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Spirit Means Business

The Way to Prosper Wildly without Selling Your Soul

by Alan Cohen

|Hay House Inc.©2019·256 pages

Alan Cohen is one of my favorite teachers and humans. We met after we both appeared in Finding Joe. I loved Alan’s laid-back intensity, wise energy and brilliant story telling. The sub-title captures the essence of this book perfectly: We all want to “prosper wildly” (in every sense of the word) and, obviously, none of us wants to “sell our soul” in the process. Big Ideas we explore include how to be a good spiritual sponge, letting the (spiritual) washing machine do its job, embrace your inner weirdo, the two paths of business, your soul's fire and dissolving the (apparent) work/life dichotomy.


Big Ideas

“This is a book about wise investment strategies. Not stock market investments; there are plenty of good books that can help you with that. This is a book about investing in yourself, the most valuable commodity you will ever handle—and ultimately the most profitable. Whether you are a corporate worker, an entrepreneur, a creative spirit, or simply looking for a more effective way to integrate your money with your life, the journey we are about to take will help you recognize your inherent worthiness and expand your field of vision to create space for inner and outer riches. While your job and the money you handle are ostensibly about your vocational journey, they are more fundamentally about the journey of your soul. …

Spirit Means Business is a triple entendre. On one level, it means that Higher Power is the source of prosperity. As you align with universal principles, everything you need will come to you. The Creator wants you to be wealthy in every way ad will gladly help you achieve all the material success you need. Infinite supply, not the stock market, is the source of your good. On another level, even if you do not believe in a Higher Power, the spirit in which you conduct your work carves the difference between success and failure. Optimistic, upbeat people soar above the crowd, no matter their religious beliefs. Finally, this title affirms that Higher Power is uncompromisingly serious about getting things done. Universal laws always work when you work them. Deny them, and you flounder. …

If the universe were random, we would all be in trouble. But life is founded on rock solid truths that make our journey both joyful and successful when we apply them. With universal laws at your back, you are established in certainty and power that anxiety-based striving cannot sustain. Money and passion become inseparable. We are about to cross the bridge from soul-expression to success. When you do, you will have access to both worlds because you realize that they are the same.”

~ Alan Cohen from Spirit Means Business

As I’ve mentioned in our other Notes on his work, Alan Cohen is one of my favorite teachers and humans. We met after we both appeared in Finding Joe. I loved Alan’s laid-back intensity, wise energy and brilliant story telling.

So, when he sent me a note letting me know about his newest book, I was excited to read it. Now, I would have been excited to read *any* book by Alan, but I was especially excited to read *this* book as I think figuring out how we can integrate our soul’s expression with our material success is more urgently needed today than ever before.

The sub-title captures it perfectly: We all want to “prosper wildly” (in every sense of the word) and, obviously, none of us wants to “sell our soul” in the process.

Of course, there are a lot of ways to approach the process of creating abundance in our lives. Alan’s spiritually intense yet more laid-back approach is similar to that of other Hay House authors like Esther and Jerry Hicks (see our Notes on Money, and the Law of Attraction plus Ask and It Is Given) and old-school spiritual teachers like Ernest Holmes (see Notes on Creative Mind and Success and The Art of Life). (To put it in perspective, Alan also wrote books called Relax into Wealth and Enough Already. :)

If that’s your style, I think you’ll really love the book. (Get a copy here.)

The book is packed with Big Ideas. And, as always, I’m excited to share a few of my favorites we can apply to our lives TODAY so let’s jump straight in!

P.S. If you haven’t checked out Abundance 101 and our collection of Notes, cruise on over here!

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The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie—deliberate, contrived, dishonest—but the myth—persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic.
John F. Kennedy
Any fear, stress, or pain you experience in your work is an arrow pointing you to a darkened area of your mind calling for healing. The answer to your career and financial challenges is not to work harder, quit, or take out another loan; it is to revisit your beliefs about money and shift them so you develop wealth from the inside out.
Alan Cohen
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You and spiritual sponges

“Balance your work with rest, renewal, and activities that feed your soul. You can squeeze a sponge just so much before it dries out and loses its power to clean; at some point it must absorb more water if it is to remain effective. When you have reached a point of diminishing returns, you help no one by pushing on. Joyful activities compose the water that sustains your spirit. Don’t hesitate or apologize to step away from work, clear your mind and emotions, and regain perspective. Cultivate acts that lift you: connect with friends you love; walk in nature; play music; get a massage; read a novel; watch an uplifting film; go to dinner at your favorite restaurant; or engage in any endeavor that leaves you feeling better. Self-renewal is one of the key contributions you can make to the quality of your work and the success it yields. Your enhanced well-being is a gift to those you work with, as they will far more enjoy working with someone who is refreshed than burned out, and be inspired to work with you and generate the highest productivity.”

