Need a loan? You should trust the flow of giving and receiving, writes Grace Wynne-Jones
Jean McCarthy, a former bank manager, says that releasing our worries about money can help our personal growth - and our bank balance. It's part of her empowering attitude to money. Before asking for a loan, for example, she says we should relax and trust the flow of giving and receiving. Why couldn't she have managed my branch?
McCarthy now gives "Money and Spirit" workshops around Ireland and counsels individuals and couples. Her goal is to create a "new energy" around money. "What people need to understand is that the energy they bring to money, the feelings and thoughts they have about it, affects the flow of it into their lives," she says. "When we get anxious about it we can block it and create more struggle for ourselves. So a big part of what I do is to help people release and heal their fears."
Crucial ingredients are trust and the idea that money is a form of energy. "Everything is a form of energy, including ourselves and our thoughts. Modern quantum physics confirms this," she says. "Many people regard money as materialistic and not really compatible with being spiritual. To me money is neither bad nor good. It is simply an expression of energy and can be an aid to spiritual growth."
McCarthy, who took early retirement from banking to pursue her interest in healing and personal growth, says she is in greater demand than ever, as the slower economy is causing a lot of anxiety.
Her workshops, which last for up to two days, draw participants from all walks of life. They are sometimes short of cash, but she also helps people who are changing careers or are regarded as wealthy but are concerned about their finances. "When we get extra money we sometimes continue living in almost exactly the same way and create the same circumstances. True change comes when we alter our beliefs and feelings."
The workshops take place in an informal atmosphere. "Most people find them nurturing and relaxing," says McCarthy. "At first we look at attitudes to money, and this part includes some exercises to help people become a little clearer about what they actually believe and feel about it. The second part explores how we can create more ease around money and ways to heal some of the negative emotions we may have about it."
Even the arrival of a bank statement can be therapeutic. "The next time it arrives, see it as a healing moment," says McCarthy. "Make yourself a cup of tea, take a deep breath, open it and go through it. Be gentle with yourself. Take a few minutes each day to tune into your spirit. Hand over any worries and ask for guidance on the right action to take."
Another important part of Jean's work is helping people bring work and money into balance. "We are very conditioned to feel that we have to work really hard, in fact the harder the better, in order to be successful and provide for ourselves," she says.
"I encourage people to understand that when we take the time to do the things we really like we'll feel happy and more relaxed in ourselves and then life will work better for us."
At the end of our talk she mentions that she writes "With joy and blessings" on the back of her cheques. That evening I write a cheque for an overdue bill, drawing a heart bursting with rays of love on the back. I don't know what the ESB made of it, but it cheered me up.
Jean McCarthy is at 01-2823840 or jean@gofree.indigo.ie