Stress is classically defined as the condition in which the demands on us appear larger than the resources at our disposal. I would like to draw your attention to the two words in the middle of this definition – “appear larger.” As I went through the worst financial stress you can nightmare of; I discovered that these two words could be life-saving. If they weren’t, you wouldn’t be reading this.
Two types of Financial Stress
Now financial stress can be of two types. Either you have too little money or too much money.
The demands imposed by too much money are easy to understand. We have to figure out how to hold on to it. There are taxes, venture capitalists, debt structures, market decisions, and so many other decisions we must make correctly, or the money can slip through our fingers. I will talk about this aspect later in this article.
The more pressing and easily recognizable syndrome is that of too little money. Cashflow issues, collection problems, credit cycles, burn… you know what I’m talking about! And debt/installments to top that. Yes, I had all of them. But I survived thanks to that “appearing larger” concept I spotlighted for you a moment ago.
Inner Power versus Stress
I have to thank the concept of developing Inner Power before I explain further. Inner Power – as I understand it from the book RENEWAL – is about the energy we have inside us, which moves us at all levels – body, mind, and spirit.
When body-mind-spirit are in alignment, our Inner Power multiplies and appears larger than any problem confronting us. But when we are out of alignment, this energy dissipates, and we cannot harness it.
So how did I increase my alignment?
As suggested in the book, I examined the alignment of three things:
- What I said (mind/thoughts)
- What I did (body/actions)
- What I felt (spirit/being)
It is called the Say-Do-Be harmony in the book.
It came as an awful surprise that while I said positive stuff, I did many negative things to ward off financial pressures. And I felt torn apart.
The “Real Problem”
It started becoming clear to me in a matter of days that the “tearing apart” was “larger” than the financial pressure itself. I had friends who had more debt than me, but it didn’t seem large to them. My perspective changed about the quantum of finance that I would consider large. And also about the means of handling it.
Instead of rolling credit over and escaping collectors, I found I could become a “bigger person” by aligning the three aspects of my Inner Power and facing myself and others at a negotiating table. The negotiations went surprisingly well, and I found my way out of debt in a matter of months. More significantly, I discovered a fool-proof way to get out of financial and any other kind of stress as an entrepreneur.
I realized I had projected fears that were – as the acronym goes – False Evidence Appearing Real. It took a little discipline and continued Say-Do-Be harmony to overcome the whole series of episodes and make “being larger” a habit.
The other financial stress
So that was my story about too little money. But what if you are struggling with too much money?
Surprise! Surprise! The Say-Do-Be harmony will still serve you.
You see, it is the ego that disbalances our Say-Do-Be harmony – the basis of our Inner Power.
You will agree that the mind feeds on words. And words are the expressions of our thoughts. For example, read this – entirely out of context – “You are stupid.”
Did the abruptness of that make you wince? Or at least, wonder? Well, that was the intent. If what I say can move you, when you don’t even know me, imagine how much more your words will move you! So be careful what you say because that could be what your ego is saying. And that ego is the one you do not want making decisions about how you hold on to your money.
You want your Inner Power to be larger than your ego, and therefore the one making your decisions.
So how do you do that? Since we say what we think, we must ensure we think what we intuitively feel. By becoming aware of these two aspects (think and feel), we integrate our conscious and subconscious minds. And then we ‘do’ – in alignment – as guided by the words.
You can be the next example.
Now the critic in you might want an example of this. Think Steve Jobs. You would see that he was successful – and not stressed – when he made billions, and even when thrown out of his own enterprise. How? Because he stood for what he believed in his very being. He took guidance from the energy within. And stress-free decisions came easy – while consequences came with preparation!
Here’s to your preparation with Inner Power!