Have Faith!

[Jenifer Madson]

(An excerpt from the book "A FINANCIAL MINUTE" by Jenifer Madson)

Just because you've made a commitment to change your financial habits and have started to create new belief systems, that doesn't mean your financial fears have vanished. You might still feel some doubts about how to put money to work for you and whether you're up to the challenge.

So why does faith matter when it comes to our money? Because it beats the alternative, which is to allow fear to overtake us and keep us from taking the actions we need to succeed financially. I know few people who live a life completely free of fear. I think the best we can do when it shows up is to examine what's driving it, and agree to have at least an equal amount of faith.

Take A Minute:
• Write three of your financial fears and ask yourself whether they're real or made up. If they are real (if you have solid evidence to support them), find something you can have faith in—no matter what—that can help the situation. Then commit to actions to back up that faith.

Example:
You tell yourself:
I'm afraid I won’t have enough money to retire.

You decide that it's real, based on this evidence:
I'm 55, have no savings, and have large debts.

The next question you would ask is:
What can I have faith in, that can help this situation?

Your answers might be:
I have faith that I can learn new skills to improve my income. I have faith I can learn to reverse my debt. I have faith I can do something to change today.

The actions might be:
I will learn the new computer program I need for a promotion. I will outline a payback system for my debt.


Make A Minute:
• Write five affirmations of financial faith—five things that you are absolutely certain of, no matter what the circumstances.

Examples:
I have faith I can learn how money works.
I have faith in my ability to grow.
I have faith in the support of great friends and family.

Always find more to believe in than to fear, and don't be afraid to ask for help in this process. If you still don't have the personal faith you need, figure out whose you can borrow—I'm sure they'll have some to spare. If you already have tons of internal guidance, look for ways to share that with others until they find their way.