Denise Allen, Author of The Money Poems

Healing Truth Center founder Shawna Marie had the opportunity to interview Denise Allen, spiritual teacher and author of The Money Poems. Here is what Denise had to say about her belief system, The Money Poems and financial freedom. (The Money Poems are available at www.themoneypoems.com.)

The Money Poems is a very unique and wonderful way to infuse one's mind with prosperity and wealth building principles from a spiritual perspective. What was your inspiration and intention for giving life to The Money Poems?

The Money Poems were passed down in my family from my paternal grandmother. The poems had been such a valuable resource for my family and me that I wanted to share them with other people. I study Christian metaphysics. The Bible teaches that “if thine eye be single, thy whole body will be full of light.” That is true in any area of our lives. Where we lovingly focus our attention, we find our greatest success. This truth works in the positive as well as in the negative. The Money Poems have helped me keep my eye single as it regards wealth.
 
What can one accomplish by utilizing The Money Poems? Is there a particular way that you suggest for the poems to be used?
 
With The Money Poems, one can accomplish a changed mindset regarding wealth. Wealth is far more than money. It is health, happiness, joy AND money. In fact, you can have a lot of money but lack the health to enjoy it. How many of us know of people with plenty of money but no happiness or joy in their lives? I do not consider money in the absence of health and happiness to be wealth. 
 
The Money Poems are a daily tool for establishing a wealth mindset. There is a poem for each day of the week. I read them once each morning and I carry a printout with me to read quietly before I make any purchase – large or small.
 
Is there a difference between reading the poems silently or aloud? Is one better or more powerful than the other?
 
Reading the poems aloud creates the greatest impact. Our words are our connecting link to our God-power within. Our spoken word activates our God-power, and the quality of the spoken word determines the direction our power gets activated in. If we speak positive, loving words, we activate our God-power in that direction. And, if we speak negative, limiting words, we activate our God-power in that direction as well. The choice lies within each of us as to how we will direct the power we have been given.
 
How do we know if we are connected to our God-power? We know we are connected because we feel no fear and experience no worry. Fear and worry disconnect us from our God-power. Our positive words of Truth reconnect us. The Money Poems are an easy, simple way to connect us to the infinite riches within us.
 
What has been the response so far to The Money Poems? Have people given you feedback about how the poems have changed them and/or their lives?
 
The response to The Money Poems has been fantastic! People are using them and improving their financial pictures. Recently, a fan of The Money Poems who works professionally as a musician wrote me to say that he used the poems and scored a gig paying him several thousand dollars for his work. Another fan of The Money Poems wrote that she used the poems and received an unexpected windfall of cash after just using them for a short period of time.
 
You also have a great blog that features tips, teachings and resources for building wealth from both a spiritual and a practical perspective. Plus, you have been very generous in sharing your thoughts on my online radio shows Complete Financial Freedom and Faith & Finances. How is it that you became interested in supporting others to achieve financial freedom and overall well-being?
 
I want people to live prosperously in whatever way they define that word. I want to see people thrive and be happy. I feel good when other people feel good and I get a special high when I work with someone and help them see an expanded view of their life. It absolutely makes me smile on the inside when someone has interacted with me and left my presence feeling more alive and in charge of their experience. The Money Poems are just an extension of that desire. It was not enough for them to be a blessing to my immediate family. I wanted them to bless others as well.
 
I love the way that you conceptualize financial freedom. Can you share your understanding of what financial freedom is?
 
Absolutely. Financial freedom means that you do not live in bondage to money. Many rich people AND many poor people live in bondage to money. The poor person believes that money will solve his/her problems. A rich person will tell you that it will not. The rich person believes his value as a person is somehow greater because of his bank balance. A poor person will tell you that it is not. The financially free person experiences profound happiness regardless of her bank balance. Her self-esteem does not fluctuate according to the amount of money currently under her command. The financially free person does not worry or fear the future, regardless of the doom and gloom that the media purports.
 
