Of all the metaphors I can think of for abundance and flow, the human heart is the one that captures my imagination most vividly. This wondrous physical instrument beats 100,000 times a day and circulates two gallons of blood per minute and over 100 gallons per hour through the vascular system. Underlying this process is a perfect blueprint -- a precise system of giving and receiving. The heart receives blood from the body and pumps this blood to the lungs for oxygenation. It then receives the oxygenated blood back from the lungs and pumps the revitalized blood back to the body.

Keeping the abundance and flow of the physical heart in mind, it's easy to understand why author Rick Jarow suggests that the energy center located around the human heart is the "seat of prosperity". He explains that while the purpose of the physical heart is to circulate blood, the purpose of the heart's energy center is to circulate our sense of abundance with everything and everyone.

As a spiritually-oriented entrepreneur, this is a perspective that likely resonates with you. In fact, to a great extent, you probably already embody these concepts. Engaging with them through the fifth step of inspired business planning -- clarifying your financial inflow and outflow -- will deepen your "knowing" and help your business prosper in a way that's aligned with your values and higher purpose.

The Inflow

The dynamic of the heart center is to move into the flow -- meaning the inflow (receiving) and the outflow (giving). When you clarify the financial inflow and outflow of your business on paper, you ground your heart energy in an intentional way in the physical world. Also, you come to see that the financial aspects of your business aren't just about buying and selling, but are about exchanging life energy and experiencing joy in all your transactions.

While healers usually give freely, some have difficulty receiving freely. If you find it difficult to receive, there are two key energy shifts you may need to make to open the inflow of your business. You'll need to honour and value your worth and allow yourself to receive joyfully.

To initiate these shifts or anchor them more powerfully, consider using spreadsheets to document your financial projections. First, create a spreadsheet just for revenue. At the top, put your 12-month revenue goal (the amount of money you want your business to attract) and your 12-month income goal (the amount of money you want to receive once your business expenses are paid).

Next, create a column under which you include separate rows for each income flow (i.e. service and/or product). In the adjacent column to the right, put the rates for each service and product, and in the column beside this, put monthly numbers of clients and products sold. Finally, create twelve additional columns that show the total monthly revenue for each product and service and add an annual revenue column at the end. At the bottom of these columns, create a row that includes monthly totals and an annual total of all revenues.

As you do this exercise, feel the joy of allowing yourself to receive this money and know that by doing so, you're affirming others' abundance.

The Outflow

While the inflow allows you to receive, the outflow allows you to give. Although healers often generously give their time and gifts to their clients and customers, if they're blocked on the inflow financially, they can be blocked on the outflow financially, as well. This can manifest as feelings of fear about spending money on their businesses and in other areas of their lives.

If this feels true for you, there's one key shift you may need to make to open the outflow of your business. You'll need to learn how to feel good about the money you spend on your business or, in other words, spend money with joy!

Using your spreadsheets as a tool to help you make this shift, create a second spreadsheet for your business expenses. You can divide this spreadsheet into two sections: one-time expenses and recurring expenses. Starting at the top with one-time expenses, create a column with rows itemizing each one-time expense. These expenses may include office equipment and furniture, registration fees, training expenses, your business identity package (logo, business cards, letterhead) and website design and development. In a column to the right, record an estimated cost for each expense. At the bottom, add a row for the total of these expenses.

Moving down your spreadsheet, create a section for recurring expenses. In the first column, create rows itemizing each recurring expense. These expenses may include office rental costs, bank fees, telephone, internet service, web domain registration and hosting, trade show booths, product development costs, printing, postage, advertising and other marketing expenses. Next to this column, make twelve columns that show the monthly cost of each expense and an annual expense column at the end. At the bottom of these columns, create a row that includes monthly totals and an annual total of all recurring expenses.

As you complete this spreadsheet, feel the joy of spending this money to create your life's work and know that by doing so, you're supporting other people.

Actively engaging your heart center in clarifying your business's financial inflow and outflow will help you buy and sell more consciously. And through these inspired actions, you'll have a huge impact on your business and the world. As a spiritual entrepreneur, you'll be on the leading-edge of the transition to an economy based on wellness, love, joy and service -- an economy in which everybody prospers.

Copyright 2008 Mary C. Davis