Alan tells us that we have illusions related to business and money. Ten of them in fact.

Each of the “Illusions” gets its own chapter and is resolved with a higher Truth. That passage above is from chapter #1 on Illusion #1 that “Success Demands Suffering.

One of the key myths Alan tells us we need to dispel?

The Myth: Working more, harder, and longer will yield the results you desire.The Reality: Renewing your spirit will pave the way to the results you desire.

Of course, we need to allow spirit to flow through us via diligent, patient, persistent and inspired work. AND… Of course, we need to renew ourselves such that we have the vitality to allow that spirit to flow through us most consistently and powerfully.

And…I love the sponge metaphor as another way to bring this wisdom to life. :)

Imagine: We can’t just squeeze and squeeze and squeeze and expect more water to come out. We need to soak that spirit sponge in joyful activities that renew our spirit!

Let’s connect this wisdom to one of our more recent Notes and one of our very first Notes.

In our #513th Note, we looked at Alex Pang’s ideas on the subject in his book called Rest. He tells us: “I argue that we misunderstand the relationship between work and rest. Work and rest are not polar opposites. You cannot talk about rest without also talking about work. Writing about only one is like writing a romance and naming only one of the lovers. Rest is not work’s adversary. Rest is work’s partner. They complement and complete each other.

Further, you cannot work well without resting well. Some of history’s most creative people, people whose achievements in art and science and literature are legendary, took rest very seriously. They found that in order to realize their ambitions, to do the kind of work they wanted to, they needed rest. The right kinds of rest would restore their energy while allowing their muse, that mysterious part of their minds that helps drive the creative process, to keep going.

So work and rest aren’t opposites like black and white or good and evil; they’re more like different points on life’s wave. You can’t have a crest without a trough. You can’t have the highs without the lows. Neither can exist without the other.

We can also wind the clock all the way to one of our first ten Notes featuring Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

Do you recall his 7th Habit? Covey called it: “Sharpen the Saw.”

We did a +1 on that saw guy. Remember him? He’s in the forest sawing and sawing and sawing. He’s working hard but not getting very far. His blade is dull. A friendly guy comes up and suggests he take some time to sharpen the saw. But, nope. Our saw guy says he’s too busy sawing to take the time to sharpen his saw. Eek.

Moral of the story: Don’t be the saw guy. Or the dry sponge guy. :)

Spotlight on YOU: Are you taking the time to renew and sharpen your saw and fill up your spirit sponge and [ insert-your-favorite-renewal metaphor here ]?

What’s one little thing you can do today to fill up that sponge?

Here’s to the joyful activities that fill up our spirit-sponges!

P.S. What’s your #1 Sponge-Filling Self-Care habit? The thing that, if you DON’T do it, you’re kinda sorta almost definitely not going to have an awesome day? You honoring it? (And… What’s your significant other’s #1 self-care habit? Your kids? Your colleagues? Here’s to full sponges!)

Intention is the engine that powers creation; it is the crucial factor in manifesting success. Everything that happens is the result of intention. Another name for intention is willingness.
Alan Cohen

You and spiritual washing machines

“If you open a lid of a washing machine during the agitation cycle, you find gray, smelly water full of the dirt and residue from the clothing you are washing. If you didn’t understand how the washer machine works, you would think something had gone terribly wrong; the process is supposed to clean the clothes and make them look and smell nicer, and now they appear worse. But if you know that the agitation process is part of the greater picture and the clothes will be cleaner when the dirt is washed away in the next cycle, you can relax and know that everything is working out as it should. Likewise, when people or events show up that agitate you, reframe the situation such that the grimy stuff has been drawn to the surface solely for the purpose of purging what has been undermining you, and the entire process will ultimately improve your situation.”

We found a way to have some fun with a sponge so why not continue our spiritual cleaning metaphors and have fun with our washing machine? Specifically, let’s imagine you opening your washing machine mid-wash. YIKES! Everything is DIRTIER! (D’oh and hah!!!)

And, that’s exactly how it’s supposed to be. Give it another cycle and voila! Clean clothes.

Practically speaking: Are YOU feeling a little grimy lately? Can you see that you’re just midway through the process of getting your soul all spiffy and shiny?

Let’s get antifragile about whatever’s stressing us out and turn that apparent poison into medicine. And, perhaps we can remember Rumi’s wisdom (and polishing metaphor!) that, if we are irritated by every rub, we’ll never be polished.

