Dear Seeker,

"The hope for a brighter future is the continuation of a dim and flickering past."

~ Guy Finley

Excerpted from "The Secret of Letting Go" (p. 87)

Special exercise: Stay out of debt

As I was growing up I would often hear my dad say, "Spend less than you earn!" Of course this makes sense from a financial perspective -- but it's also sound advice spiritually. To stay out of spiritual debt, we need to start recognizing how we tend to accrue it in the first place. What are some examples? Dreaming about how wonderful life will be when I get this or finish that. Promising myself or others that I'll be different next time. Wanting another person's approval. Basically anytime I become invested in a future outcome, I'm going into spiritual debt by falsely borrowing the identity of a self that doesn't yet exist. I believe I'll be able to make good on the loan when what I want to happen actually does come to pass -- but if it doesn't, the collector still comes calling. And what am I made to pay with now? Pain, disappointment, regret, fear. Work to catch yourself before the debt is incurred, and watch as your spiritual savings grows instead!