Book Study Leaders Guide

Using The Energy of Money: A Spiritual Guide to Personal and Financial Fulfillment
by Maria Nemeth, Ph.D.

Developed by Andrea Saenz, with assistance from Laura Farren, Paul Hasselbeck, Leslie Gebhart, Wayne Manning, and Darrel Schmucker.

The Energy of Money Book Study Leaders Guide

Introduction
It is important to distinguish a book study group from a seminar. For example, lets say you read The Artists Way and like the book. You might want to bring together a group of people and have study sessions based on the principles in the book. You gather a group of friends and each person buys the book. Then you may decide together which chapters to cover, even map them out on sheets of paper. But it would be clear to everyone that you are leading a book study group, not that you have been trained by Artists Way leaders to lead seminars on the material.

Format
A book study group is an easy, simple, concrete way for you to gather anywhere from 4 to 40 people who are interested in the work of this book and interested in the principles it presents. You could hold anywhere from 2-10 sessions -- it is up to you. However, this guide is written for a study of 6 weeks, with each study being 2 hours long. This time frame has worked well with people who have led Energy of Money study groups in the past.

Materials
In a book study group, the book is the material. As the leader, you might want to write something out on a flip chart or poster board to demonstrate something from the book. This is different than preparing seminar-like materials using graphics or multimedia and then presenting the materials in such a way that people have a sense that you are a seminar leader rather than book study leader. The only materials each person will need are their own copy of The Energy of Money, a pen or pencil, and paper for the exercises. There are also some additional supplies that will help you conduct the exercises in the book to their fullest: Week 2: 3x5 cards Week 4: Paper bag or trash can, large sheets of paper, colored markers Week 5: Paper bag or trash can, hand-washing supplies

Study Groups and Coaching

A Coaching Group is when you gather from 5-8 people and coach the participants individually in the presence of the group. This is separate from a book study group. In a

Coaching Group you would not bring in seminar materials, but rather have people bring where they are each week with regard to authentic promises theyve made. The other people in the group would be coached as well. Holding book study groups is a way for you to draw people who are interested in this approach, and who can develop a common language based on the material in the book, and then decide to take you on as a coach or join a coaching group. At the end of the book study group, if the participants like the way you are presenting yourself, you might say, If you wish you can now continue on with me in a coaching group or you can see me as a personal coach.

Questions and Answers about Study Groups and Coaching Groups

Question: Can I use written handouts in conjunction with book? Using collateral materials is not a book study group. In the book, people are asked to get a journal and are encouraged to make entries on their own. There is no need for handouts. Everything needed for a book study group is in the book. The book was written with that in mind. People all around the world are using it in book study groups. Question: What if people miss a book study session? If they miss it, you could tape it, and they could listen to a copy of the tape. What is important is that it is clear to them that the study is around the material in the book. Question: Can I charge people for this? Absolutely. You are lending your expertise as a coach that has been trained in this methodology to lead book study groups. Question: What do others charge for book study groups? Example from Sally Babcock: For 10 3-hour sessions with co-leader, she charges $350. On her own, she charges $200 for 10 2-hour sessions. This is equal to $20 per 2-hour session. The pricing is up to you. What is important is that it is clear that they are signing up for a book study group, not a seminar. Question: Could a person sign up for a book study and between sessions contract with the study leader for 1-on-1 coaching? Yes, that is absolutely fine. Question: I inquired about holding a book study a local library and was told that they charge for the use of the room. Can that cost be covered in the charge for a book study group? Certainly. You could hold the book study group in your home, or arrange to hold it at the library and charge an appropriate amount to cover the room rental fee. Question: Can we offer CEUs? Probably not. Our understanding is that you have to list it as seminar with learning objectives in order to get CEUs. You may need to get clarification on this. Bottom line, people need to know that it is a bona fide book study group, not a seminar.

