Posts made in 2010

Last year I wrote a blog titled, “Financial Slavery and Financial Freedom“. Then, in my last blog post I shared with you that I had been doing a “Life Detox”. One thing I did not mention was my financial life. In February I experienced a little taste of financial freedom when I paid my last car payment. That feeling of wanting MORE financial freedom inspired me to delve into my finances and see where I could make more improvements……and I did!

I pulled out my cell phone bill, my car insurance, home phone, cable, Internet connection and my last 2 remaining credit cards and went into research mode. Not only did I find errors, I was able to make corrections that will save me almost $5000 this year! This was shocking, and I got an adrenalin rush. How many other people are depleting their funds unnecessarily? When I realized it was about $5000 I began to realize how the pennies that were slipping through my bank account could add up to pay for a simple family vacation in Hawaii. Imagine receiving a family trip to Hawaii just for doing a little personal research on your finances…would you do it?

Here is where my $5000 was hidden.

Car Insurance
First I called my car insurance company. Since I now owned my car I wanted to change my policy from full coverage to liability, but in the process I had asked if they showed any driving violations on my driving record. I was glad I asked that simple question because they were charging me according to having 2 traffic violations on my record. So, they did a little research and found that I did not have any violations and that I had over paid by $620. By switching from full coverage to liability I would save another $427 a year. That comes out to $1047 just from my car insurance company.

Cell Phone
I looked into my plan and found that there was an error on my bill here too! I was being charged $50 more a month. It seems that someone entered things wrong in their computer system and they would have never corrected it if I hadn’t called. By checking in and reviewing my plan I am saving $600 a month on my cell phone bill.

Internet, Cable, Home Phone
Originally I was calling on my home phone because I needed to change my long distance plan. Then the operator informed me of a promotion they were running to bundle my Internet, cable and home phone into one package deal. I have been paying for Internet and cable in one bill and my home phone on another. I currently was paying $110 for cable and Internet and $65 for my home phone. The bundle is a 2 year contract, but it comes out to $124 a month. This saves me $51 a month which in one year is $612.

Credit Card Interest Rates
I decided I had gone this far in researching my expenses, I might as well see what interest rates I was paying and if I could decrease the rate. Of course somewhere along the road my interest rate of 9% had been increased to 20%. I was paying almost $120 in finance charges on one account alone. This was very frustrating to realize. I’d much rather have that money in my pocket than just spent on my poor financial decisions and now in finance charges. I asked my credit card company if they would reduce the interest rate and they said very kindly, “NO”. So, I looked into a balance transfer that offered a better interest rate. I found an offer for 10% that not only would I be saving $2367, but all the other saved money from the above accounts would allow me to pay off both credit cards (that total about $10,000) in one year as opposed to the typical 3 years one might pay off a credit card.

All these inquiries led up to a savings of $4626 over one year. All it took was a few phone calls and some curiosity. The scent of financial freedom has me hungry for more. I am now going back to a financial habit that I once was very dedicated with which was to write down my spending everyday. I always find that the pennies here and there add up and I tend to sacrifice the things I really want because I am blowing my money little by little on things that don’t even benefit my life in a great way.

I really hope this blog post inspires you to take a look at your expenses and to check for errors and find ways that you can improve your financial life. Who knows, maybe one day we will meet on the beaches of Hawaii and toast to the mantra, “A penny saved is a penny earned.”

I can hardly believe that I have not posted a blog in over 8 weeks. Trust me, I did go through withdrawals and there were times I had things I really wanted to share with you. I apologize for the silence and I am happy to check in with you now.

My absence has been intentional. I have been going through what I call a “Life Detox”. It is something I like to do at least once a year. I take time to re-evaluate EVERY aspect of my life. It helps me address and eliminate the things in my life that are distracting me from my life direction. In my last post I talked about conquering low self esteem. When I am feeling less than stellar over a period of time I know it is time to clear the slate and get a fresh perspective. I do that with a Life Detox.

