Thought for today:

Compulsive debting is a disease which, left untreated, always gets worse, never better.

A member shares:

“Whenever I used credit cards it was a result of feeling trapped.   Household bills piled up and it seemed like the best solution.

“Credit card companies make the deals so enticing too! One card offered a $300 rebate, and another offered 0% for twelve months.  Another offered 10,000 Frequent Flyer Miles.

“I remember taking the special deals and regretting them almost immediately.  The money I saved was soon paid back in late fees – and much more!

“The problem with debt isn’t the card – it’s me!  I never really took Step One – admitting that I was a compulsive debtor.  If  I had, I would have avoided the credit card and set up a Pressure Relief Meeting.

“So the problem is really me – I have no defense against the first cozy deal merchants offer.  I am as powerless over  debt as I ever was.

“Today my life is manageable because I am working the Twelve Tools and Twelve Steps.  I don’t debt, no matter what. Even if my butt falls off, I don’t have to debt!”

The only requirement:

Tradition Three of Debtors Anonymous states that “The only requirement for DA membership is a desire to stop incurring unsecured debt.”   Yet how easy it is to get talked into using unsecured debt!

The media everywhere tells us that the world will be so much better when we spend on credit.  We love to dream of the things that we could buy.  It’s times like these that we need to “think it through”.

Incurring unsecured debt leads to vagueness, and prolongs the disease of compulsive debting.  Once we debt, the debt takes on a life of its own.

It’s simply too easy to “life the dream” that debt presents.  We are encouraged to disregard the fine print, with its stiff repayment requirements.

There is never a need to use credit cards.  You always have options, such as using collateral, doing without, focusing on things you can change, bartering, etc.  It all depends on how resourceful you want to be.

If you want to live debt-free, the journey starts by tracking your spending and earning to the penny.  This helps you get clarity, and after a couple of weeks, you will be ready to meet with your Pressure Relief Group (PRG) to develop a Spending Plan and an Action Plan for putting your life in order.

For debtors, cash is golden!

Ask:

Have I accepted that I am a compulsive debtor?  Do I admit that for me, incurring even a little unsecured  debt is self-destructive?

Meditation for today: Focusing On Achievement

People spend too much time on useless  time wasters.  It has been said that 80% of our time is wasted on  “time clutter” that can be removed.

Instead, focus your energy on the 20% of your actions you think will produce the biggest impact.   Pick the project with the biggest payoff.

If a project has challenges, step back and list ten things that you can do about it.  A bolder is hard to move unless it is broken into small rocks.  Likewise, each project can be broken into small tasks that can be done.

Affirmation for today:

“I have no problem in my life that can’t be broken down into simpler tasks.”

Follow Through:

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