Financial Karma | Money Management | Mindfulness | Mindset | Holistic Financial Advice |

I’m taking back my power as far as what I can accomplish. It’s taken me a really long time to get here, but I’m here now and ready to keep my eye on the prize. My prize is my physical health.  With that comes every other aspect of my life. I’ve picked lots of significant days to stop smoking before. I’ve now made the commitment to take by my power with my health. I’m picking my day to honor my children’s birthday’s. In my case, I want to be able to visualize having the health and wellness that I want. I want to be able to reclaim my health so I can understand how I feel in my own skin. In there here and now, I want to have success.I want to focus on what’s going on right now. Things won’t always go as planned, but that is life.I’ve made a commitment to the day, but I’ve also made a commitment to myself. Come along with my journey!

As you know, I’m on a journey of self-reflection and discovering where I am going on my business journey. I’ve come to realize at my age, is that I’ve spent a lot of my life being in conflict with what I really wanted to do vs. what others wanted me to do. I’m now beginning to embrace being a rebel, and I don’t mind it at all.   I’ve been doing my research on Deb time, and I’ve broken it down into 3 parts.   Going out into the world to see what is out there and available and science-based. I want to look for people that are smart, honest and well qualified to lend a viewpoint to my life. Getting involved with other people one on one and in groups. I am so happy to be in so many groups that help meet this need in me. It’s not only fun, but it’s empowering. To be around others who want to make a difference and walk with them. The “me” piece - how am I feeling in my own body? My mediation coach works with me on much of this. I’m working on something so basic as walking and my posture.      I am using Dr. Aviva Romm’s book The Adrenal Thyroid Revolution and I am learning so much before I embark on this 28-day journey. I was so floored after I had conversations with my Dr. and I felt like I knew more about thyroid issues than he did. This encounter left me feeling very icky about the entire medical profession. I have to trust my body and trust how I am feeling in my body.    Emotions are a part of our physical health, and how I feel about myself plays a huge role in my health. That is a huge part of this journey and I’m getting ready to take back my power.   In the next episode, I’ll be talking about picking the day to start the journey and plan for success.     Resources:   Alex Jamieson’s podcast interview with Christiane Northrup

In the last episode, I told you about my new journey of reflection that I was embarking on based on the Thyroid Adrenal Revolution Book by Dr. Aviva Rom.. Today, I want to share with you the catalyst for my journey.   I wanted to go inward to get my physical health where it needs to be. I have suffered with a lack of energy, and I’m still in prep mode for this journey.   I have a beach house that I rent out all summer. I was staying there for a bit, and a few days into my trip, I noticed I started getting really itchy. I wasn’t sure if I was dealing with sand fleas or something else. The rash kept getting worse and I went to a party with some friends and started talking with some friends about it. Needless to say, we realized I was dealing with bed bugs.   I chose to get a heat treatment on the house, rather than treat it with chemicals. After this situation, I went into a funk and got depressed. Felt really violated.It’s taken close to a month to get over my symptoms. I was stressed out so much that I ended up breaking out in hives.   I took some benadryl when I got home and slept for 15 hours. This was the catalyst that told me it was time to take charge of my body and my health. I believe that if you can figure out your physical wellness, you can also figure out your financial wellness.   I’ve ridden the financial roller coaster in the last several years. The one remnant I salvaged was my beach house. I hit rock bottom and I want you to learn from my mistakes so you don’t have to go there.   Tomorrow we’re talking about the research needed to get ready to make the changes you need to make.  

I’m in the process of figuring out my business and how I want to support myself, which is a big part of financial karma.    The path I’m currently following is based on The Thyroid Adrenal Revolution by Dr. Aviva Rom. I’ll be sharing more about that in future episodes.    The most important step to any change is actually being willing. Someone told me to be a leader, not a savior, and sometimes I tend to want to be a savior.    Tomorrow, I am going to share the catalyst for the change I am talking about - Bed Bugs! Ugh!

This episode wraps up my daily FB Live challenge. I forced myself to do this during my busiest time of the year (tax season)! I'm glad I made it. I've learned some lessons from doing this exercise. I've learned things about myself as well. 