Pardon me while I close the lid on your washing machine so it can continue to its next cycle. :)

P.S. That wisdom was from Illusion #3: “Your Success Depends on External Conditions.” The Truth? “All the Power You Need to Succeed Lives within You.”

You have been taught that money is the root of all evil. Money is not the root of all evil. Fear is the root of all evil. When fear is applied to money, money becomes a tool of evil. But when trust, mutual support, and generosity are applied to money, it becomes the root of all good.
Alan Cohen

You are a weirdo (At least I hope you are!)

“Being a misfit is not a defect. It may be your key to success. When I hear that a person is well adjusted, I ask, ‘Well adjusted to what?’ Learning how to find your way around a mental institution does not make you sane. Real sanity rests in authenticity. …

Maybe you’re not so weird after all. Maybe your weirdness is your greatest asset. Maybe what you thought was wrong with you is what’s right with you. Just because you are out of the mainstream doesn’t disqualify you from vast achievement. You are in your own stream. World change agents do not apologize for their eccentricities or try to hide them. Idiosyncracies come with the package. So just get on with your creations and make your contribution regardless of any oddness your personality has picked up along the way. Don’t wait until you are normal before you claim greatness. Normality and genius are rare bedfellows. As Walt Whitman proudly proclaimed, ‘Not a particle or an inch of me is vile . . . I celebrate myself.’”

That’s from a chapter in which we learn about some of history’s most awesome weirdos.

Get this: Did you know that Benjamin Franklin started each day with an “air bath,” standing naked outside for 30 minutes? Yep. And, fellow American hero John Quincy Adams swam nude in the Potomac river at 5 A.M. every morning, even in freezing weather. Then we have Nikola Tesla and Steve Jobs with their whole array of idiosyncratic behaviors (and genius inventions).

Oh! And, let’s not forget about Albert Einstein. He didn’t speak until he was three and, as an adult, would stop his car, pluck a grasshopper and EAT IT. Yep. That’s normal. (lol)

Then we have YOU. How’s YOUR weirdness?

The Myth: Being a misfit is a defect you must correct.The Reality: Your nonconformity is your pathway to fulfillment.

And… So much of that passage is so eminently quotable. There’s this: “Learning to find your way around a mental institution does not make you sane.” (Hah!) And this is worth a quick repeat: “Normality and genius are rare bedfellows.

Then we have the whole “Well adjusted to WHAT?” conversation which—as you might be able to guess by this stage—reminds me of Krishnamurti’s wisdom that being well-adjusted to a PROFOUNDLY SICK society is no measure of health.

In a world where “normal” is so astonishingly sub-optimal (from a mental, physical and emotional health standpoint), why, my dear friend, should we aspire for “normalcy”?

Much better to lean into our weirdness and entertain the possibility that, perhaps, “your weirdness is your greatest asset.” Which reminds me of Nietzsche. He tells us: “The great epochs of life come when we gain the courage to re-christen our evil as what is best in us.” <- Aka: Get your weird on. That part you think is the worst within you? Maybe it’s the best.

P.S. Remember: “Life and time are precious. The day you quit proving yourself and start being yourself is one of the most momentous milestones in life.

Here is my favorite affirmation about money, which some people write or have printed on their checks: ‘Every dollar I spend enriches the economy, blesses everyone it touches, and returns to me multiplied.’
Alan Cohen
A Course in Miracles tells us that in any situation in which you perceive something is missing, what is missing is what you are not giving. This powerful principle could serve as the meditation of a lifetime.
Alan Cohen

The two paths in the Business woods

“Whether you work for a corporation, a small business, or yourself, you now stand at a crossroads in your career. The path you choose will determine the results you get.

The signpost on one road reads: ‘How much can I get from my customers?’

The signpost on the other road reads: ‘How much can I help my customers?’”

That’s from a chapter in which we conquer Illusion #7: “To Succeed, Get as Much as You Can While Giving As Little as You Can” with the Truth: “Generosity Is the Royal Road to Riches.

Alan kicks off that chapter with a story about Tony Robbins and the day he became truly wealthy. Quick context: Tony is young and at rock bottom financially, with next to no money. He saw a boy out to lunch with his mom.

Alan shares this awesome story and insight: “Tony was so impressed by the kindness and respect the boy showed his mom that Tony gave him all the cash he had and told him to buy his mom a nice meal. ‘In that moment, scarcity died,’ Robbins recalls. ‘I flew out the door. I felt so alive, so free!’ …. Robbins went on to become a mega-wealthy entrepreneur and counselor to presidents and kings. He understands that prosperity is not a bank balance. It is a state of mind. Robbins firmly declares, ‘You don’t get beyond scarcity. You start beyond scarcity. Do more, give more, share more, and what you need will be there.’

