Thought for today:
Once the downward spiral of compulsive debt takes hold and is left unchecked, our issues with money will only get worse, never better. But what do we do?
People will naturally resist admitting that we are different from others – the same people we see in stores who seem to be able to use credit cards without a problem. Nobody wants to admit that they aren’t equal to others – unless it becomes clear that such an admission is the key to their recovery!
And so we share our stories of what brought us to the program of recovery from debting and under-earning, and how it has helped. Eventually our powerlessness over debt becomes self-evident to most people who take this program seriously and stay with it for more than a quick fix.
DA Step 1:
1. We admitted we were powerless over debt—that our lives had become unmanageable.
A member shares:
“They told me I didn’t have to use credit cards ever again, but I fought it. I couldn’t see how it was possible. But I kept coming, and grew stronger in the fellowship.
“I identified with the speakers and felt encouraged. They had given me literature and told me how to get solvent. (‘Just don’t debt, one day at a time. And it’s always today!’)
“I went to a meeting one night and cut up my credit cards right there on the table. I had enough of fighting it. Everyone applauded.
“They continued helping me in Pressure Meetings to increase my earning power, and my self-esteem grew, in spite of debts. I found alternatives to credit cards with their help.
“Today when I talk about my plans for the future I always emphasize that I had to admit powerlessness over debt before any of the miracles could happen. Powerlessness was the key to finding an answer to my problem.”
Why the emphasis on powerlessness?
Our society encourages us to use credit cards. As soon as we are of age, the offers come in. Throughout our adult lives, credit cards entice us with easy purchases.
A tempting store credit card offer can result in financial self-destruction for us. All it takes is a momentary lapse in judgment, and the compulsion to debt will take its opportunity to build a wall of defenses and denial to lock us away.
But credit cards are not a requirement of adulthood. They are not a status symbol. They are addictive to compulsive debtors. The logical conclusion is that they result in exorbitant amounts of interest that no sane person would ever entertain.
We are powerless over credit cards. On the road to solvency, we realize that we never need to use a credit card again – ever!
Ask:
“Do I realize that I am powerless over debt?”
Meditation for today:
Most of what we fear never happens. So we can let go of most fear. We can notice others who work a spiritual program, how they seem to get better. Our lives will be more abundant as we let go of trying to control our will power, and simply surrender our cards to the shredder if we still have them.
Affirmation for today:
“I am a part of a collective unconscious that is all-healing. I am ready to trust this power.”
Recommended reading:
Ever feel like everyone else in the world must have been given “The Rule Book” except you when it came to your work life and increasing your income? The following books by Jerrold Mundis help under-earners overcome blocks to true fulfillment in career and life:
Earn What You Deserve: How to Stop Underearning & Start Thriving by Jerrold Mundis.
Making Peace with Money by Jerrold Mundis.
How to Have More Money by Jerrold Mundis.
There is a new Twelve Step fellowship specifically for Underearners, called FinancialUA:
Financial Underearners Anonymous is a new fellowship we heard just started in Baltimore, MD USA. We learned about them during a workshop at the DANYC.org ShareADay event in NYC earlier this month. We wish them great fellowship!
About Mint:
Mint is a free application written by Intuit (the makers of Quicken). You can register using this link: http://Mint.com. You can also download the app on the Apple app store, or using the Amazon app store here: Mint.com Personal Finance.
How to Use Mint.com
Recommended reading for de-cluttering:
Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up
Helpful links on PlentyTML.com:
See our Fourth Step Template which helps us to take a fearless moral inventory.
Some members, with the help of their Pressure Relief Group, take a moratorium from debt payments in order to get their spending under control. See this Debt Moratorium sample letter to creditors for one example.
If you are new to this blog, check out our overview of the program of recovery from compulsive debting. If you like this post, please click one of the like/share buttons on the site. If you would like to receive daily “Thoughts for today”, enter your email and a username in the subscription form at the top of this page. Some links on this page bring you to other sites. Clicking a book title or image brings you to information about purchasing it. If you buy something it will help support this blog with a small commission – which does not add to your cost! PlentyTML.com does not give specific financial advice and makes no guarantees about the books or concepts it recommends.
Copyright 2016, PlentyOfTimeMoneyAndLove.com.
You must log in to post a comment.