The Universe Spoke to Me!

I had a positively startling moment the other day when I recieved a message so loud and clear from the Universe that I sat frozen in my chair. 

Absent was the mojito that usually accompanies me on the back deck when I sneak away for the rare occasion of quiet time to read.  Present was the sweet smell of my potted mint which made the moment even more vibrant. 

First of all, an admission: I spend too much money.  I don’t budget right and I am paying for it in the form of a couple credit card bills that haunt me each month.  Although my purchases were necessities, I have learned that YES my kids need undies but NO they don’t have to be from Marshall Fields.   Do you see where I am coming from?  And although at the time of the spending, timely payback was not an issue, I didn’t consider that the future had some surprises.  A broken collar bone, broken ankle, ripped ligament, severe drop in real estate market, and layoffs at The Big Three added up to surgeries, time off work, and tons of lost wages. 

You won’t see me putting up a category here called, “Mommies Financial Tips” that’s for sure.  But I will take the opportunity to just say, “Crap happens.  Beware when charging.”

SO!  That’s the backstory, here’s the freaky universe part.  There is this website where authors submit their books and ask you to read the book then blog your honest opinion about it.  I just learned about it was so excited to find this book called “Eating For Energy”.  I think it is the perfect follow up for me to “Skinny Bitch” and will serve me well as I continue to change my direction toward more plant based living. 

The book came in Thursday and I worked it into my schedule for Friday afternoon.  I situated Hubby in front of the TV with snacks and the Olympics and organized free video game time for the kids.  I couldn’t have my mojito because I am in the middle of an ELEVEN day body cleanse (different post, different day!) but crunching on my cleansing chocolate snacks, sipping water, and sniffing the potted mint I was in heaven and ready to devour this book.

“Eating for Energy” by Yuri Elkaim is the book.  I opened it up and skipped over the title page, the table of contents, and the comments and went straight to the first line which read, “When I set out to write this book one of my main objectives was to help women put money in perspective…”  Huh?  I thought to myself, interesting, he started writing a bookd about money that turned into a healthy living book.  I continued to read a bit then caught a gimpse of the top of the page which read “AWoman of Independent Means”.  I quickly turned to the title page which read, “Gail Vaz-Oxlade’s A Woman of Independent Needs”.  MOTHER HUBBARD!  They had put the wrong book inside the “Eating For Energy cover.”  I was so disappointed because the last thing I wanted to read on my well planned out free time was financial stuff! 

And then it hit me, IS THIS A MESSAGE?  Am I spending too much energy focusing on my quest for natural living when I should be addressing my unhealthy spending?  Should I also be examining my relationship with money as well as my relationship with food? 

I mean, seriously, who has ever picked up a book to read and the wrong book been inside the cover?  Does this happen?  I am not sure how to proceed and I am sure it’s an important message but that money book is so boring.  I have a Jean Chatzky book called, “Make Money Not Excuses” which seems more interesting but I haven’t read it yet.  (Another example of silly spending?)  Maybe I’ll dig it back out.

What do you think?  Am I making too big of a deal out of this publishing faux pas?  Or is the world trying to help me out here?