So, I’m reading that and the following story about Jim Rohn and how much he emphasized the “importance of kindness and service” and then what do I read?

A story about ME and my commitment to astonishing you with service. It kinda blew me away and humbled me and inspired me and made me EVEN more committed to doing everything in my power to help you Optimize your life so we can change the world together.

So… Let’s go back to those signposts on the crossroads of our lives (which, by the way, we revisit multiple times (!!!) EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!). One reads: “How much can I get from my customers?” The other reads “How much can I help my customers?”

Here’s to astonishing, profound service.

The answer is that wealth is generated by productivity, activity, and innovation—three commodities not fixed by an amount of money in circulation. The economy *reflects* productivity; it does not create or limit it.
Alan Cohen

Your Soul’s Fire

“Every human being contains a sacred spark that makes him or her want to get up in the morning and engage in a stimulating activity. In medieval times, fires were not as easy to start as they are today; you couldn’t just strike a match, flick on a light switch, or turn a knob on your gas range. You had to strike flint to steel—no easy task. To avoid having to continually start fires from scratch, people in that era carried a small steel box containing a smoldering cinder, which they sustained throughout the day by tossing in a tiny amount of kindling. Thus they could light a fire at will.

You and I carry within us a spark of spirit we can fan into a flame and energize our career and life. Your spark was created and is sustained by the Grace of God. No matter what challenges you face, how depressed you get, or what wayward paths you wander off on, your sacred ember glows. It is not yours to extinguish. It belongs to God and the part of you that is God. You can ignore the spark, refuse to fan it, or reduce your flame to a tiny glimmer, yet it burns without interruption. At any moment you can grow your spark into a fire by finding your passion, acting on it, and ceasing to engage in activities that dampen it. The existence of your divine spark is nonnegotiable. How much you allow it to light up your life is up to you.”

That’s from chapter #6 in which we challenge the Illusion that “The Goal of Work is Money” with the Truth that “The Purpose of Work is Soul Fulfillment, Creative Expression, and Service.”

First: I don’t know about you, but I never really thought much about how fires were started before the modern era. Get this: The modern match was invented in the early 1800’s—making it relatively easy to start a fire. Before that, it wasn’t easy at all to start a fire. So… In medieval times, people would carry a small steel box to maintain the essence of a fire. (Fascinating.)

And… I love that image of each of us having a sacred spark that NEVER goes out. It’s always there. It’s our job to fan the nascent flame into a fire that sustains us.

Remember that “At any moment you can grow your spark into a fire by finding your passion, acting on it, and ceasing to engage in activities that dampen it.

In our Note on Reinventing Yourself, we talked about the fact that our spiritual practice is kinda like a campfire. You need to create the fire anew every day. Good news though. You don’t need to start it from scratch. That flame is always there. We just need to bring it to life.

How will you do that today?

Man’s goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished.
Nelson Mandela
If you feel energized and creative, no matter how much time you work, you have found your right livelihood. If you feel burdened or burnt out, you have veered. Do whatever you need to do to bring your activities into alignment with your values.
Alan Cohen

Work and Life

“If you have divided your world into two compartments, ‘work’ and ‘life,’ you have missed the point of both. For most people, the idea of ‘work’ implies toil, obligation, and even oppression. Yet only the ego experiences work. The spirit is established in joy. The ego manufactures the idea of work and then defines it as an enemy to be overcome. When you do what you love, your livelihood doesn’t feel like work at all. Even challenges are exciting because they are part of a bigger, more rewarding game. When you stay true to authentic passion, resistance falls away. Real work/life balance is achieved when there is no more work to balance with life. There is only life.”

Those are the final words in the final chapter in which we demystify the final Illusion that “You Must Sacrifice Your Life for Work” with the ultimate Truth that “You Do Your Best Work When You are Fully Alive.”

In sum: We’re doing it wrong if we’re trying to figure out a “work/life balance.” Transcend and dissolve the apparent dichotomy. There is only life.

As Alan says: “Spirit means business because Spirit is your real business.” In other words, make connecting with and expressing that Divine spark within you your ultimate calling.

That’s your Job with a capital J.

One more time: Spirit means business. Let’s do our Jobs as well as we can as we Optimize and actualize and joyfully give our gifts in greatest service to the world!

About the author

Alan Cohen
Author

Alan Cohen

Best-selling Author and Speaker