From my last post, the main reason my self esteem dropped was because I was not doing what I know to be right. This is the fastest way to crush ones self image. In addition, I was not being intentional and I was filling my time with distraction and procrastination. That combo will get your spirit screaming and leaving you feeling frustrated. Think of it as a neglected baby who won’t stop crying until you give them some love and attention. I really feel that anger and frustration are just symptoms of a neglected spirit. Denying your spirit is the fastest way to crush your soul.

When you ignore your truths…prepare to feel a slump. When you don’t act according to what you feel is right then you have just denied yourself. We dull our light and want to hide in shadows. Shadows are OK because they give us the contrast in our life and we all go through times of ignoring our inner voice. However, you cannot sustain hiding and still feel amazing about this gift of life.

We Are Transparent
As much as we’d like to believe that we can fool others and hide how we really feel, we are only fooling ourselves. Everything in your physical environment is a mirror of your internal state. If you look around and see a cluttered car, home, room, garage, closet, kitchen, bathroom, etc., it is a good indicator that you are mentally cluttered and distracting yourself from your life calling. If you are shopping and buying unnecessary items or eating excessively, it is an indicator that you are stuffing your emotions. If we are complaining about someone else we are really just affirming how we feel about ourselves inside. We really are far more transparent than we think we are. With a quick observation of ones living environment, listening to the words spoken, the way one presents themselves, cares for their health, home, relationships or career is a huge indicator of ones self esteem and how much they are connected to their spirit.

I know this can sound like a blow, it is the truth. I have lived this myself. When you recognize you are off track and disconnected it is easy to do a Life Detox. This is a great way to steer your life into the direction you want to go without as many obstacles to remind you of who you were, so you can see who you truly are. We are all spiritual beings having a human experience. Our spirit is so powerful and yet when we ignore our spirit we start behaving like a crying baby.

A Neglected Spirit is like a Crying Baby
The fastest way I know how to “get the baby to stop crying” is to give some love and attention. I have to acknowledge “the crying baby” and in this case the crying baby is my spirit. Once you acknowledge your spirit, see yourself as you truly are, and what you deserve your behaviors follow in alignment. I reviewed my post “Walking Into Knowingness“

Align Your Behaviors with Truth
If you try to change your or behaviors without the shift in your paradigm you may see your behaviors as torture rather than TLC. For example, the raw food diet. When I tell people I am into raw foods they freak out and think I am missing out on all the “good stuff” and start naming their favorite junk foods. At times I would forget why I ate raw (which is to fuel my body with the foods that are species specific for optimal life performance) and would eat something that not only left me feeling digestively upset, but emotionally upset as well. It wasn’t that I had a “weak” moment. It was merely that I forgot my intention and who I was. Once I saw myself as a magnificent human being here to do great things then I only desired to give myself the best of life. For me, eating raw feels like a feast for royalty rather than a form of torture.

Who We Are
The best way for me to shift my paradigm to remind myself of who I am is to read “Our Deepest Fear” by Marianne Williamson (which I refer to often). It really puts me back into perspective. I have shared it before, but because I feel this is a theme for so many of us I will share it again (and again). 🙂

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

With that in mind, how could we not see ourselves as brilliant and create an environment that allows us freedom to shine?

People tend to feel a false sense of security with holding their belongings, but truthfully, the more you own the more you must manage and that can be a time zapper and you can end up feeling like a slave to your stuff.

Over the past 6 weeks, I went though all my cobwebs and cleaned them out. I happily eliminated over 50% of my belongings and donated them to charity. I involved my children and taught them how much fun it is to give your unused things to someone who will love . I feel so much lighter without excess baggage to hold me down. I freed myself, my time, and my environment to that I could re-evaluate, prioritize, and re-connect with my spirit.

How to Do A Life Detox
Go through every nook and cranny of every thing you own, activities and actions you do, and relationships you have. Either remove or repair anything uninspiring, and address anything needing physical or emotional mending. Sometimes, just going through and detoxing your home spurs emotional healing.

Qualify Your Stuff
To determine what stays, put each item through a qualification process, much like one goes through to qualify for a home or car. However, instead of qualifying yourself, you are qualifying the item, relationship or experience.

