Individual financial decisions may have failed you during this economic crisis, but you are not a failure.
You have the opportunity to make new choices that will allow you to succeed! You do not want to dwell on your failures, but you need to see them so you deal with the outcomes those failures produced.
Maybe you spent too much on your credit cards or you purchased a home you can no longer afford.
Even if this is not your desired situation, if you own it and take responsibility for these outcomes you will show yourself and those around you that you are not a failure.
You are a responsible adult you can take control of your situation.
You made some undesirable choices, but you have the power to change your direction.
You can make desirable choices.
It is your choice and it always has been.
No more blaming others.
No more excuses.
It is your personal responsibility to get yourself back on track.
Only by taking ownership in this way do you give yourself the chance to learn and move toward making a difference.
If you do not then you remain, as you were - financially unstable and struggling.
I am sure that the most honest you are with yourself the faster you will be able to overcome your current situation.
It is my goal to get you back on track as fast as possible.
These are the steps.
I wish I could do them for you, but I cannot.
You are the one in control.
You have the power.
Be honest with yourself about choices you make.
Once this becomes a habit you open your life to positive change in your financial situation and cause a ripple effect in other aspects of your life.
Denial leads to continued spending, dodging bills and creditors and leads to utter paralysis, preventing a move toward getting assistance and dealing with the situation.
For example, you fear balancing your checkbook and paying bills is not a priority.
Unfortunately, tiny amounts of debt grow with interest and penalties into seemingly insurmountable mountains of debt; leaving you with loathsome options such as bankruptcy, poor credit, declining lifestyle spending, and added stress to relationships and work.
Unfortunately, tiny amounts of debt can grow with interest and penalties into seemingly insurmountable mountains of debt; leaving you with loathsome options such as bankruptcy, poor credit, declining lifestyle spending, and added stress to relationships and work.
Try making a list of your financial challenges: credit card debt, no savings, living paycheck to paycheck, struggling with a mortgage, unable to find a job.
List all you can think of.
Let go of blame for others and yourself.
Begin to forgive yourself.
I will repeat again, be honest with yourself as to why this is a challenge for you.
Next to each challenge write down the reason why this is challenging.
Once you can admit why it is challenging you can learn from it and conquer it.
Remember that you are the only one responsible for your own current financial situation.
Take control and you can create a new situation you are happy with.
"Everybody's human - everybody makes mistakes.
If you laugh it off and keep going and try to give it your best the next time around, people respect that.
" You have probably heard that laughter is the best medicine.
Well it is when it comes to financial mistakes too.
The ability to see humor or comedy in your own mistakes and failures is a form of perception that is very important in avoiding future mistakes or failure.
You know when your friends tell stories of their own mistakes it makes you laugh, right? The ability to laugh at your own mistakes as well shows that you have truly accepted the mistake.
Your perception of the mistake has changed.
Humor loosens up your thought processes and helps you to learn from the mistake, allowing you to avoid making the same mistake in the future.
It may take a few days to be able to laugh at the situation, but when you do you will be free of up that energy to stop critiquing yourself on one single event.
Laughter takes the power out of mistakes.