Good Luck!
You are going to do great job with your book study! Important things to do if you are leading a book study group are to be clear with your mentor coach, work with your coaching circle, and report to your coaching group, asking for their support and help. What follows is an outline for a six-week book study for 5-20 people, with each session being about 2 hours each. We suggest that you ask your group to have the Week 1 reading done before the first week. There is too much in The Energy of Money to really cover in 6 weeks, but this guide should help you hit on the major principles. Feel free to make any changes to the schedule you think will benefit your particular group size and format. Good luck and have a wonderful time with your study!

Week One
Reading
Introduction (optional) What is the Energy of Money? p. 15-36 Principle 1: Your Greatest Power is to Be Willing p. 39-58

Activities and Discussion

Welcome and Introductions Welcome everyone to the group! Introduce yourself and invite everyone to share their name and a little about themselves. You may want to take some time to explain anything necessary regarding the format and expectations of your study. Group Share: What do I want out of this study group? Ask the participants to take one minute in silence to write down or think of what it is that they hope to get from this book study group. When they have finished, go around the group and have each person briefly share their answer. Acknowledge people for their great intentions. Discussion: What is the Energy of Money? Some people will be unfamiliar with the idea of money as a form of energy. You may want to read a short passage such as the first 4 paragraphs of Your Money is Your Life on pages 17-18, or have someone summarize Marias explanation. Take some time to discuss the groups thoughts about this idea. Possible questions that may come up are: o How do you see conscious and unconscious uses of this energy in your life? o What are your first thoughts about the diagram and explanation of metaphysical and physical reality (p.20)? o What strikes you about the description of Monkey Mind and its relationship to energy? Five Minute Break! Invite everyone to stretch, get some snacks, and get comfortable again. Exercise: Money Autobiography Have everyone complete 5 or 10 of the Money Autobiography questions on page 5657. After 10-15 minutes of writing, ask people to share some of their answers and what they see about their current relationship with money. Remember to acknowledge people

for being courageous and honest in their answers. You may invite people to finish writing answers to the rest of the questions at home. Other Topics for Discussion o Being Willing, p. 39-43 o The Coaching Model, p. 47-55 Depending on your time, you may want to have a whole-group discussion on these items, or simply review the relevant pages together and ask a few people to answer the question: What do these ideas mean for our book study group? Have the group reach a consensus on how they would like to use the concepts. Closing: Looking Ahead Ask if there is anything else anyone would like to say about this weeks material. Make sure everyone has been heard. Remind the participants about next weeks reading Principle 2: Your Intentions and Integrity, pages 60-82. Thank everyone for coming and getting your book study off to a great start!

. .

Week Two
Reading
Principle 2: Your Intentions and Integrity p. 60-82

Activities and Discussion

Opening Discussion Welcome everyone back! Take some time to catch up with your group. You may want to ask a couple questions like: o How are you doing? o What have you noticed about this material since last week? o Did any questions or new thoughts about last weeks material come up after the study? Exercise: Standards of Integrity Share with your group that today you are all going to find out who you really are in your hearts, and what your intentions in life are! You may want to take a minute to have one or two people share on the diagram and explanation of who we really are on p. 61-64. You will then lead your group through the Standards of Integrity exercise exactly as it is laid out on pages 68-71. It would be great to have 3 x 5 cards on which people could write their standards. Invite each member of the group to stand and read their list (with the extra 2 sentences, p. 70) to the entire group. Acknowledge each other for sharing, and for how true those standards really are! Give the group a few minutes to discuss what they see about themselves and how their Standards of Integrity influence their behavior. Five Minute Break! Exercise: Your Lifes Intentions It is now time to discover your lifes intentions! You may want to take a minute to review what Lifes Intentions are and why it is powerful to discover them (p. 76-78). You will lead your group through the exercise exactly as it is written on pages 79-82. When you finish, invite each person to stand again and read their Lifes Intentions to the group. Support each other for doing such a great job with this exercise.