Does it Reflect the Best Version of Yourself?
Most of the stuff we have does not reflect the highest version of ourselves. It’s just the trail of our past experiences. It’s time to thank those things in our lives for the purpose it served us at that time. It is now time to offer those things to someone else who will use them.

How Do You Feel When You See It?
Do you look at old clothes you once fit and feel frustrated?
Do you have a negative or painful past memory associated with it?
If you look at any item you own you must feel thrilled and honored to own it. If you do not, say goodbye. If you don’t LOVE it, then it has got to go. You may start to feel like you won’t have anything if you follow these guidelines. Know that you are creating space for a temple or private retreat and only the best can come into your space.

Kitchen Pantry, Refrigerator, and Freezer
Eliminate anything that do not fuel your body in the most honorable way.

Dining Room
Kitchen disposables such as, Paper plates, napkins, utensils. Start using reusable goods that inspire you to only eat foods that are worthy of you.

Bathroom & Cleaning Supplies
Eliminate toxic cleaning supplies and hygiene products. Start using items that are good for the health of your body, home and planet.

Media/Living room
Eliminate any music, books, magazine subscriptions, video games or movies portraying violence or any negative behaviors. Discontinue from watching TV shows that dampen your spirit. These things harden your spirit and distract you from seeing the beauty in life.

Electronic & Paper Clutter
Go through and clear out your paperwork, email, and voicemail.

Body Detox
Clear your body of anything that is holding onto unnecessary baggage with sweating, colonics, & fasting.

Activities/ Time Management
If you don’t love it, don’t do it. I am talking END RESULT here. Sometimes we confuse this, but we have to think about the end result of the activity.

Relationships
If you feel like any relationship is burdensome or depleting you rather than fueling you, you may want to reevaluate the people you surround yourself with. You are the average sum of the 5 people you spend most of your time with. This includes your weight, diet, religious views, income, etc. If you don’t like what you see you may want to find people that inspire you to make the most of yourself.

Once you clear your life you can take a good self examination and see where you can improve your life. I promise you will feel a sense of relief and feel a renewed sense of purpose from honoring your life and your spirit.

Stay on Track with Silence & Stillness
Without sounding too much like Yoda or Confucius, it is true that in order to go forward…do nothing. In order to do more….do less, especially when it comes to mental chatter and environmental noise. When was the last time you were in silence? What about not talking, turning off the Internet, TV, music, movies, books, etc. When was the last time you did nothing?

Doing a day of silence on a weekly basis is so nourishing. It was amazing what inspiration flows in when noise and distraction is eliminated. Remember our spirit whispers secrets. 🙂 If an entire day seems like a leap, start with an hour of silence a day. Spend your time alone with yourself, start by journaling your rampages of appreciation, write out any concerns or roadblocks you feel you are experiencing. reading, resting, sunbathing, contemplating, cleaning, gardening, walking, doing yoga. In time you will be able to increase the silence. Soon you’ll really look forward this time to listen to your inner genius awakening

Use Holidays as Reminders to Renew
Sometimes we can find ourselves back into old patterns and holidays can help us
refocus and remind us of what is important.

The Sunrise & New Year’s Day
It’s an opportunity to refresh and refocus on what we really want. I prefer happy new day when the sun rises rather than waiting for a new year! It’s such a smaller bite to take and we should feel that EVERYDAY is a celebration! Are you waking up and feeling thankful that you have another day on this Earth to experience life? To live with meaning and love. To appreciate what we have. To appreciate the day as an opportunity.

Valentines Day
A reminder to show your love, appreciation, & admiration to those in your life.

Easter/ Spring
New life new beginnings, renewal, forgiveness

Independence Day
A reminder to release ourselves of our burdens and experience freedom in all forms including emotional and financial freedom.

Thanksgiving
An opportunity to share your gratitude

Christmas
A reminder to give, share your gifts, shine your light with the world & contribute to the betterment of life.

May this inspire you to take time to align your life with what really matters and to create an environment that brings out the best in you. Cheers to Life!

Dhrumil, myself, Anita, and Ben all enjoyed our experience at M Cafe in Culver City, CA.