One way or another we all take from others - from our families, from the government or others that we aren’t even aware of. So now we are in a place where there’s a lot of finger pointing that goes on, and it’s created an environment where people are at odds with each other. Blaming others and pointing fingers at those that we perceive to be taking from the system isn’t helpful. Actually, it makes us a hypocrite because in many ways, we are also getting welfare.   In truth, we all should be taking and giving in our society. We all need each other and no one is truly self-sufficient. This giving and taking is what makes us part of a community and makes us feel like part of the tribe. No everyone living in poverty is taking welfare. Many are struggling to be self-sufficient and living at a very low standard. People that are struggling don’t need the stigma of “taking welfare” to traumatize them because it is counterproductive to everything they are attempting to do.    Since the Industrial Revolution in this country, we have been creating problems that we now need to solve. Problems like climate change, population shifts, work force changes, and many more. It takes an entire society to try and solve these problems, but we all have to work together. Open your mind to a different approach to things and see where that gets you. it will improve your growth mindset and how you view the world.

Today I wanted to talk to you about the war within yourself, vs. the diplomatic solution of solving your problems. It’s the war within our own bodies. I quit smoking last year and I have gained some unwanted weight. I need to be kind to myself while I try to figure out what the solution for my body is. I can’t go to war with myself and go on a drastic diet and hit the gym 8 hours a day. Our bodies need a lot of things. We need sensuality and play as a regular part of our lives. Having diplomacy allows you to be minimally at odds with yourself internally. It allows you to work through issues with flow and ease.Maybe you don’t have to go grind it out at the gym, but rather you join a dance class. Be kind and use diplomacy with yourself - don’t wage a war against yourself!

I’m in New York in the middle of tax season. I’m here for an event that I don’t really have time for, but I knew I would benefit from coming. So even though I don’t have time for it, and even though I am in the middle of tax season, I knew I had to come anyway. I could plan for it to have minimal impact, so I though “how can I not go?”. What are you saying "no" to that you would be better off taking advantage of!

Do you know what your gifts are? Are you leveraging them effectively? Today we are talking about gifts, and when I say gifts, I mean the things that you feel like you have a natural knack for and you excel at.   Using your gifts gives you an opportunity to show up for yourself. This is a growth mindset and it allows you to fully step into your power.   Many times your gifts may marry to opposing qualities. Then they become complementary skills.   The world needs you to show up with your skills! Collectively, there are opportunities that you can take advantage of by showing up!      

Have you ever questioned yourself? Do you think you should do something just because you can? That’s what we’re talking about today. There are many things we are allowed to do because they are not illegal, but does that mean it’s ok to do it? We do so many things because we can get away with it. But that doesn’t mean that it’s what is best for us. I went through one of these tough times when I was going through a divorce. I was in a bind with circumstances, but I also had a moral obligation. I probably could have declared bankruptcy legally, but would it have been the right thing for me to do. I needed to think about the long game and not make decisions only to get out of a jam. Just because you can make certain decisions, also think about the long term consequences. We can learn valuable lessons when bad things happen and we make good choices around it.  

Many times we do things that do not align with our greater purpose. Sometimes we are closed off to the things that would make our lives what we really want them to be. In fact, our best lives are getting sacrificed on the altar of our current lives.   I’m a people pleaser, so this one has been a really hard thing for me. I get trapped in my daily life and it robs me of the future I desire. Many times we just need better boundaries to hold our dreams in a sacred space and not let anything interfere with it. It’s almost like we need selective hearing, so we can turn off the noise and only focus on what contributes to the life we really want.   Sometimes I am stubborn and I have to hit rock bottom before I take the steps to hold my dreams in the highest regard. Friends and likeminded community can help keep us on track. Sometimes we can be misguided and let this behavior overtake our lives.    It takes courage to hit rock bottom and get back on the horse every day. Being brave instead of being misguided means you accept the fact that this journey may be messy and bumpy sometimes. It’s brave to be honest with yourself in your current state. It makes you grow up!    See your life as it really is and you can improve your situation faster than you ever imagined. When you reframe misguided to brave, it will make a difference in your life.  

I don’t want to be so serious all the time. I had to practice laughter in order to make fun of myself and my own foibles. The best way to laugh is with friends, but you can also laugh when you are alone. I want you to begin using your money to trade it for a pleasing experience - whether it’s time with friends or some other amazing experience, rather than buying things. Use laughter as the best medicine for anything that ails you!

It’s important for us to continue to work on the dreams that we have in our lives. Sometimes it takes awhile to get there and it seems like this particular journey has taken me awhile. I heard something yesterday that made me appreciate exactly where I am. Angela Duckworth wrote the book about GRIT and she decided to pursue the MacArthur grant for $100 million dollars. They came up with an audacious idea and it’s 3 parts - health, education, and saving! What a combination to put together, but the reason they did is because they put forth the idea that these 3 areas need major change in our society in order to have a lasting impact.  Savings are important for your well being and life experience. I am so glad this was reinforced by these very smart ladies! Can you imagine if they were able to get $100 million in order to do this work in our world? They didn’t get the grant, but that’s not stopping them from doing the work anyway! The more you save, the more self-sufficient you can be throughout the rest of your life. But also, it changes your relationship with money when you have savings. My goal is to share the message of financial literacy to as many people as possible.