Group Discussion: Goals You will be looking in detail at goals next week. Use the remaining time this week to talk about your Standards of Integrity, Lifes Intentions, and your goals. Possible questions are: o How might knowing these things influence the goals you choose? o What ideas for authentic action do they give you? Throw out a few possible goals you might derive from your Lifes Intentions. Ask the participants to think about a goal for themselves this week and bring it to the next session. It should be a goal they are willing to have the group support them in truly achieving! Closing: Looking Ahead Invite people to say anything else on their minds about this weeks material. Remind the group about next weeks reading Principle 3: Goals Focus Your Money Energy, pages 83-104, and Principle 4: Driven Behavior Wastes Money Energy, pages 107129. Thank everyone for a great session!

Week Three
Reading
Principle 3: Goals Focus Your Money Energy, p. 83-104 Principle 4: Driven Behavior..., 107-129

Activities and Discussion

Opening Discussion Welcome back! Take some time to catch up with your group and ask: o How are you doing? o What have you noticed about this material since last week? o Did any questions or new thoughts about last weeks material come up after the study? Group Discussion: SMART Goals Use 5-10 minutes to review with your group: o What is a goal v. a task? (p. 84-86) o What makes a SMART goal unique? (p. 87-89) o If you have made goals for yourself in the past, have you achieved then with clarity, focus, ease, and grace? What do you see about your answer? Group Work: Making Goals [Optional: Use as much of the Exercises for Creating Goals on pages 91-94 as you think would be useful for your group.] Since last week, everyone should have an idea or two of goals they would like to achieve. Give everyone five minutes to reread their Lifes Intentions, and then write out one goal, using the examples on pages 95 and 101 as models. Dont forget present tense and a specific date! Include the Intention that this goal fulfills. Have everyone read their goal and intention to the group. Support each other in finetuning each others goals so they are as precise, fun, and meaningful as possible. Celebrate their great dreams and intentions! Because the book study structure is not long enough to include the Treasure Mapping process on pages 99-104, you may want to discuss doing this valuable activity with your group another time. If not, decide on another way you will be reminded of your goal on a daily basis.

Five Minute Break! Group Discussion: Symptoms of Driven Behavior Take a deep breath! Its time to look at driven behavior. After looking at what driven behavior is (page 109-110), invite the group to take 15-20 minutes to discuss the 3 symptoms (pages 111-116), and simply ask the questions: o What about these symptoms sounds like me? o What do I see about that? o Do any of the addictions discussed on pages 117-124 sound like me? Exercise: Are You a Busyholic? To cap off the discussion, you will lead your group through the inventory just as it is presented on pages 127-129, reading the instructions and the list of items. After you have allowed people some time to write down additional thoughts, have everyone briefly share a couple items that were especially relevant to them and what they see about busyholism in their lives. Closing: Looking Ahead Is there anything else someone wants to share about this weeks material? Let everyone know the reading for next week -- Principle 5: Scarcity Is One of Your Greatest Teachers, p. 130-152, and Principle 7: Releasing Old Beliefs Brings Miracles, p. 177199. Congratulate everyone on their great goals and work this week! .

Week Four
Reading
Principle 5: Scarcity, p. 130-152 Principle 7: Releasing Old Beliefs, p. 177-199

