Does Money Grow On Trees?

“Money doesn’t grow on trees, dear.” I said.

“Well actually, mom, it does. Money is made of paper and paper grows on trees, so money does grow on trees.”

This is a conversation I had with my son recently. He’s six and already outsmarting me. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, though. My little boy has an understanding of things that many adults don’t yet understand – including myself. I guess he’s one of those kids.

So, where do we draw the line between teaching our kids about the way the world works and hindering who they are? This is a question many parents have today. And, this is one I struggle with myself. Where do I draw the line between teaching my son that money doesn’t really grow on trees and risking teaching him the idea of lack? I don’t want him to be stuck in the feeling of never being able to get what he wants because of limitations, but we do live in a real world. Manifestation is becoming a big deal in our society, but where does manifestation end and reality begin?

If a woman wants to meet the man of her dreams, she might think positively about meeting this man. She might create a vision board and put the energy out to the universe. This sounds great, right? But, lets say the woman is completely house bound – by choice. She never leaves the house, her number is not listed in the phone book, and she never sees anyone but her daughter who brings her groceries once a week. But, the woman believes that she deserves the man she’s created in her mind and “knows” God will deliver him to her doorstep. She believes he will just show up one day out of the blue, knowing her name and address, flowers in hand and a proposal of marriage on his lips. How likely do you think it is that she will manifest her desire?

This is the major flaw I see with the theory of manifesting. Some people have come to believe that thinking about what you want means you don’t have to work to get it. I completely disagree with this idea. Yes, it is very important to manifest your desires and visualize goals, but our purpose here isn’t to just sit on our butts and wait for life to deliver. Some may disagree with what I’m saying, and that’s okay. But, I can tell you what I’ve seen and haven’t seen.

I have worked with many, many people from all over the world. It doesn’t matter whether your from the US, the UK, Germany, or somewhere in between. We are here to actually “live” our lives. A student can manifest all they want to get an A on a test, but if that student doesn’t study anything, he’s not as likely to get that A. If he manifests and visualizes getting an A, and puts forth his very best effort at studying, he’s much more likely to get that A.

My point is that I believe God/Spirit/Heaven does help those who ask for help, does gift those who manifest their desires, but we also need to put forth the effort and energy to receive those gifts; then we can receive the energy in return. It can’t just be about imagining the future because then we’re forever stuck in hoping for the future to make things better. Instead, if we take some kind of action, our “future” can be manifested in the present.

So, what about the woman who never leaves her house but mentally searches for the man of her dreams? Will she ever find love? What keeps her from entering the outside world? Fear? Maybe she needs to overcome some kind of hurdle that’s holding her back, get out into the world. If she went to the grocery store with her daughter once a week, her chances of finding Mr. Right would increase dramatically. Even better, if she manifested to be loved, she would be much more likely to draw love to her – and eventually the relationship she truly desires.

Okay, now back to my son. How do we teach our children about money when our spiritual teachers are telling us to teach our children they can have anything their little hearts can manifest. “If you want that new toy, you can have it!” Well, he can’t steal it! What now?

Like all of us, I try to be a good parent and do what’s best for my son. We had a little conversation about how money is made and how it’s used to trade for goods and services, which he already knew of course. Then we talked about manifesting and what he truly desired. Did he really want a new toy, or was he just bored at home? Did he need to find something else fun to do? He decided that he truly did want the toy, so he used his collection of change from his piggy bank to buy the new toy. Then we talked about how he can’t take the money back because he traded it for the toy. In the future, he may have to manifest getting a toy for Christmas, or his birthday, instead of getting it immediately. We also talked about gratitude and being thankful for all the things we have been blessed with.

I would like to know your thoughts. As parents, how have you approached the subject of manifesting with your children? How do you manifest your desires? Does your money grow on trees?

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