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Pay Your Bills With Pleasure

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Is paying your bills and unpleasant and deflating chore? Joyce Hawkes shows you how to turn it around and reap the rewards with this simple practice of gratitude.

By Joyce Hawkes


A friend of mine, Hilde, an exceedingly successful small-business owner, scolded me when I whined about the time it took to write checks for bills. I expressed how I despised doing that chore from the aspect of both time and the resulting reduction in my bank balance. She explained her way of paying bills.

Hilde developed a practice in which she lit a candle or two, played music she loved, and blessed each and every check she wrote. She noticed that business improved not just a bit, but in a significant way when she carried out this ritual. The improvement was consistent and dropped off when she was rushed and did not spend time with specific appreciation for the resources to pay the utilities, the rent, and all those other fundamental business expenses. Her blessing was one of gratitude for the funds to pay the bills and gratitude for work that brought in sufficient money to keep her business robust. Her massage practice grew into the most highly respected massage school in the area.

The next time you need to pay your bills, take a moment to sit down. Try Hilde’s approach: Create a comfortable space at your desk or tabletop that is dedicated to the task. Include a candle, a small vase with a flower, and a bowl of your favorite cookies (or sliced apples, pecans, or any sweet treat you enjoy).

As you pick up each invoice or statement, take a moment to actively appreciate the service that was provided and your ability to pay the required money. As you seal the envelope, bless the transaction. If you pay bills online, you can modify the space to include your computer. The same kind of appreciation can be generated as you click the mouse to send the money electronically.

When we remove the restrictions of limited perception, life opens up in ordinary and extraordinary ways. The quality of gratitude can shift awareness in the hubbub and the crush of ordinary activities—the morning routine, the sameness of going to work, paying bills, and cleaning the kitchen—and turn a previously unpleasant task into an enjoyable experience.

Excerpted from Resonance: Nine Practices for Harmonious Health and Vitality by Joyce Hawkes, PhD