Jason wrote a recent post about how he got involved in Financial Sorcery. I'm getting his new book (called Financial Sorcery) soon, and looking forward to it, but it got me thinking about how I got involved in wealth magic as well. It happened shortly after my birthday in 2006. I had shifted my elemental focus to the element of Earth and one day while at a bookstore I was prompted by my spirit guide to pick up rich dad, poor dad by Robert Kiyosaki. Up until that time I'd had a mediocre relationship with money. I knew how to handle it and make it work for me, but I had no long term plans and no idea what to do with it, beyond using it for everyday expenses. My spirit guide told me that part of grounding myself involved learning solid financial skills.
Reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad didn't provide me with a font of practical financial tips, but it opened my eyes to my poor financial attitudes and helped me recognize that the mindset I had about money and finances wasn't a healthy one. I started picking up more books on finances including You have more than you think, Secrets of the Millionaire Mind, and Your Money or Your Life. Some of the books had practical financial advice and some were more about the emotional attitudes and beliefs regarding finances. All of them were useful and helped me change my relationship with money. I started planning a financial future.
In mid 2007, I moved to Portland. I used wealth magic to land me a tech writing contract at Nike. At the same time, I could see that tech writing was a dead end, so I began planning my exit out of the field by getting certified as a coach. I moved from contract to contract until I worked for a telecom company, based in Florida (even though I was in Portland). I also started my coaching practice and I kept reading about finances, and started learning about investments in particular. In August of 2008, I left my latest tech writing contract, and started searching for another tech writing job, but the economy collapsed in September and I found myself with no job postings. In retrospect, I might not have quit that job. However we did have emergency savings and so I focused on my coaching business.
I have to admit that 2009 and 2010 were lean years. Business was slow and I made mistakes, which happens with any business owner. Still I learned a lot and gradually business improved. In 2011, I decided to do some wealth magic for my business, even started working with Bune as a patron of my business, and he pushed me to read more books on businesses, even as he opened up some business opportunities for me, and helped me see that a rebranding of my coaching business was in order, as well as helping me to see how I could monetize Magical Experiments.
I think what I've learned the most is how important it is to be financially literate so you can make sound financial decisions. I find myself fortunate enough to be in a situation where I can work on my own schedule, and work on each of my businesses with the support of a partner who believes in me completely and recognizes how hard I work. And wealth magic has played a role in all of this, in terms of educating me, but also providing opportunities for growth in my respective businesses and my life.
Like Jason, I'm not necessarily out to be a millionaire or billionaire. I am out to live my life on my own terms, and I'm well on track for doing that, but it wouldn't have happened if I hadn't started learning about finances and recognized something essential: There is nothing inherently wrong with wanting to make money or be prosperous, or apply your spirituality toward your practical well being.