The Reality Behind Mind Over Money Matters™…

In my mind, money matters are no laughing matter.  Although my story is not an uncommon one, it has given me a unique perspective. My program is not based on some idealistic theory, but founded on solid reality.  You see, my relationship with money has been far, far from ideal…
 
In my mid-twenties, like many young people – “managing money” meant barely getting by as I lived paycheck to paycheck.  I had no savings because I felt there wasn’t enough to bother saving, no investments, no plan for her money… It went out as fast as it came in, and I felt no matter how frugally I lived, never splurging or going beyond my means, something always came up short.  Then, a medical crisis brought everything crashing down, and the resulting bills caused me to declare bankruptcy.  Although this was actually a deep relief for me, it was also a wake-up call because it forced me into a new way of life…
 
Because I now had to pay for everything in cash, it was necessary to follow a budget for the next ten years. During this time I learned what managing my money really meant and “thrived.” 
  
After a few more years, I began to feel I had everything under control with my money problem, so I got a credit card. Still thinking I had a handle on things, I got another one. Then another one.  Then, I got a credit card to pay off my credit cards, until I ended up with twelve totally maxed out cards. 
 
Problem was, I never dealt with the real issue:  under earning.  Being self-employed, I was scared to death to pick up the phone and make sales calls, afraid to face the rejection. So heavily into denial about my situation, I continually told myself everything would be better tomorrow, or the next day. 
 
If I got a new client, or if any other positive event occurred, I would get an overly inflated sense of elation and tell myself “This is it!  I’m OK now!” I would stop making calls again, and my income would start plunging yet again.
 
Instead of facing the real problem, I would just put it on the credit cards, let the budget slide and hope it would work itself out.  My financial situation slide desperately back out of control.  A second bankruptcy followed.
 
The patterns of my poor money habits lead me to feel like a complete failure. After all, this was the second time around, and I still could not solve my money problems. What was missing?
 

In my lifetime, I had practically every symptom of a debilitating relationship with money:

• Felt that following a budget took my freedom away.
• The total amount due on my credit cards rose every month.
• Nickel and dimmed my money away “making do” because I thought I could never have what I really wanted anyway.
• Had little or no savings, investments, or assets.
• Spent more as I made more money. 
• Did not take time to appreciate what I had.
• Resented others who had more.
• Thought winning the lotto or some other windfall would solve all my problems.
• Always had excuses for not earning more, not saving more, and not following a budget.
• Most of all, I didn’t know what my dreams were.

 
At her eleventh hour, I made a decision to get serious about healing my relationship with money.  I started reading books, going to workshops, talking to everyone I could, learning all I could! Most of all, I started listening to my “intuition” or “gut instincts.” Soon, I noticed my self-esteem rising, I could sleep at night, my bank account was growing, and moreover, I had something I’d never experienced before – a sense of balance and peace. 
 
It finally occurred to me how many others I had met in similar situations, and that I could help.  And so, Mind Over Money Matters™ was born.
 
Most people are reluctant to open up about their emotional reactions to money.  For some, to say anything about it would be admitting a problem exists, some feel stupid for having gotten themselves in this situation to start with, others may not even realize the extent of their circumstances.  And it does not matter how much money you have, people across all social classes suffer from having a poor relationship with their money.
 
So take the time to review yours.  Do you have a story similar to mine?  Being honest with yourself, do you have any of the symptoms listed above? 

If so, contact me.  Let my experience and insight help you understand your relationship with money, re-establish a healthy balance in your life, and reconnect with your dreams!