CPA - Create Prosperity and Abundance, The Next Renaissance

I studied Economics at UCLA and found it to be outdated and irrelevant. I was bored to tears in Econ 101, but I persevered. I became a CPA because it was the logical thing to do with this useless degree. Thankfully, my career path has allowed me the freedom to live my life according to my values.

When I taught Entrepreneurship for Womens' Economic Ventures around 2006 leading up the economic crisis of 2008, I rewrote the pictures and graphs from my textbooks to redefine success in our world of growth and greed in favor of more sustainable measures and values. I hated terms like Burn Rate and Breakeven Point and I replaced them with Prosperity Point and RegenerRate. I helped hundreds of women and families achieve Prosperity and Abundance in spite of a failing economy. Then I changed the initials after my name from CPA to stand for Create Prosperity and Abundance. I was a Meta-CPA.

Now I'm embarking on a Masters Program in Regenerative Action. Well, Im committing to taking the first course which is called Doughnut Economics taught by Kate Raworth. I was so resistant at first, I thought I would be so bored, like I was in Econ 101 but now I understand why I was led to this course. It's the path for the Next Renaissance.

I highly recommend her book by the same name, even if you haven't studied economics before or think it holds absolutely nothing of interest for you. The fact is, economics pervades everything we do. Its dinosaur premises are the underlying structures and beliefs that have justified public policies that have been destroying our planet.

I think Doughnut Economics is one of the most important books for the these times of plague and destruction. It is the way toward the Next Renaissance..

Time To Grow Our Money Chi!

For those of us who are freelance or solopreneurs, we never get bailed out. Its always the banks, the financial institutions, the big corporations and their employees that get helped by the US government in times of disaster, like this. Do we independent workers have pensions to rely on? Do we think social security will be there for us when we retire? Retire? who said anything about retiring. We are not the kind who can be at a job for years and wait until we retire to play golf and take cruises when we are old. No, we live for today. We probably will never retire, we will strive and create for ourselves and our families until the day we die and we will travel and take time for what is important all throughout our life because that is what we value, our time is our freedom, not money. 

Money is a tool and yes we need an amount in order to live, but we dont hoard money, we probably don't save or invest as much as we would like but we know we will always have enough. We live in tune with what is. We are connected to nature and the universe and our needs are always provided for because we are grateful. We have tasted freedom and no bailout will tempt us away from that freedom because we live in the now, we live in the present moment and we take whatever risks we do to have that freedom of choice. 

We are innovative, we are resourceful, we are independent thinkers. We scare the shit out of everyone because we live just fine without the safety net that everyone else thinks they need. We know its an illusion, there really is no safety net anyway, for anyone.  We have fallen freely when there was no one to catch us and we landed on our feet, over and over again. We are the true survivors. We got this.

Article for Ultimate Italy

 Our member Alecia Caine, is a US CPA and lives part time in Palm Desert, California and part time in Guardia Sanframondi in Campania, Italy. She will focus her posts on US tax requirement for Americans living abroad, including filing requirements, the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, Foreign Tax Credit and FBAR. 

Today, she will explain some of the filing requirements for Americans living and earning abroad. Here is a link to the IRS with more information. https://www.irs.gov/…/us-citizens-and-resident-aliens-abroa…

Basically if you earn more than the standard deduction for your filing status, you must file a US tax return and report your Worldwide income. However, if you run a freelance business and report your income on a Schedule C for sole proprietorships you will need to file a tax return if your net earnings from self-employment exceed $400. Meaning income less expenses exceeds $400.
Here is a link to an IRS tool to help you figure out of you must file a tax return. https://www.irs.gov/help/ita/do-i-need-to-file-a-tax-return.
https://www.irs.gov/filing for information on how to file.

One Thing I would strongly advise: When you have basic tax questions, check the IRS.gov website for the answer. The site is easy to navigate, and it is the authority on taxes. Don’t listen to other people who have an opinion, or blogs and articles found online. Some situations do require the advice of a professional, but many questions can be answered from the Internal Revenue Service.
If you would like to contact Alecia,  please send her an email abccpa@sbcglobal.net

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The Art of Manifesting

I feel driven today, more than I have felt in a very long time.  I'm inspired to grow my practice into something I am totally in love with.  Helping others manifest their dream life, bring the dream to life with practical solutions, business savvyness, business planning, resource allocations, organizing information and prioritizing and strategizing their life.  Of course taxes and travel are necessary, one an evil, the other a pleasure.  I will offer my clients a trip to Italy once a year to celebrate our success  and hold regular online master mind groups.

This has always been my dream, and now its time to organize it. 