Restaurant: M Cafe
Type of Cuisine: Macrobiotic w/ vegan options
Location: 9343 Culver Blvd. Culver City, CA (map)
Contact: (310) 838-4300
Hours: Sun- Thur: 9am – 9pm, Fri & Sat: 9am- 10pm

Parking
There is parking available behind the building as well as metered parking on the street. I parked across the street with a strip of metered parking which was not required to pay parking after 6pm.

Ambiance
This was a bright, open, clean cafe where you walk up to the counter and place your order. Some of the dishes are already prepared and displayed in the front. You can choose to eat indoors or outdoors. We sat at the big picnic style table indoors since it was drizzly and cold outside.

Menu
There is not really a raw selection minus the salads which need to be special ordered to make totally raw. In the winter months I will eat more cooked food and if I am going to eat it this place was the right place to enjoy it. This menu is not vegan since fish is served, but there are several vegan dishes.

Service/Staffing
The staff behind the counter was very friendly. They even took our photo pictured above. The server joked about posing for the prom which we did, but there was no way I was going to post it! We stayed beyond the cafe hours, and the staff was really cool about it.

Our Order
Chai Mate Latte (w/ rice milk)
This was an interesting beverage, especially since I love chai, but it tasted far too dilluted for my tastes. I would have preferred a stronger chai flavor, but I love the mate latte concept. If I have it again I will definitely ask for more chai.

Scarlet Quinoa
The quinoa is red because of beet juice. It came out family style and we all took turns scooping a spoonful of the quinoa and then dipping it into the butternut squash soup. I tend to stay away from grains for the most part, but on occassion I will have them. This was a great way to have quinoa. I liked the veggies in it as well.

Spiced Butternut Bisque
I am really glad we had the soup considering butternut is my all time favorite soup. It was delicious, creamy and warm. It was served with pumpkin seeds on the top which gave a nice crunch, and as I mentioned before we all liked mixing this with the quinoa.

M Chopped Salad
This was suggested by the staff. It was made with organic hearts of romaine & mixed greens, avocado, cucumber, chickpeas herb-baked tofu, scallions, ume-pickled radishes, carrots, beets, tamari-roasted almonds, crumbled tempeh “bacon” , tofu-peppercorn ranch. I made some modifications to my salad. I changed the dressing to an avocado lemon viniagrette and passed on the tofu to make it a bit more appropriate for my needs since I prefer no soy.

Portions
The salad was huge and very filling. I could have easily shared it with someone. The large quinoa was enough for 4 people to share. The soup was an average sized portion.

Price
Um, it is bad I really didn’t pay much attention to this detail? BTW, thanks again Dhru for your generosity.

Overall
This is a place I would go to on a cold day or if I was with non raw friends. There are several vegan dishes so it helps keep things healthy without weirding out the raw-phobic people.

I tried the tea according the the recommendations of the two girls working. The tea was served in an over sized mug and had a strong healing flavor, not very sweet at all which is just what you would expect from a medicinal drink. I was fascinated by the tea and went home to look up more information about it’s health benefits, especially with ormus in it. Here is what I found about Reishi-Shilajit Ormus Tea. I like knowing why I am drinking or eating a particular meal and what kind of effect will it have on me.

Buckwheat Granola with Tangy Probiotic Coconut Yogurt
Tangy is right, and oh-so creamy. I have never had coconut yogurt and I am inspired to make some at home one of these days. It seemed like a richer version of a dairy based yogurt, or maybe my memory of it since it has been years since I have had dairy based yogurt. I loved the crunchy buckwheat granola, chewy bits of sweet raisins and freshly sliced strawberries which was just enough to slightly sweeten this dish. I probably would have preferred it sweeter, but I enjoyed it tremendously. I even wondered what it would taste like if I had taken miracle fruit beforehand since miracle fruit blocks our sour taste bud sensors temporarily. Just for fun I’ll have to go and try it again after sucking on miracle fruit. I bet it would taste like the sweetest yogurt ever.

Portion
This was just enough to satisfy my hunger, yet not enough to share.