Use What You've Got

Below is the message I got from tut.com a couple days ago:

"You must use what you've got.  
Talent, brains, heart.  
Instincts, hunches, feelings.  
Money, health, friendships.  
Time, space, stuff.  
Otherwise, why would you need more?"  -- tut.com

It was like a slap upside the head for me.

I've been worrying, contemplating, trying to figure out how to make more money a lot lately.

Granted, I'd still like to increase my income.  But, this message from tut.com reminded me that I don't, in fact, need any money right now.
                                             
I've blogged about this before, and isn't it funny how we forget our own lessons?  Thankfully, the Universe repeats them for us.

They say if you live in lack, in scarcity, that's where you'll stay.  It's what you'll attract more of.

I didn't feel like I was living in scarcity, but I was.  I was holding onto the money I had in savings, afraid of letting it run out.

Afraid.  I was living in fear.  That's never a good way to attract abundance and prosperity.

What's even funnier is I had a thought pop into my head the day before I got that tut.com message.  The thought, a knowing really, was that I needed to use the money I had before I'd get more.

Now I don't know if I need to run my bank balance down to zero before I'll bring more money into my life.  I certainly hope not.  But the message is clear.

I need to use what I've got... otherwise, why do I need more?  

There are several home improvement projects I'd like to do to my house.  It's a kind of long, and rather expensive, list.  But the first item on the agenda is renovating the bathroom.

That's the first item because the bathtub pipes currently leak into the basement.  So it would make no sense to finish the basement (another item) until the source of the water is stopped.

I had been putting it off, saying I would do it once I was making more money.  Well.... I have enough money in savings to renovate the bathroom now.  And that's what hit me.

I need to take the first step.  

The Universe favors movement.  You'll get nowhere if you stand still.  You've got to move.

Momentum begets more momentum.

                                                                                      

I realized that I knew if I proceeded ahead with remodeling the bathroom, the money would come to move on to the next step -- finishing the basement.

This has happened on multiple occasions throughout my life.  The next step became clear after I made the first step.

When I quit my teaching job, I had no back-up job in place.  I didn't know what I'd do next.  Did I sit at home, holding tight to my savings until I found that next job?

No!  I took a two-week trip to China!

I'm sure people thought I was crazy, but I knew that's what I needed to do.  I needed to get out.  To move!  And sure enough, it got the snowball started.

When I got back from China, within a couple of months, things fell into place -- strangely perfectly -- that charted my course for the next several years.  And I never had to worry about the money.

My car has also been subtly trying to tell me this lately as well.

I've had my car for 12 years now.  I knew when I hit the 10-year mark that a new (new-to-me) car probably wasn't too far away.  So I started saving money.  And then when I got the unexpected inheritance a couple years ago, I set aside a lump sum earmarked for a new car.

Yet, in my current situation -- with little income and things so up in the air -- I started looking at that "car fund" as additional emergency back-up money.

As in... if I didn't start bringing in more of an income, I could live even longer off of that savings.

I was stalled.  I wasn't moving forward.  I was afraid to use what I had, in fear that more wouldn't come.

I think that's the source of my discontent as of late.  I've felt stuck.  Well, I've told myself I'm stuck!

But back to the car... it's been having issues starting, only sometimes, but for the past few months.  It's been so infrequent that I didn't worry about it.

Then about a week ago it began having issues starting a lot more frequently.  As in, nearly every time.

I believe now that the Universe was gently nudging me to make a move.  Take the next step.

Could I be reading more into this than is really there?  I could.  But I don't think so.  I believe the Universe speaks to us.  It guides us.  And when we don't pay attention to the quiet whispers and gentle nudges, it speaks a little louder and nudges a little more forcefully.

                                                   

           
So here's what I've resolved to do:

After the holidays, I'm going to start looking for a new car, in earnest.  And when I find one, that's within my set-aside budget, I'll get it.

And in January I'm going to get bids for my bathroom renovation.  I may wait until the spring to do the job, just because I don't like doing big home projects, especially where water is involved, in the winter.  But... come March/April... work will  begin on my new bathroom.

What have you been holding onto that you're afraid to use?  

Holding onto anything too tightly doesn't allow for fluid movement.  It doesn't allow for even more to come to you.

Are you keeping yourself stuck where you're at, or holding yourself back, by holding on too tightly to what you're afraid to lose?

I have.  I invite you to go with me as I release my hold, use and enjoy what I have now, and allow for even more abundance to come into my life.