Our earlier discussion actually centered on financial independence and whether that should be a goal. I contend that financial independence is not a goal that any of us can attain. Yes, we can eliminate our debt and create multiple income streams in addition to our primary job. In the end, we still need people on the other end of those income streams to buy what we are selling. And, we still need our employers to employ us to keep our steady paycheck. And, we have seen from the recent financial downturn that our government’s economy can fail or come near failing and completely turn upside our entire financial experience.
 
The idea behind financial independence is a good one: create enough income and do not spend beyond the limits of that income. When we accomplish this feat, we become what financial planners term “financially independent.” But, the nature of our human experience is that we live in relation to one another. We live in relation to our families, our friends, our neighbors, people we do not know, people from other countries, nature, etc. Even if we elected to live in a cave without human contact, we would still live in relation to the animals and bugs that dwell in the cave. No matter where we go on the planet, short of making our transition from this life, we will be in relation to someone or something.
 
I advocate creating financial interdependence. Whether we work a job, own a business or are a trust fund baby, there are many people who participate in our wealth cycle. The shocking truth is that we do not know and may never know the vast majority of the people who participate in our wealth cycle. The financially interdependent person takes responsibility for his/her financial well being. The financially interdependent person does not define his/her wealth according to his/her bank balance. He/she recognizes and acknowledges the various people and/or entities that contribute to his/her financial well-being (i.e. customers, clients, employers, etc) and constantly gives thanks and praise for their participation in his/her wealth cycle. This person creates a picture of financial well being that he wants to attain and as he moves deliberately toward that picture, he constantly monitors his level of happiness, health and joy. And, this person willingly adjusts the picture if he discovers that the financial wealth he sought does not include the happiness, health and joy he requires.
 
In your opinion, what is the biggest obstacle for individuals to seek, achieve and sustain a level of financial freedom? 

The biggest obstacle for individuals to seek, achieve and sustain a level of financial freedom is their willingness to do the work to not live in bondage to money. Changing ourselves – the way we think and feel – is easily the hardest work we will ever do. Like Jesus, we must learn how to be in the world but not of the world. The journey of our souls is to discover that we are more than our physical experience. Unfortunately, most of us are outwardly focused. We name ourselves a success or a failure according to our external financial picture. If we have money, we feel successful. If we do not, we feel like a failure. The truth is that money is only one factor in our success picture; and, we must do the mental, emotional and spiritual work to stop reducing the measure of our success down to one factor. Those who do this work find that financial freedom is theirs rather quickly.
 
Is it possible for everyone to actually achieve financial freedom and be able to sustain it over a lifetime or possibly beyond?

Yes, it is possible for everyone to actually achieve financial freedom and be able to sustain it over a lifetime and beyond. Financial freedom is a state of mind. It is the state of mind that produces all the money one needs. The external picture of the financially free person may look different from one person to another. For example, one person may be a prosperous salesman while another may be a school teacher in a rural area. But, while the external picture may vary, the internal picture looks the same: the financially free person does not live in bondage to money. His definition of himself does not depend on a bank balance or any other outward indicator of wealth. Rather, it is an internal realization that follows him wherever he goes.
 
In the spirit of the scripture that reads, "it is done unto you as you believe," I believe that everyone has a belief system (consciously or unconsciously) that guides their life. What would you say are the key principles or beliefs that you have about life, which guide you on a daily basis.
 
I believe that God is Absolute and is everywhere evenly present. I believe that I am made in Its image and after Its likeness. I believe that my thoughts have value and power. Therefore, I am careful to base each of them on those first two statements. I believe in daily spiritual study. I have found that I do not feel right if I do not include at least 30 minutes to 1 hour of study in my day. And, I believe that the outer picture of my life – my house, my car, my career, my relationships – are my chief indicators of the quality of the work I am doing to internally improve myself. I do not define myself by this outer picture but I do use it as a reference guide for the ways that I need and want to improve as a spiritual being living this human experience.