If you have been following this column, you know that money is a form of energy, and like any form of energy, money responds well to being cultivated. In this installment of Mindful Money, I offer you ways to show your money you care (whether it is in your hands yet or not), so you continue to attract the wealth meant to be yours.
Imagine you are a farmer during a dry spell, eagerly anticipating the coming rain to nourish your crops and animals. If you are wise, you spend time digging ditches and placing rain barrels in strategic places so that when the rain comes you are able to take full advantage of the blessing. It is the same with you and your money. If you prepare well, when your money arrives, you can make the best use of it. Just like your clients want to come and lie down in a safe, comfortable space and be treated well, your money also is attracted to you if you create a safe, comfortable place for it to land and be treated well.
Money likes to be valued and respected, but there are many negative beliefs associated with its presence. Let me ask you this: If you knew someone who thought you were the root of all evil and dirty—and she hated dealing with you—would you go to her house very often? Of course not. Can you see how money may not be attracted to you if you feel this way about it?

Showing You Care
What can you do to show money you care? There are lots of things, and we will begin with the simplest: how you keep your money in your wallet or purse. Do you throw your bills and change in carelessly? Is money crumpled up in your pockets? These are great ways to show money you don’t care. An easy thing you can do today to improve your relationship with money is to take care of what you have. Smooth out your bills and put them in order in your wallet. Clean out your wallet or purse, and repair anything that is broken or torn. Treat the money you do have with honor and respect.
You can continue to honor what you already have by starting some kind of savings plan. It does not matter how you do it, only that you begin saving something. I know people who have a coffee can in their kitchen, and every time they get a $5 bill they put the bill in the coffee can, and this is how they save. I was able to open my own practice because, for two years, every time I deposited my paycheck, I immediately transferred 10 percent to my savings account. Some people hide $100 bills around the house or collect money in a beautiful vase. If you begin to save money, in whatever way feels good to you, and do it in earnest, you will be surprised at how it grows. As with all forms of energy, like attracts like.
And then there is gratitude. Gratitude is one of the most potent ways to increase positive energy and become more attractive to whatever it is you are seeking. A great way to connect your money with gratitude begins with logging in to your online bank account. For every debit you see listed, think about what that money did for you. Take a look at the grocery store debit and feel how profoundly grateful you are to have food on your table. Notice your water bill and marvel at the glory of clean water that runs right into your house. See the charge from Netflix and find gratitude for the fun and leisure you are able to afford. As you slowly go through each of your debits and connect with your gratitude, you may find that some things surprise you with how much gratitude you can find for them, while others do not feel so good. This is good information for you as we move forward on this Mindful Money journey.
Perhaps you feel resistant to paying attention to your money. I certainly know what that feels like. When you think you do not have enough cash, it can feel depressing. You might feel like looking at your money situation will only show you what you do not have. The truth is, you probably have more to be grateful for than you think, and every long journey is made up of small steps. The more time you spend cultivating your financial landscape, the more beautiful and rewarding it will become.
On this journey, we are inviting more money into our lives. We prepare to receive by caring for and appreciating what we already have, knowing that by doing this, we give the right signs to the universe to send us what we are asking for.

Jennie Hastings, LMT, BCTMB, has studied money in the therapeutic process from every angle: as a client, patient, and practitioner. From the very beginning of her bodywork career, she received business training and coaching. Now she helps other massage therapists break through limiting beliefs about money with private and group coaching. She can be reached at jennie@massageblossom.com.