Thought for today:

Sanity is a relative term. A person can seem perfectly normal in most ways, and yet be totally insane in one key area. Our relation to debt is like that.

We need to admit that we are not like normal people when it comes to debt, spending and earning. Our disease beats us every time. But what good is knowing that? Is the situation totally hopeless? Far from it!

Sometimes in DA we talk about having faith in a “Higher Power” as the answer to this dilemma.

“But I’m a proud atheist,” a new person might say, “How can I possibly do that?”

Enter DA Step 2:

“Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity”.

A personal share:

“I saw the word ‘God’ in the Steps and thought there was no way this was going to work. I was an atheist.  I voiced my concern at the meeting.

“They suggested I let my imagination help me come to believe in a Power of my understanding, starting with things I already believe in. For instance, since I believed in good government and justice, and I loved music, so didn’t I believe in goodness, justice, and love?  Weren’t those high ideals enough inspire change?  I had to think about that one.

“I asked myself if there was a power in the universe I could find trustworthy enough to begin my journey into faith. the answer came back to me that I had to stop being cynical about my outlook for humankind, and instead look for hopeful signs of courage and peace around me. They told me from their experience that I would see the signs if I looked for them.

“I still wanted to investigate as much as I could.  I went home and read spiritual poetry that didn’t come from any religion.  I found one especially good line in “Desiderata”: ‘With all it’s sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful life. Strive to be happy.’ I could agree with that.

“Today I am still an atheist, but I still strive to be happy, and that is enough of a spiritual journey to keep me solvent.”

The takeaway:

Step 2 doesn’t say what our Power is, where it came from, or why it exists. It recommends finding a power greater than ourselves. After all, we have lost our power in regard to debt and were insane with money.

We had fallen into a trap, meaning well, but choosing poorly. Unsecured debt was our higher power for too long. Now we find a hint of balance with money, awakening of our higher selves. The Steps help us get there.

Meditation for today:

“Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.” (From the Desiderata.)

Affirmation for today:

Today I will find a power to turn my life, my debt, and my earning over to.  I will find strength from this power.

Recommended Reading:

About the Steps:

For the definitive Twelve Step and Twelve Tradition book, get Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions written by Alcoholics Anonymous. It is a practical guide to all the Steps and

About Money:

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.

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 (this is a Kindle book)

Help from 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.

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