How Can I Solve My Financial Problems?

“I’m doing financially horrible. I needed to get some food and household items… I was flat broke and I had no other choice than to take my 7 year old boys’ Xbox back. I feel so bad, I’m losing sleep. Did I do the right thing?” ~ Tiffany, Effingham, IL

Dear Tiffany,

We all run into problems from time to time, and often they are of a financial nature. I believe that most of the time, the problem comes from our thoughts. The most difficult thing to do when we don’t know how we’re going to feed our family is to change our thoughts to include abundance. Our minds are screaming at us that we’re not being “realistic” and that “money doesn’t grow on trees”.

But what if it did? What if it really was as easy as changing our thoughts from poverty to abundance – and if this really works, then how do we do that? Well, the first step is to take care of the immediate needs and feed your family. Perhaps that might be asking a friend for a short term loan for a month or two, even if you don’t yet know how you’re going to pay it back. Find someone who believes in you until you can believe in yourself.

Then, change your focus to what you want – not that which you fear. If tomorrow’s reality is formed from your thoughts today, then fill your day with thoughts of gratitude and abundance. I know it seems like “make believe” when you’re selling things to buy food – but trust that it really does work.

Let go of the guilt of selling the Xbox and know that in the short term, you made the best decision you could. Forgive yourself for getting into this position in the first place. Then, let’s focus on where you want to be – not where you are.

I know that pit-of-the-stomach feeling that comes along with the fear of “How am I going to pay for…” whatever it is that you need or want. When you feel that feeling, remind yourself that you are an infinite being with unlimited potential – even if it doesn’t feel like it in that moment. You have the ability to achieve the things that you want in life, including financial independence. Replace the fearful thought with gratitude and visualize the things that you want to bring into your life. Then celebrate it as if it’s already happened, and with the passion and excitement that you would actually feel when this happens. Even if you feel like you’re pretending, do it anyway.

As with any muscle when working out, the more you use it the easier this will become. Practice again and again, and soon, you’ll look back on these days and wonder what it was that you were so worried about.

Some additional resources that might be able to help you are Caroline Shearer’s Struggling Financially? Start with Love, Chaney Weiner’s The 2 Most Dangerous Beliefs About Money That Keep You In Debt, and my earlier post, Abundance or Vision… Which Comes First?. You might also try Ellen Whitehurst’s Make Yourself a Money Magnet e-course — you choose the price, so you can pay what you can afford.

Gail Lynne Goodwin