Thought for today:

Bargaining is the third of the “”five stages of grief*”.  For compulsive debtors, this means a desperate search for ways to avoid the consequences of debt.

We may feel compelled to hold extra jobs to pay our creditors.  We may “splurge and purge” , going on bulimic shopping sprees, and when the rush of binge spending subsides, returning the products we just purchased.

In our adrenaline rush to escape, we may agree to a bad debt consolidation scheme with an exorbitant interest rate, just to cut down our monthly payments and avoid creditor calls.  We may beg family members to rescue us from debt.

A member shares:

“When I start seeking bargains that extend my debt, I stop dealing with the disease of debting, and I go into further destructive behavior.  If I’m not dealing with the cause of debting (my warped sense of priorities) what I’m really doing is running from the truth.”

Channeling our compulsion to escape:

When we’re stuck in the disease of compulsive debting, the last thing we want to do is change the person we are.  The compulsion to escape from the “debt trap” is stronger than our will power.

What we need to do is transform our bargaining into a sense of wonder about the program of DA. We can use that energy in the program of DA.

We can:

• track our numbers meticulously
• have PRG meetings
• hone our Spending Plan each month
• stick to our Action Plan for savings, taking care of our needs, and debt repayment.
• develop our Visions for the future

If we “work the program with integrity, and to the best of our ability”, we will engage in a powerful new life.

Ask:

To the best of my ability, are all my business negotiations grounded in integrity?

Meditation for today:

Sometimes, disturbances of the spirit can seem attractive and make us behave like a moth drawn to a flame.  Spiraling dangerously close to the thing that could destroy us seems inevitable.

We can steer clear of the flame even though it seems impossible at the time.

Affirmation for today:

“Even when it feels unnatural, I can live in recovery.  I will not worry about any problems that worry can’t repair.”

“I let go when I need to put space between me and my disease.”

“The Higher Power inspires solutions.”

On Grief and Grieving: Finding the Meaning of Grief Through the Five Stages of Loss

How to Recover in Debtors Anonymous (Whether You’re in that Program or Not): A Primer

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• A description of Kübler-Ross can be found on Wikipedia: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kübler-Ross_model