My work is recognizing that financial success is an inside job. In other words, success is more about resolving our emotions and fixed beliefs than it is about acquiring more financial knowledge and expertise. Often, what I'm recommending is counter-intuitive. My recommendations for addressing challenges with debt might surprise you.

The first step in addressing debt is to recognize you are not alone. Often we think that it's just me that has this money challenge. But no, so many of us experience challenge in this area. However, in community, we can gain the confidence and support we need to tackle this challenge. Recognizing that you're not alone takes away a lot of the shame of being in debt.

The second step is to start giving as a way of reversing the energy of debt. Ask friends if they need help and offer your time and resources. You might also volunteer at a soup kitchen or a shelter. The key here is that no matter how much debt you have, you're continuing to give and even save money while you're reducing your debt.

The third step is G-P-S:

• Give at least a dollar a day to your favorite charity.
• Pay at least a dollar a day to one of your debts.
• Save at least a dollar a day into a retirement or savings plan.



Practically speaking, it may be simpler to give (pay or save) $30 a month than to give a dollar a day. Do this for a month, and you might start to see changes in your relationship to your debt. You are actually altering the neural pathways of your brain. Over many months, this will rewire and retrain your thinking, and then anything is possible... including a whole new relationship with money.