My manifesting abilities have dramatically increased.  With my imagination, I can create the clarity of the vision I desire to manifest,  I'm able to stay focused and hold sustained positive energy toward my vision, energy generated from deep within (from my cervix).   I'm able to contain any doubts and negative feelings so they don't interfere and bring me out of this state.   This was always a hindrance to my growth in the past.  I would manifest what I want, then I would feel fear or doubt myself and retract, never getting as far as I hoped.   Well, it feels different now.  I'm bringing it all home. 

The Money Stories We Hold Onto

Working with a money coach will help you release your old stories around money, reframe them and help you define the life you desire.   I am releasing some of my own issues around money which  helps me grow even deeper as a money mentor.  

Yesterday, as I was whipping up a batch of chocolate truffles, my go to activity when feeling a little down,  I noticed the sensations of anger, tightness coming from my throat and chest.   It was the victim archetype that was trying to find expression.  The anger was around some decisions I made back in 2007 to refinance my home which I eventually lost during the recession and I'm still recovering emotionally from this event.  

Family has always been a huge influence in my life and much of the advice I receive from family members has been centered around fear and lack and control.   In 2007, I  made a decision to refinance my home based on my father's fear that interest rates would rise out of control and his urging me to refinance.  I didn't make this decision based on my own research, my own ideas, needs and wants.  It was a decision I made blindly and this decision was one of the contributing factors that eventually led to me losing my home.   I could have easily gone down the path to blame, regret and hopelessness but I am working with my coach to bring more awareness and consciousness into my reactions so I stopped to journal about my feelings.

I can't change the decisions I made in the past and playing out the victim role doesn't serve me now and in the future I want to create.  To transcend and grow through this experience, I need to practice acceptance, awareness and forgiveness.

Accepting the past, the decisions I made and the consequences of those decision.   I cannot change the facts no matter how much I complain, blame and wish things were different.  It is what it is.

Awareness that I must make decisions for myself.  I can hear what others have to say, no matter how convincing they may sound, its still up to me to gather information, know my needs and wants and make the best decision for myself.

Forgiveness toward my father, he is who he is, sometimes a controlling, generous Tyrant archetypes who reacts to fear.  Dad doesn't really know what is best for me, only I do.

Holding anger and resentment only drives a wedge into the important relationships in our lives and diminishes the love.  By working through this with my coach, I am seeing how the Victim archetype keeps me tied to my past and keeps me from moving forward to claim the life I desire.

What about you? What money stories are holding you back from living the life you desire?  Please share your story below and if you want to explore if money coaching is right for you, send me an email for a free 30 minute consultation.   abccpa@sbcglobal.net

Be Aware of Your Money and Eating Habits

I had an appointment with a health counselor yesterday.  She gave me an assignment to write down everything I eat.  This exercise helps us become accountable and also aware of what we put in our mouth.  Sometimes we eat for emotional reasons and getting in touch with those feelings helps us uncover our unmet emotional needs.  Its the same with money.  Our habits around money are often unconscious and we use money to meet emotional needs.  Try this:  Write down everything you spend everyday for a week, also jot down how you felt about it: Did you feel proud, happy, stressed, fear.  Get in touch with the unconscious feelings you have around money.   Its the first step to developing a positive relationship with money and growing your Money Chi.

Abundance is Real

It always seems to be the case that when one aspect of my life improves, other aspects suffer. In this case, my personal well being has greatly improved since I moved to Boston, while my personal finances have not. I am thankful to Marc and the universe for covering my monthly nut. Wow, am I ever lucky! Writing this just now, I realize what is in fact true. My desire was to be financially free. I am right now. Yes, I need to make money but my essentials are taken care of and I feel secure in a way that I never have before and for this I feel very grateful.

I was focusing on the lack that I am personally not creating, I want to focus on the abundance I have in my life. I want to create immense success, not just surviving as I have been for the past 2 decades. Thank you Marc and the Universe for such abundance in my life in all aspects, love, health, happiness and financial freedom. My energy is free to create wealth and success for myself, Marc and our family and grow our money chi.

Just as I have counseled countless people on the steps to financial success, I will follow them now and witness their power to transform our life. I will help us set up a personal financial/accounting system using Quicken for our personal affairs and Quickbooks for our businesses. Clearing out old files and making new ones and making an office space is one of my first tasks. You need to clear the clutter so you can see where you are starting from. A clear picture will take form and then you can design where you want to go, but you need to first know where you are starting from.

I will chronicle my success here in this blog. Then I will be better equipped to help others achieve the success they are seeking. I know how to survive, now I will learn to thrive!

