Read the rest of the series

Part 1
The Power of Clear Money Intentions

Part II
The Seven Principles of Financial Success

Part III
Overcoming Fear of Financial Success

Part IV
Hooked On Money

Part V
Dreams for 2000

Part VI
Clean Out Your Financial Closet

Part VII
The Dark Night of the Soul

Knowing How to Ask
Pt. VIII

by Marilyn August

In the Bible we are told, "ask and you shall receive." How can this be when so many people are asking but only a few are getting what they want? The answer is complex, yet amazingly simple. So often when I ask my clients to tell me what they want or what they want to change, they can only tell me what they do not want. " I don't want money to run my life," they say. "I don't want to be stressed about money," is another common response. These types of statements do nothing but add fuel and give energy to their negative expectations. Focusing on what you do not want will not give you what you desire. It just makes sense that Universal Law does not respond positively to negative asking.

I've spent a great deal of time teaching people to articulate what they want. Clarity of intent is something I have written about often in this column. You must know what you want before you can ask for it correctly. The conscious mind creates the unconscious, not the other way around. In other words, when you speak or think thoughts of lack and limitation they become your reality. Taking responsibility for your financial success is taking responsibility for your words and actions. Words have power and even more power when they are written. While the subconscious may harbor unconscious beliefs and attitudes based on past experiences, it is your conscious awareness and speaking of your truth that channels either positive or negative energy into your life. That's just the way it works and the results you achieve are up to you. They reflect your willingness to manifest and trust the positive flow in your life.

Step one is to know what you want and to state it in positive terms as your intention. Step two is to know how to ask for what you want. Recently, I was blessed with meeting Marilyn who has spent a lifetime teaching people how to ask for what they want. We spent many hours together as she taught me how to ask. She offers this process to the world freely; maintaining that it is so simple she can't understand what all the fuss is about. Marilyn (no accident that we are namesakes) is a loving, devoted teacher who shares her process with absolute certainty of its' power. One of her clients was so impressed with her work and the results it produced in his life that he wrote a book about her process. This book, "I'm Rich Beyond My Wildest Dreams I am I am I am" by Thomas J.Pauley and Penelope J. Pauley is available over the internet at Richdreams.com and will soon be available from Barnes & Noble.

The book outlines a step-by-step process for achieving what you want, in simple terms and language. This involves using a spiral notebook and writing down what you want in the present tense, as if it had already happened. Do not ask for money. The book points out that money is too vague a concept for Universal Law. You could mean green pieces of paper and round metal coins or pink pesos or rubles or… you get the idea. List the things and feelings or states of mind that having money will give you.

Start with a statement of intention, such as, "be gracious, peaceful and prosperous" or to "be safe and secure." What do these intentions mean to you? Using Marilyn Umbach's process (for which she does not claim ownership) you then define your intention in more specific ways. Does gracious, peaceful prosperity mean financial success? What is financial success to you? Give the details of your financial success as if it already is your reality. It might look something like this.

I am financially successful.
Any and all my obligations are paid in full
I have a rich and prosperous lifestyle
I can and do have anything I want at any time
I am a wonderful and generous giver
I have an incredible, prosperous investment portfolio
Corporations clamor to use my services.

If your heart's desire is to find your true love, get a notebook and collect pictures that give you a sense of the look and feel of your wonderful, new relationship. If you want take vacations with your companion, then collect pictures of vacations spots you want to visit. Write an affirmative statement such as the one that follows:

I am with my Divine Complement
We are intellectually compatible
We are best friends
We are Spiritually compatible
He is a giving, prosperous person
He is kind to himself, me and others
He is as enthusiastic about our relationship as I am
I am always uplifted around him
I am always comfortable with him

Add to the list as you get a clearer picture of what your relationship means to you. Creative visualization has proven effective for athletes. You will often hear a winning player say, "I saw myself cross the finish line first" or " I knew I had won this game even before I started playing." If it works for athletes it will work for everyone. Imagine and feel yourself in your new home. Go out looking at the type of houses you want. Forget about whether you can afford it or are ready for this move.

Putting your intentions into motion is the third step in this process. Remember the old story about the man that was on his rooftop during a flood? A boat came by to rescue him and he waved the boat by with "God will save me." A helicopter came to lift him off the roof top and he told it to go away with the words, " God will save me." and so on until he drowned. When he got to heaven and met up with the Angels, he was very angry. "Where was God when I needed him," he moaned. The reply was, "Who do you think sent the boat and the helicopter." Taking action without knowing how you will accomplish the outcome you desire puts miracles into motion.

Bemoaning and wanting never produces anything except bemoaning and wanting. Universal Law acts on your wants as if they are only that: your wants, not your reality. So stop wanting and start creating what you want by affirming its truth in your life and watch the synergy and creation of positive results.

Prosperity is a process that requires your faith and trust in the existence and goodness of Universal Law. Nobody ever prospered without taking some risk. Yet, the risk is only to state your wants as facts. It can't hurt anything and it does change everything.

Marilyn is running a 1/2 day "Wealth & Wisdom" seminar in Big Bear on June 3rd and her six week series "Business, Wealth and and Wisdom" for the self-employed or those who want to become self-employed commences in Laguna Hills on June 13th. For further details of these seminars, please contact Marilyn direct at MAugustCo@aol.com .

Read the Previous Articles In This Series

The founder of Wealth and Wisdom Seminars, Marilyn August is a professional speaker and master facilitator who develops her seminars with the passion of personal experience and the expertise of over twenty years in adult education.

She holds a Masters degree in Education from Northern Illinois University, and has designed, developed and presented training programs to major corporations including American Honda Motor Company, AST Research, Inc., AAA Chicago Motor Club and Chevron Oil.

Known for her light-hearted, pragmatic, yet deeply personal approach to financial success, Marilyn's quest for emotional and financial freedom has led to the discovery of a number of principles, techniques and tools that have helped thousands of people achieve financial well-being.

A featured columnnist for Living Better Magazine in San Diego, California, Marilyn's book, "Sound bites for Healthy Wealthy Living" is a simple, easy to read booklet that's full of inspiring ideas and words of money wisdom. If you would like to receive a copy of "Soundbites for Healthy, Wealthy Living" Email Marilyn at MAugustCo@aol.com (Be sure to include your mailing address.) Or visit her new website at http://www.WealthyU.com Copies are $5.00 plus shipping.