge the truth of who we
are beyond the reach of our self-created limitations and whine and pout
and grow sad. In this way, when we repeat our reactions to living and
not our attempts to live, we find ourselves trapped.

In contrast, Paula Underwood Spencer wisely states,“If you want to be
truly understood, you need to say everything three times. Once for each
ear, and once for the heart.” The implication is that things that are
worth experiencing and communicating have to be repeated in order to
grasp and share the fullness of their meaning. We must enter them more
than once, receive them more than once, articulate them more than once,
and listen more than once. This brings us back to rehearsing the truth.
So when something is working you and you’ve only barely spoken of it,
don’t limit your growth because you have no one else to talk to. Find
a willing stranger and make a new friend. The growth of our soul demands
that we break all hesitation.

When feeling the press of the patterns that govern our lives, these
distinctions are muddy. Often, it is a slow and unclear process to move
from unconscious repeating to conscious rehearsing. But this slow
clarifying is part of self-transformation. The process is powerfully
distilled by Portia Nelson in her poem, “Autobiography in Five Short
Chapters”:

I walk, down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in
I am lost . . . I am helpless.
It isn't my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don't see it.
I fall in again.
I can't believe I am in the same place.
But, it isn't my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.
I still fall in . . . it's a habit.
My eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.

I walk down another street.


So breaking patterns involves repeating. There is no getting around it,
though we are always pressed to discern whether we are reliving what
doesn’t work or peeling away of what is false. In addition to this, we
are frequently swimming like salmon against the current of a disposable
society that discourages us from looking at anything more than once. It
reminds me of the lonely woman and the second flower.In early spring,
she is stopped by a burst of sun on a peony on the north side of the
city. A few days later, she sees another peony in her friend’s yard.
But she thinks, “I’ve seen this flower before.” And so she
doesn’t pay attention.But it is the second flower that holds a
secret for her.Pretty soon, she thinks life is repeating, when all that
is repeating is her want for a flower she’s never seen.
*****************************************
These reflections are excerpts from several books, including a new book
of poems, Surviving Has Made Me Crazy, CavanKerry Press, and a new book
of spiritual non-fiction, Facing the Lion, Being the Lion: Inner Courage
and Where It Lives, Red Wheel/Conari Press. For more info, please visit
www.MarkNepo.com.


THANK YOU MARK.

PLAN OF ACTION:
Take a moment to look back and see how far you've come. How many holes have you've gotten yourself out of, how many have you avoided?



ANNOUNCEMENT
Share - Sublet (8/15-11/15)

Available 8/15, 1bedroom share in a 2 bedroom apt for 1 month then I will be
leaving town for 2 months and the apt will become a sublet. The rent will be $1250
each of the 3 months. $600 deposit required.
Located in the 140's in Harlem. Top floor, sunny, great view, elevator, laundry
in building. Five minute walk to A,B,C,D and 3 trains. 10 minute ride to mid-town.
Path Mark and New York Sports Club less than a block away.
Cable and heat included. Pay 1/2 Con Ed for 1st month then entire bill the
remaining 2 months.
No smokers or pets please.

Call 646- 232- 7817 or e-mail wiley24@earthlink.net.


EVENTS:
Peaceful Productivity for Busy Professionals
Learn the 5 Master Keys to time management and planning in a teleclass that people are calling a "life-saver," "powerful," and "inspirational"! Visit http://www.TurnOnToLife.com/teleclass.html

Enlightennext
Every Thursday 7pm-10pm at 243 30th Street, 11th Floor
Meditation, vegetarian meal & a world wide conference call
www.enlightennext.org




If you're not on the Emotional Money mailing list, sign up today to receive a special attachment that they received this week. Please send your email address to emotionalmoney@gmail.com and I'll forward you the attachment.

________________________________________________
Any affirmations, suggestions, requests, job notices, teleseminars or events please email me at emotionalmoney@gmail.com. Any comments regarding any of the weekly "Emotional Money" issues please post and join in the conversation. To unsubscribe to "Emotional Money" weekly ezine type in subject line "unsubscribe Emotional Money." To unsubscribe to all notices regarding Samarra Am Management events type in subject line "unsubscribe Samarra Am Management."

Copyright 2008

July 21, 2008

RED LIGHTS AND GREEN

I was riding on the very first car of the Path train last week. I was fascinated by the overlapping and crisscrossing of the tracks at certain points throughout the journey. Each track leading to its own separate and singular destination. The only way to know if you’re on the right track is to have the skills and knowledge as the train driver does because he has traveled the tracks many times. Or if less knowledgeable, simply pick a track and see if the track ends in a place that you'd like to be. In life sometimes, when it doesn’t end where we thought, we have the option to get back on the train and try again. Sometimes the damage done leaves us meandering so we get off and on the train at every stop, versus simply going back to place where the tracks crisscrossed in the first place.

I was also struck by the fact that the light signals stayed red right up until we got to the light. Once we were on it then it would turn green. If the train just stopped then the light would simply stay red. Sometimes we have to keep moving forward in the direction toward a big red light in order to get it to turn green. It would be easier if we just had a long line of green lights to lead us on our way. Many times it's simply our trust and faith in ourselves, like the driver that didn't alter his speed, to keep the same momentum despite what our eyes see that will CAUSE the light to turn green.

The most fascinating moment was when there was a tall red signal that looked just like the signals we had before but to the left there was also a smaller green signal. I assumed since the red light looked like the others that that was our signal and we'd have to stop. But instead of taking in my surroundings anew; noticing that we were at a different point in the journey, outside with many more tracks, I didn’t realize that the familiar red light was no longer for us. Ours was now a small signal to the left. That new light was green. How many times when faced with a choice between red and green, even when your surroundings are brand new have you chosen what was familiar and kept looking at the red, ignoring the green?



PLAN OF ACTION:
When it comes time to open your mail, pay a bill and track your daily spending, we often see big red lights. There's a pile on your desk or hidden in a file drawer somewhere. If you want to see green around your finances, YOU must move forward first for the light to turn from red to green. Open your mail, make payment arrangements, and track your spending.
If you've tried time and time again. Read the attachment and give me a call to get back to the place where the tracks crisscrossed in the first place.





EVENTS:
Peaceful Productivity for Busy Professionals
Learn the 5 Master Keys to time management and planning in a teleclass that people are calling a "life-saver," "powerful," and "inspirational"! Visit http://www.TurnOnToLife.com/teleclass.html

Enlightennext
Every Thursday 7pm-10pm at 243 30th Street, 11th Floor
Meditation, vegetarian meal & a world wide conference call
www.enlightennext.org

Thank you so much to the many of you that welcomed me back and were inspired by last week's blog. It's beautiful to hear from you!!!


If you're not on the Emotional Money mailing list, sign up today to receive a special attachment that they received this week. Please send your email address to emotionalmoney@gmail.com and I'll forward you the attachment.

________________________________________________
Any affirmations, suggestions, requests, job notices, teleseminars or events please email me at emotionalmoney@gmail.com. Any comments regarding any of the weekly "Emotional Money" issues please post and join in the conversation. To unsubscribe to "Emotional Money" weekly ezine type in subject line "unsubscribe Emotional Money." To unsubscribe to all notices regarding Samarra Am Management events type in subject line "unsubscribe Samarra Am Management."

Copyright 2008