Money Types

Knowing your money type can help you recognize behavior patterns around money so you can change them and create a more supportive relationship with your money.

Think of the 8 Money Types as the Major Arcana of money Tarot. Each one represents an architype expressed consciously or unconsciously around money. They Money Types are the Innocent, the Victim, the Warrior, the Martyr, the Fool, the Creator/Artist, the Tyrant and the Magician. As we become aware of these energies and how they play out in our lives we can make peace with them, inviting some to play a larger role in our money life and asking others to stay away, at least until we decide when its time to come out and play.

The Innocent doesn't really want to know what is going on with her money, basically she sticks her head in the sand and pretends nothing is really happening, if she just ignores the problems they will just go away, won't they? Innocents don't like dealing with money because it is usually boring to do so, taking the time to nurture your money takes time away from doing the things she'd really rather be doing, and so the Innocent secretly dreams prince charming will sweep her off her feet and take care of all of life's details so she doesn't have to. But if she continues to ignore the writing on the wall long enough, she is bound to get hurt and the Innocent's very trusting demeanor will often give way to the Victim.

The Victim evades taking responsibility for all her money woes. As long as others are at fault, she will continue to be stuck in self-destructive patterns of blame, loss and hurt. Holding on to her story and being stuck in the past are all hallmarks of the Victim, and she will tell her story of woe to anyone who will listen, often bringing others down with them, in a misery likes company fashion. When the Victim does finally claims her own power and takes responsibility for the results in her life, she will become a powerful source for herself and for others to help them reclaim their own power source around money. That power transforms the Victim into the Warrior type.

The Warrior is confident, goal oriented and driven. She makes intelligent decisions and takes calculated risks with her money. Often, having learned the hard way, the Warrior wants to protect what she values and will do her due-diligence to avoid future pain resulting from making choices out of ignorance. Its not that the Warrior doesn't make mistakes, but she is calm and self assured knowing her power comes from within and she has the power to create her own reality. A Warrior does not try to control every outcome but she will endeavor to control what she can and try to help and protect others from making bad choices. If the Warrior doesn't recognize that she cannot control or protect everyone, and allow others to learn their own lesson, she will end up becoming the Martyr, taking care of everyone else's needs and resenting it.

The Martyr will often give until she is completely depleated, it is very important to practice self care when being good stewards of our money. So that we have enough and are overflowing and then we can be good examples to others on how to live without the need to control others. So many women live with this Martyr energy, taking care of everyone else while neglecting themselves. While she means well, living a balanced life is the lesson for the Martyr. Otherwise, something is bound to snap and the Fool is unleashed.

Watch out, the Fool doesn't care anymore for the past, she lives in the present moment. Yes she knows how to make money, but as the saying goes " A fool and her money are soon parted". While a fool is the life of the party, loved for her generosity and ability to have a good time, and shopping sprees, the drama for her and those who live with her can be a roller coaster ride of highs and lows. Learning to temper that wild Fool with balance is the lesson for her.

The Creator/Artist often has a love/hate relationship with money. While she loves the freedom money can bring her, she often hates to do the mundane work necessary to bring about the money needed for a secure life. The Creator/Artists possesses the key to turn her creative abilities into money making endeavors when she finally changes her beliefs that money isn't spiritual. When she balances her spiritual and material lives, she will benefit from her amazing creative abilities to create money too.

The Tyrant, has finally learned to amass a huge fortune, only to fear losing it, so she becomes secretive and controlling in her attempt to keep what she has. Unfortunately, she will often get what she fears and the very act of protecting her wealth is what leads her to making bad decisions, fearing risk and living a life of lack in spite of all the abundance she can enjoy, if only she could learn to trust the Magician in her.

The Magician is what we all strive for, conscious and balanced, the Magician's self worth is not tied to her net worth. She understands that money flows and the cycle of money is similar to breathing, what comes in, will eventually go out, but it will come back again. Staying in peace and spiritual awareness of this law is the Magician's gift. Knowing that at different times, different energies will play out, knowing when its appropriate to temper our Fool energy with a little Warrior keeps us in balance, she will never want to completely lose her Innocence, but keeping her eyes open so she can make sound decisions for herself and her family. Not all decisions will turn out well, but rather let the Victim take over, she picks herself up, dusts herself off, and learns the lessons to make better and better choices, always trusting her instincts and knowing her power source is within, fear does not paralyze her as she continues to moves into her Warrior Magician.

Awareness of which Money Types play out in your life is the first step toward a healthy
relationship with your money. Alecia Caine holds Grow Your Money Chi Support Groups at A Place of Peace Thursday nights at 6:30.