by: Janet Ilacqua
As a small business owner or freelancer, you will experience periods of abundance and scarcity, many times for reasons beyond your control. Therefore, it is important for you to learn how to deal with your feelings about scarcity in order to put the most into your business
An emotion that is always present when there is a sense of scarcity in life is anger. Big surprise, you may think. The surprise actually is that very often, it is the anger, which is holding success at bay. Frequently, the individual is angry at success, about success, about money in general or about who gets to have it. This anger may be suppressed, only coming out in bitterness at the "privileges of the wealthy,” or some similar trigger. Envy or jealousy may be other ways of expressing the anger.
Anger can halt success. The purpose of anger as an emotional energy is to push something away. We cannot be receptive and angry at the same time, anymore than a hose can flow water in two directions at once. Money itself cannot harm us. However, it is often the target of our anger when we feel that it has been used against us. If we feel that we have been betrayed, cheated or hurt in some way financially and are unable to release or forgive the experience, we will hold it away from ourselves. Since money or success is part of the experience, it will be held away as well.
No one has to stay angry. It may take some work, but if we are sincere, forgiveness, release or both can occur. Generally, the test is whether it is more important to remain angry or to have the benefits of peace. When we are sincerely attached to our anger, this can seem like a trick question. It really is not. Anger can and should be released if one wants to reap the benefits of peace. Let it move into the past where it belongs. Now and the future are about peace and success.