My book group reads books that help us in our lives. Even though I am an accountant, I am also a creative person. We are currently reading a book about money and it’s about being creative with our money.   Too often we get boxed in with thoughts and plans and almost become paralyzed and unable to move forward and do all the things in life that we want to.   I am a believer in having faith that good things will happen to you. But I am not one to sit back and say “Oh well, God will provide” and you don’t have to worry about things. I would rather think of it as God supports me in my endeavors to provide for myself and take care of myself.    We all have temporary scarcities in our lives, but the important thing is what we do after that temporary scarcity.   The reason for time is so that everything doesn’t happen at once. Given enough time, the Universe will give you what you need. The Universe provides a framework for all good things. It takes the chaos of life out of play and allows things to evolve the way they are supposed to.The Universe provides openings for your next step. Anything is possible when you believe the Universe will give you a hand.    When we are open to the Universe, it will bring the best to us and it will allow us to grow.  

There are 3 things that I’m sharing about play today. It’s hard to justify it as an adult and it seems like we just don’t stop working to play very often. This is one area where we have to re-frame our thinking to make a change in how we prioritize play and make it a regular part of our lives.   Giggle - make it a point to get together with people that you know will make you giggle. Play dress up - dress however you feel like it to go to work and wear whatever makes you feel playful. Swing on a swing set - it’s not just for kids! Make it a point to stop every time you see a park with an adult swing. There’s something about the reckless abandon of going back and forth and high that just takes you to a different place mentally.  

Do you ever hear people make blanket statements about situations or issues that you know aren’t factually accurate? It’s honestly hard for me to hear. Why does judging other people cost?   It’s a distraction. It takes your focus off what is most important in your life. It promotes a fixed mindset. You can’t be open to other viewpoints when you have a fixed mindset. It causes you to be disconnected from people.   There are so many ways we can contribute to a positive society in our corner of the world. We don’t have time to be sidelined and distracted by judging others.

There was a time in my life that I thought I had the security that money brings.I didn’t truly understand that it wasn’t bringing me happiness until I was in a situation where I had much less money.   I got some honest feedback from someone today. I had a very visceral reaction to the words he spoke. He was trying to tell me to pay attention to my body alignment and breathing. Words like this are hard for all of us to hear, but words are powerful. So I wanted to share with you 3 reactions to the power of words in our lives:   Change is good. Words can help us build community. Fear really will not kill you.   Think about your words before your speak and also try to be discerning about the words you are hearing.

I just feel lighter! Well, let me back up and explain. Sometimes our family relationships get a little bit out of whack. We may have demands placed on us that are unreasonable, and we also may find that our expectations are constantly not being met by family members. It’s been true for me, that when I release emotional weight, my physical weight gets in balance. I think so many of us got through life with more of an “emotional weight problem” than we do a physical weight problem and those go hand in hand.    Releasing yourself from the emotional bondage of past mistakes and problematic family relationships can provide freedom for you emotionally, and that’s what makes me feel lighter! Emotional baggage can impact your physical weight and also your money. There are so many emotions tied up in both of those aspects of our lives. The scarcity mentality can overtake your financial life and it’s important for you to work through your issues with family relationships and with your money.   I encourage you to embrace abundance in all of your relationships! This will take your relationship with money and family in the right direction, and you won’t be weighed down with the negative aspects that can be harmful to you!

I don’t know how many of you listen to the Story Corp podcast on NPR, but I just found out that they now had an app. So, I uploaded it and went to visit my parents. They are aging and they can’t do quite as much as they used to. So this app presented a great opportunity for me to document some of the stories of their lives in their own voices. So the thing that is different about this app compared to other voice recording apps is that it will save your audio recording in the Library of Congress. So, it’s a great way to preserve the stories, that will forever be a part of the Library of Congress. Join me tomorrow as I am re-thinking my family relationships!

Last year I did my will, and I had expressed my desire to be cremated. It’s a really kind thing you can do for your loved ones to put a plan in place for your departure. In the course of that process, I found out about the Maryland Anatomy Board. When you die and seek their assistance, they basically take the body and use it for medical training. It’s done in a respectful way. After this, they cremate you and return your remains to your family.   The Karma is that you get to help people with medical training and the financial part of it is that you don’t end up having to pay for your final expenses.  It’s better to have these arrangements made long before you need it.