Activities and Discussion

Opening Discussion Welcome back to another week! As usual, catch up with your group and ask: o How are you doing? o What have you noticed since last week? o Did any questions or new thoughts about last weeks material come up after the study? Exercise: Encounter with a Dragon Share with your group that this chapters exercise (147-152) will let us see how we experience scarcity and what we see as our biggest concerns about money. Because this exercise is designed to be individual, and can take a long time, you will need to adapt it for your group. For Parts 1 and 3, you might read the questions out loud and give the group 2-3 minutes to write everything that comes to mind for each one. For Part 2, you can either have people use the list of words in their books, or simply ask them to complete this part on their own time. When you finish Part 1 (and/or 2), have them take a deep breath. Ask people to share one of their answers. You might ask, What are you seeing about your answers? or What are you experiencing as you talk about this? Acknowledge them for being courageous in to looking at this. Then go on to Part 3, Discovering the Magic, and repeat the process. Dont forget to rip up and throw away Parts 1-2 when you finish! Five Minute Break! Group Discussion: Structures of Knowing Spend some time talking about the concept of Structures of Knowing in chapter 7. You might think about questions such as: o What is a structure of knowing? What does it do? o Reading the When to Let Go list on p. 182-183, do any of the examples sound like you? o What is a miracle? What would be a miracle in your life?

Exercise: Your Structure of Knowing Money There are several ways to use this exercise (p. 194-198) in a group. If time is short, you can make one group structure of knowing poster and use it to inform your discussion. However, try to have everyone make their own so they can see their own structure of knowing. Spread everyone out with a big piece of paper and a colored marker. Read the directions on page 195 and have them start their mind map when you finish the paragraph starting You may find Read the rest of the page and then let them draw for another 5-10 minutes. Pass around the rest of the markers so everyone has several new colors. Read the first 2 paragraphs on page 196 and give them another 5-10 minutes to circle themes. Read out the top of page 197, take a good look at the maps, and share what you see! As a follow-up, you might all commit to one of the actions on p.198 and be willing to report back on it. Closing: Looking Ahead Invite anyone to share final thoughts on this weeks material. Next weeks reading is Principle 8: Forgiveness, p. 200-217, and Principle 9: Making and Keeping Promises, p. 218-243. Also, let them know that they will be going through the forgiveness process next week, and that this week they may want to think of someone about whom they have lots of well-developed judgments, and who they are ready to forgive. Acknowledge your group for another great week!

Week Five
Reading
Principle 8: Forgiveness, 200-217 Principle 9: Making and Keeping Promises, p. 218-243

Activities and Discussion

Opening Discussion Only two more weeks in your book study! Welcome everyone back and check in by asking: o How are you doing? o What have you noticed since last week? o Did any questions or new thoughts about last weeks material come up after the study? This is a good time to follow up on peoples money mind maps and Authentic Actions from last week. Group Discussion: Characterizations Today your group will be looking at forgiveness. Before starting the process, take some time to look at the nature of characterizations and our evidence and Monkey Mind about others. You may want to look at questions like: o What is a characterization? How have I seen them be contagious? (p. 203-205) o What does it mean to forgive? What doubts does your Monkey Mind bring up about this? o Who am I holding responsible for my money problems? Exercise: Forgiveness You will lead your group through the Forgiveness process exactly as it is written on pages 212-216. Take your time and read the text with a generosity of spirit your study members are doing great work! When the process is finished, allow them to tear up their characterization sheets and throw them away somewhere convenient. During the break, invite them to wash their hands so as to clear themselves of the process. Invite people, if they wish, to share about the process. Applaud their courage for being willing to forgive! Five Minute Break!

Other Topics For Discussion o Keeping Promises, p. 218-219 o Being a Conscious Conduit of Energy, p. 221-223 o Leaks, Blocks, and Cleaning it Up, p. 223-227 Because both of this weeks exercises can take 25-45 minutes, you may not have time for a long discussion of these topics. Take as much time as you think is appropriate to address the conduit diagram on p. 221 and what it means for our relationship with money, as well as any questions you think are appropriate. Exercise: Incomplete Money Business This exercise (pages 228-233) is designed to start cleaning your groups conduits! Since the participants have their own books, you do not need to read the inventory to them. Read the Part 1 instructions and give your group 15-20 minutes to note down as many applicable items as they can. If they have not finished the list, ask them to commit to doing it at home. For Part 2, read page 231 out loud and stop at the bottom so everyone can write an answer to the checkbook biography question. Have people share a few answers. Finally, ask the group to look at their Part 1 items while you read page 232 to them, from For the rest to at least the paragraph starting You may be Invite your group to make some concrete promises and write them down, including the date of completion. You may want to have everyone choose one item that will be completed by next week so you can support each other in being accountable. (If their checkbook is not balanced to the penny, that is their item!) Acknowledge your group for being willing to clean up the sludge in their relationship with money! Closing: Looking Ahead Invite anyone who has something more to add about this weeks material to share. Remind everyone of the final weeks reading -- Principle 11: Mutual Support, p. 269286, and Principle 12: Abundance and Gratitude, p. 287-308. Next week is your last time together as a book study group! Get ready to celebrate your discoveries and successes together.

