Later, when Riley started showing signs of autism, my financial self-study program got derailed. All my focus (and all our money) went to bio-med therapies. We found out quickly that though we were fully insured, medical insurance companies denied just about everything she needed. We didn't know what the years ahead were going to be like, so we made another important decision to live below our current means. We bought a small house. We drive old cars. We don't shop. Before Alaska, we had not had a real vacation in ten years.
So what's the guilt about? There are many people in my life who are barely getting by financially. People lose jobs, or get an illness and wind up in credit card debt that can seem impossible to climb out of. It almost feels like I'm rubbing our abundance in their face simply by "admitting" to no credit card debt. Of course it's all relative. Wealthy people would laugh at my idea of our current no college fund, no savings, "abundance."
What I do know is you can't attract and repel something at the same time. It is law. If you resent people with money, (and I used to, big time)you can't draw more financial abundance into your life. By the same token, this must be true: You can't attract abundance if you feel guilty about it either. And you can't make yourself poor enough to help anyone else.
We don't normally keep a credit card balance. I am proud of this fact. We are doing well, and we are going to be doing better and better financially.
And if you don't like them apples, you'll never have enough to make your own pie.
10 comments:
Don't feel guilty at all about not having credit card debt as I think that -in today's society -is something quite remarkable! Revel in it as it does take a good deal of will power not to succumb to the easy credit, fast track too, into a massive labyrinth. Try finding a way out of that mess! So you don't have college funds and/or savings, etc., I'm betting there are lots of others who earn in the same bracket and don't have those things either but also are majorly in debt and on the edge of total failure in a heart beat. Which sounds more palpable to you? Given a choice, I'd prefer your route.
I hope that you know that we (ok, I) don't read anything boastful into your posts, neither about your wonderful husband nor your enviable lack of debt.
What I do see is a woman rejoicing in her life and her relationship, taking pride in her accomplishments, and sharing that with people who (should) get it. Not everyone will, but please don't internalize that.
You're blessed. And that's OK. It's more than OK; it's fabulous. And you're lucky enough to see how blessed you are. Which makes it all that much better.
Girl,
Never
Feel
Guilty
About
Anything.
Unless you kill someone. Or hurt them.
Then that might be bad.
People would laugh if they saw the way we live, too, Michelle, and I'm right there with you - had the childhood of lack and have been repatterning that for some time; but I have come to a point where I am so grateful for what we DO have, things are so different from the "I'll never have" days. I would never let Suzy Orman get a hold of me however! LOL. I'm just buildling on good feelings. I went from "never enough" to "just enough" and now working towards "more than enough!!" :)
ditto jesswilson.
Stop doing that! Making me nod along to your posts. I made a conscious choice to change careers into the lesser paying nonprofit realm. I make jokes about the virtues of poverty and have accepted "lack". I coped by saying I choose it when I should have been inviting both abundance and my fulfilling career. Thanks for the reminder/focus!
The thing I hate is people who have money and don't know the worth of it. You know, those people who have everything and still manage to spend like it's going out of fashion. But what is worse is people who don't have money but think they have and still spend like it's going out of fashion! Things happen in life and sometimes you end up in debt no matter how careful you are but at the end of the day you get what you pay for and spending what you don't have? Well, I said it already.
Good on you for living within your means and living life to the fullest extent.
PS Have had complaints from Kim about my English not being American so hope you can read this!! ;)
Them apples are Delicious.
You're singing to the choir, here. I, too, grew up with nothing and have difficulty accepting the fact that Bubba and I are doing well financially. Isn't it strange the way we feel obligated to make ourselves seem not-so-well-off in order not to hurt others? I feel the same way talking to friends whose relationships are rocky - appologizing for having a strong marriage. You know what? It's crazy - we work hard for what we have. No apologies.
Just love.
"You can't attract abundance if you feel guilty about it either. And you can't make yourself poor enough to help anyone else."---
Are you talking to me? You must be talking to me. I always feel guilty about it. And I find myself playing down what we do have, so other people (parents) won't feel bad. And at the same time I FEAR abundance on many levels...and so we just get by.
I really need to fix this about myself.
:)
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