Week Six
Reading
Principle 11: Mutual Support, p. 269-286 Principle 12: Abundance and Gratitude, p. 287-308

Activities and Discussion

Opening Discussion Its the last week of the study! Congratulate each other for making it, and check in by asking: o How are you doing? o What have you noticed since last week? o Did any questions or new thoughts about last weeks material come up after the study? This would be a great time to check up on the incomplete money business items people committed to complete from last week. Exercise: Getting Support for Your Heros Journey Let your group know that you are all looking at the energy of support so that their good work can continue after the study. You can lead your group through this exercise pretty much as it is written on pages 277-280. You may want to omit the personal examples (Denise, Mary Kay) during the exercise in the interest of time. Read the instructions on page 277-8 out loud and pause to let the group answer question 1. Then lead your group through questions 2-10, asking each person at the end to share his or her project and whom he or she is asking for support. Acknowledge each other on a job well done. Group Discussion: The Coaching Context Use the next 15-20 minutes to look at the Coaching Context Questions on pages 282-283. They are slightly different than the arena questions used in Mastering Lifes Energies, but they mean the same things. In fact, you may want to use the versions and reframes you know to explain them further if there are questions. Questions you might consider about this topic are: o Just for practice, what qualities am I willing to demonstrate for the rest of todays session? o What are different arenas of my life where this context would be useful to me?

o Am I willing to answer Yes to all four questions at work? At church? At home? What worries does my Monkey Mind have about that idea? Five Minute Break! During the break, encourage your group members to call their chosen support person right then and ask for their support on the project they have picked. Exercise: Basic Affirmation Training This exercise involves keeping a gratitude journal over an extended period of time. But while you cant complete this kind of exercise today, you can get it off to a great start as a group activity. You could read through the description on pages 304-305, and share for a few minutes about what you might get out of such a journal. Next, invite the group to use today as the first day of their journal. Take a minute to list three things from today or yesterday that evoke gratitude. Go around the room and hear as many examples of gratitude as you can. You might ask: Was it difficult to think of examples? What was your experience writing them down? [Optional: If your meeting space is large enough and appropriate for the Contemplating Gratitude exercise on pages 306-307 (meaning people can walk around and see objects that might bring joy or peace), you may want to substitute that for the Basic Affirmation Training exercise. Choose which best suits your group needs.] Closing: Wrap-Up Group Discussion The formal part of your book study is over! Use the rest of the time to reflect on what parts of The Energy of Money were most meaningful for your group members, and which parts your Monkey Mind still has doubts and suspicions about. What are the biggest things you have seen about your relationships with money and your behavior in general? Here are some other ideas to incorporate as you wrap up your study: o Discuss your authentic actions (including the goal from week 3), progress you have made, and your plans to let people support you after the study. o Talk about parts of the book people read on their own and have questions or thoughts about. o Invite your study members to consider becoming a Coaching Group or getting private coaching from you in the future (See the Introduction for questions and answers about this). o Share some treats and celebrate each others company! Acknowledge yourself for taking such good care of your study members and leading them through the material.Great job, Coach!

This booklet has been produced by the Academy for Coaching Excellence. All rights reserved.
2004 Academy for Coaching Excellence